Problem with submiting large texts

Anon

I need (!) to insert/update large text to the MySQL database through POST method by placing these texts into the "textarea" of the HTML form and passing them as parameters to other functions which perfom preview of the text and then editing/updating/inserting them into the MySQL.

The problem is that it doesn't work -- if text size larger than some "magic" amount of characters (BTW, can anyone tell me what is that number), the script drops me back to the initial page without giving any errors or warnings. Of course, nothing goes to the database. 🙁

Please, suggest or give examples how to overcome that problem? Is it something to do with $HTTP_POST_VARS and their limitation?

Just in case, to predict some of your suggestions:
1. No, addslahes() won't help, 'cause there is absolutely no slashes in the text or any other special characters, just plain latin letters and numbers.
2. Additional timeout doesn't help. I have tried to increase its values, but that didn't help.
3. There is absolutely no errors or warnings in the php-code itself. (I tracked them all down). And anyway it works perfectly with small texts.

Any help appreciated. Thanks a lot in advance!

Anon

I think POST has a limit, set by the webserver, otherwise people could really bog down your server by POSTing 100mb files to it!

I'm sure the amount must be documented somewhere, but I don't know off the top of my head.

Could you not have some javascript split the text into smaller variables before posting, and then have php put them back together? Yes messy, but it may work!

Anon

Not the POST-method in general is limit, but proxys or firewalls do limit POSTed amount.
(I don't know any way, how to limit that eg in IIS5).
Talk to your ISP and see what they can do.

Tom

reagent

Before you try anything else, go into mysql and type
desc <table-name>
for your table. The field may be varchar, and that is limited to 255 characters. If you want more, use the TEXT datatype.

hth.
p.

Anon

I've always said that.

😉

Anon

So, it is not the reason. Actually, I have there field of type "mediumtext", which is is pretty enough for my texts, i.e. it is definetly more than the size of the posted texts.

Please, any other suggestions?! That's the only thing that keeps us from opening our new web-site, and I'm pretty lost. I've been trying to figure it out for a few days already, with no apparent success.

Anon

Did you try entering all the text through phpMyAdmin? Did that work? That uses forms, so if it works for them, it should work for yours!

Anon

I am have the exact same problem. It is not a limitation of a firewall/proxy or anything else, it is just internet explorer.

I have successfully posted large text files in Opera, Netscape, Mozilla on both the P.C. and Linux operating systems. All of these browsers are capably of this.

I run into the problem with I.E. 5.0-6.0. for windows. I.E. for the macintosh does not do this. There is a limit to the amount of text you can post, once this limit has been reached the submit buttons will not post. You can click the submit button, but nothing happens.

I am not sure if this is a bug, or an attempt by MS at security or what. The question is, is there a way around it? Java maybe?