Passing variables through URL

cabadam

I have .html files in addition to .php files being parsed as php.

I have a page that links to another page as:
http://mysite/rating.html?download=downloads/myfile.zip

Shouldn't that set, in rating.html, the variable download to "downloads/myfile.zip"?

Depending on how the rating.html page is accessed, it is intended to give two different versions of output. If the variable download is specified (via the URL) then it automatically starts downloading the file, tells the user it is being downloaded, and then prints a feedback form. Otherwise, it says nothing about a download and simply prints the form.

I have in rating.html:

<body>
<script language="php">
if (isset($download))
{
</script>
<script language=javascript>
url=<script language="php">echo "\"$download\"";</script>;
window.open(url);
</script>
<script language="php">
echo "Your download should begin shortly. If not, click <a href=\"$download\">here</a>.";
}
</script>
---form printed here---

The problem is, no matter which way I load it, it NEVER starts a download. The isset function call always returns false. Any ideas? I suspect it is something in my config, as it worked before, but I had to reformat. Now after reloading my OS, it has stopped working. I am using WinXP and IIS.

Thanks!

theslinky

Yes, I suspect your register_globals option is OFF.

You can do one of two things:

1) Turn register_globals ON in php.ini (under C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32 or just C:\WINNT

2) Use $_GET['download'] instead of just $download.

I HIGHLY recommend you choose option 2 because in upcoming versions of PHP, they are going to deprecate register_globals.

-sridhar

cabadam

Ah, I see what you are saying now. Only thing is, I am now getting an error:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_ENCAPSED_AND_WHITESPACE, expecting T_STRING or T_VARIABLE or T_NUM_STRING in c:\inetpub\wwwroot\rating.html on line 47

Now, opening my page in Frontpage, line 47 appears to be in the middle of my form, FAR from any php code. However, by inserting blank lines and seeing where it changed to "line 48", I was able to determine that it thinks line 47 is as marke:

<script language="javascript"> **LINE 47**
url=<script language="php">echo "\"$_GET['download']\"";</script>;
window.open(url);
</script>

<script language="php">
echo "Your download should begin shortly.  If not, click <a href=\"$GET['download']\">here</a>.";

}
</script>

theslinky

You need braces {} around the $_GET (or any array/hash for that matter) if you use it INSIDE quotes:

echo "\"{$_GET['download']}\"";

AND

Your download should begin shortly. If not, click <a href=\"{$GET['download']}\">here</a>

You can alternately put it outside quotes using the string append operator: .

echo "\"" . $_GET['download'] . "\"";

-sridhar

Anon

If you open your page in a text editor, Line 47 really would be line 47 in the file, and you wouldn't have to play hit-and-miss. I trythis and it complains on the next line.

url=<script language="php">echo "\"$_GET['download']\"";</script>;

and

<?
echo "\"$_GET['download']\"";
?>

is enough to throw up the error. It looks like PHP is getting confused about where the variable leaves off. Frankly, it looks fine to me, but let's give PHP a hint - after all, it's only a machine:

<?
echo "\"{$_GET['download']}\"";
?>

Works for me. Do this further down as well, (and replace $GET with $_GET while you're at it). Alternatively, put

$download=$_GET['download'];

at the start of your script, and just use $download.

cabadam

Ah... ok, that did it.

PHP has changed a bit since the last time I actually sat down and wrote any fair amount of code for it. I just used the new version when I reinstalled all my software and didn't really think twice about it.

Thanks for your help getting it straightened out guys!