Form within a form

mickoni

I have a webpage with an updateable form on. The form has 2 submit buttons
(therefore 2 <FORMS> as you cannot nest forms in HTML)

1 submit button updates the information and the other updates and closes the
record.

The form is pretty large and therefore would be poor coding to write again.

Below is some example code:

1ST FROM
echo "<FORM ACTION='update.php' NAME='help' METHOD=POST>";
echo "<tr><td>Company:</td><td><input type=text class=box name='company'
size=30 value='".$company."'></td></tr>";
echo "<tr><td>Contact:</td><td><input type=text class=box name='contact'
size=30 value='".$contact."'></td></tr>";
echo "<tr><td>Customer ID:</td><td><input type=text class=box name=cid
size=10 value='".$cid."'</td></tr>";
echo "<tr><td>Telephone no:</td><td><input type=text class=box name=telno
size=15 value='".$telno."'></td></tr>";
echo "<tr><TD ALIGN=left valign=top><INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT VALUE='Update
Fault'></FORM></TD>";

// 2ND FORM
echo "<FORM ACTION='close.php' NAME='close' method=post>
?
?
?
echo "<INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT VALUE='Update and Close Fault'></FORM>";

How do I code the 2nd form to get the updated variables from the 1st form?

Anon

You can do this very easily using javascript when you want to remain on the same page: let the action of the first form be empty and set onSubmit="fill2ndform();". Then create the second form with the same variables but hidden and create in the head of your HTML document a javascript function fill2ndform which copies the variables of the first form one by one.

If not you can do this by creating a second PHP script for the second form which receives the information of the first form in its POST variables. You can then create the second form with hidden variables for the first form again and set the value to the value created by the user of the first form like this:
<input type="hidden" name="company" value="<?php echo $company; ?>">

mickoni

Im not sure if I understand.

The aim of the webpage is to post to 2 possible different php files. Only 1 button shall be pressed at any one time.

I have only very limited experience in JavaScript so I would prefer to use the PHP solution. (Unless you could offer me some example code for copying the variables)

The fields are updateable so they have been changed in between, originally displaying them and when one of the buttons is pressed. This is my main problem. I cant seem to get the updated information across to the 2nd script? Will your solutions solve this?

---Thanks a million---

Anon

"I have only very limited experience in JavaScript so I would prefer to use the PHP solution."

Based on what it is that you need, there is NO SUCH THING as a PHP solution. Here is the thing that you need to understand. PHP is server side. It DOES NOT execute on the client. Or what's often called in web development, the browser.

Javascript on the other hand is client side. Therefore, Javascript was designed with this kind of thing in mind. PHP never was.

That said, the solution Thomas gave you is about on the mark. So, you may as well jump in and familiarize yourself with javascript. It'll make you a better all around developer.

Later on,
Big Din K.R.