PHP script to log into a drupal site and update a form using curl, can be used with other sites besides drupal

curl_post_update.php

<?php
  //
  // curl_post_update.php
  // You can modify this script to make PHP use a webpage like a person sitting
  // at a computer would use a webpage.
  //
  // tags: #php #curl #form
  // 
  // This script is licensed under the JSON licence http://www.json.org/license.html
  // "The Software shall be used for Good, not Evil." style license
  // 
  // execute this script with  /usr/bin/php curl_post_update.php
  // or where your php binary is located
  // 
  // Questions? github.com/abemassry
  //
  $curl = curl_init();
  $url = "http://www.example.com";
  // set $cookie to a file you have write access to, or a folder you have write access, can be /tmp/cookie.txt
  $cookie = 'cookie.txt';
  curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
  curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, $cookie);
  curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, $cookie);
  curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, 1);
  curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
  curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POST, 1);

  $postdata=array(
      "name" => "user_name", 
      "pass" => "user_pass",
      "form_id" => "user_login", 
      "op" => "Log in",
    );
  curl_setopt ($curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $postdata);
  
  // First Log in
  $result=curl_exec($curl);
  sleep(1);
  $headers = curl_getinfo($curl);
  if ($headers['url'] == $url) {
      die("Cannot login.");
  }
  $url = "http://www.example.com/form";
  curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_URL, $url);

  // remove previous post fields
  curl_setopt ($curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, '');
  // get text of page into a variable
  $result=curl_exec($curl);
  sleep(1);
  // you can use pure PHP for this but I found it quicker to use a shell command
  $bid = exec("echo '$result' | grep form_build_id | awk '{print $4}' | awk -F '\"' '{print $2}'");
  $token = exec("echo '$result' | grep form_token | awk '{print $4}' | awk -F '\"' '{print $2}'");
  
  // grab fields from parsing the form then
  // the form_build_id and form_token is unique for every form
  // enter into post data with new form
  // required data for this particular form was "title" and "body[und][0][value]"
  
  $postdata = array(
    "title" => "",
    "changed" => "",
    "form_build_id" => "$bid",
    "form_token" => "$token",
    "form_id" => "timeline_node_form",
    "body[und][0][summary]" => "",
    "body[und][0][value]" => "",
    "body[und][0][format]" => "filtered_html",
    "files[field_image_und_0]" => "",
    "field_image[und][0][_weight]" => "0",
    "field_image[und][0][fid]" => "0",
    "field_image[und][0][display]" => "1",
    "field_timeline_date[und][0][value][date]" => "",
    "revision" => "1",
    "log" => "",
    "path[pathauto]" => "1",
    "name" => "",
    "date" => "",
    "additional_settings__active_tab" => "edit-revision-information",
    "status" => "1",
    "additional_settings__active_tab" => "",
    "op" => "Save"
  );

  curl_setopt ($curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $postdata);
  $result=curl_exec($curl);
  sleep(1);
  $headers = curl_getinfo($curl);
  if ($headers['url'] == $url) {
      die("did not work\n\n\n\n$result\n\n\n\n$headers\n\n\n\n$bid\n$token\n");
  }

  // close curl connection
  // delete the cookie
  // sleep if you need to log in again and enter another form

  curl_close ($curl);
  unlink($cookie);
  sleep(2);
?>