Pop up wiyth php

sks1024

I have a script that pulls a certain # of records from the db and displays them. it has next and previous buttons. I want to have a javascript alert pop only when the page is loaded for the 1st time. I.E. when the user clicks the next button the page loads with the next set of records and the javascript popup loads again. Is there a way with php of having this alert run only the first time the page is loaded.

Thanks,
Stan

http://www.finaticsportfishing.com

Weedpacket

The important thing to keep track of is whether a given click is the "first" or not. This means you'd have to keep track of clients so that you can identify repeat custom. This can be handled by session variables. When the page loads, check for the session variable. If it's not there, then this is the first load. If it is, then this is a subsequent load.

If this is the first load, write the javascript popup code. On subsequent loads, don't write the popup code.

You will need to use either session_destroy() or $_SESSION['reload']=null (or whatever you called the session variable) if you want the popup code to be put back for the same user at a later time in the session. I don't know whether you'll be wanting to do this, though.

sks1024

i cant figure it out. i have tried the session stuff but it prints out the statement (I'm using statements to test it) that the session doesnt exists when i click the next page butoon and so on.

Help

Weedpacket

Let's see your code. Mine sketches out as:

session_start();
if(!isset($_SESSION['reload'])
{ //First viewing. Show popup
   $_SESSION['reload']=true;
}
else
{ // $_SESSION['reload'] is set.
   // Don't show popup.
}

sks1024

<?php
session_start();
?>
<html>
<head>
<title>Untitled Document</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
</head>

<body>
<?php
if (! session_is_registered("sess")) {
session_register("sess");
print<<<OUTPUT
<script type="text/javascript">
alert("Finatic Sportfishing has moved to a new server. If you were subscribed to the fishing reports mailing lists,"
+ '\n' + "please resubscribe in the box on the left of the page." + '\n' + "Thanks Finatic Sportfishing")
</script>
OUTPUT;
} else {

}
?>
</body>
</html>

Weedpacket

Well, you never give $sess a value, so nothing gets written out to the session. All session_register() does is set up a rule saying that $_SESSION['sess'] has whatever value you give to $sess.

sks1024

i go it to work but it doesnt like the line breaks in the javascript code so i had to use it without the link breaks.

http://www.finaticsportfishing.com/fishingreports/

Weedpacket

Well, that's easily enough fixed: escape the escape characters: