--- loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2008/12/18 16:58:26	1.724
+++ loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2008/12/19 17:19:48	1.726
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # a pile of common routines
 #
-# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.724 2008/12/18 16:58:26 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.726 2008/12/19 17:19:48 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -3168,7 +3168,7 @@ sub relative_to_absolute {
     }
     $thisdir=~s-/[^/]*$--;
     foreach my $link (@rlinks) {
-	unless (($link=~/^http:\/\//i) ||
+	unless (($link=~/^https?\:\/\//i) ||
 		($link=~/^\//) ||
 		($link=~/^javascript:/i) ||
 		($link=~/^mailto:/i) ||
@@ -9367,7 +9367,9 @@ sub construct_course {
                    'policy.email',
                    'comment.email',
                    'pch.users.denied',
-                   'plc.users.denied'],
+                   'plc.users.denied',
+                   'hidefromcat',
+                   'categories'],
                    $$crsudom,$$crsunum);
     }
 
@@ -9868,7 +9870,7 @@ sub _add_to_env {
 # --- Get the symbolic name of a problem and the url
 sub get_symb {
     my ($request,$silent) = @_;
-    (my $url=$env{'form.url'}) =~ s-^http://($ENV{'SERVER_NAME'}|$ENV{'HTTP_HOST'})--;
+    (my $url=$env{'form.url'}) =~ s-^https?\://($ENV{'SERVER_NAME'}|$ENV{'HTTP_HOST'})--;
     my $symb=($env{'form.symb'} ne '' ? $env{'form.symb'} : (&Apache::lonnet::symbread($url)));
     if ($symb eq '') {
         if (!$silent) {