little form problem I'm having

Anon

hi
I have written a news script that has all the setting variables stored in a settings file.

Now I have written a form to make it easier for the webmaster to change the settings.

_settings.php__________

<head><title>SadisticNews Settings</title></head>
<body>
<?php require("settings.ini"); ?>

....all the settings form stuff here....

</body>

I use the require() command at the start to read all of the current values from the settings file. then in the forum I use the variables from settings.ini as value=$variable so that the fields start as the current ones (and for drop downs, radios and check boxes I have short if statements to see whether to set it as selected/checked or not). For the name attributes of the form items I used the same name as the variable in settings.ini (I think this might be my mistake) so that I wouldn't have to worry about more than one variable name for virtually the same thing. for example the variable in settings.ini for the width of a table is $width = "50%"; and the form item to change this is <input type=text name="width" size=3 value=<?php print("\"$width\""); ?>>. This displays the current width variable to start with as I wanted.

_settings2.php__________

<head><title>SadisticNews Settings</title></head>
<body>
<?php
print("$width");
?>
Changes have been made.<br>
Load (or refresh) your main news page to see them.
</body>

does not print the width variable from the form in settings.php as it should. it only displays the html text after the ?> tag.

so I am wondering what I am doing wrong. (I did have settings2.php actually writing to a file which worked except for when I went to write one of the form variables. which is why I am just trying to print the variable as a test).

thanks for actually reading all of this
-Paddy

rrijnders

<b>Require()</b> only parses the file, it does not execute the code in it. It is used mostly for pulling in files that have functions defined in them.

If "settings.ini" has assignments in it, then use <b>include()</b> instead. It will pull in the file <i>and</i> execute it.

-- Rich

Anon

ok, thank you for this clarification.

Anon

ok, I changed the require() to include(), it still does the same thing as before. which seems that it is not passing the variables from the form to settings2.php.
Also I have tried changing one of the <form name="blah"> to something different than the variable name it has in settings.ini and it didn't make a difference. So now I am thinking it's a really small stupid mistake I am making somewhere. Anyone see any little mistake?

Thanks,
-Paddy

rrijnders

Do you see the correct values in the <b>VALUE="blah"</b> part of the form fields in <b>settings.php</b>?

Anon

when settings.php loads, yes I see the values from settings.ini in the correct boxes.

ex:
in settings.ini I have
$border = "1";

in settings.php I have
<input type=text name="border" size=1 value=<?php print("\"$border\""); ?>>
(along with the include("settings.ini") at the start of the file)

when settings.php is loaded I see in the box for border 1 as I should. and when I view source I see
<input type=text name="border" size=1 value="1"> which is what I want.

rrijnders

ok, so if you can't see the <b>$border</b> var in your action script after you click submit, then you probably don't have <font color=blue>register_globals</font> on in your configuration file. Check to see if the variable shows up in the <font color=blue>$_POST</font> array, or (if you are running an older php) in the <font color=blue>$HTTP_POST_VARS</font> array.

-- Rich

Anon

Turned on register_globals, restarted Apache and it is working now 🙂.

Thank You for all your help Richard.

-Paddy