Meaningful URL Validator

Hi all, I'm trying to make an URL validator, but I'm kind of stuck now. What I awnt it to do is as follows: It first checks to see if the server is up or down by doing a general fopen() on the URL. It then opens the URL in some way, checks the HTTP response code and spews out a meaningful message to the user. E.g. if it's a 404, the user will get a message saying the the page was not found. Has anybody done this before and have the kind heart to share it with me? ;) TIA -- Stig-Ørjan Smelror Systemutvikler Linux Communications AS Sandakerveien 48b Box 1801 - Vika N-0123 Oslo, Norway tel. +47 22 09 28 80 fax. +47 22 09 28 81 http://www.lincom.no/