Sending a large parametrized data set as a GET request

Question

What's the best way to send a large data set via a GET request.

• I cannot use POST because of some design limitations.
• I can use jQuery or any other library, sizzle is preferable.
• I have a complex data set that has nestings within it, and json fits the bill well.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

GET requests shouldn't exceed 1-4 kilobytes in size due to browser and server limitations. You would have to split your request in chunks to do this.

If the data comes from a form, you could, for example utilize jQuery's .serialize() function to put the data into one string. Then split the string into kilobyte-sized chunks and send it out using Ajax. You would have to have a server-side script that glues the chunks back together, possibly using a unique identifier specified in the Ajax requests.

Some sources on the length limitation:

• MSDN: Maximum URL length is 2083 characters in Internet Explorer
• Various server and browser tests, from 2006 but should still give a half-way representative overview