Hidding GET variable

alsaffar

Hi there,

Im setting a cookie in a page and then refresh the page to test if the cookie was set or not and Im using a GET variable to acomplish my mission of testing if the cookie was set or not.

My script:

<?
if (!isset($HTTP_GET_VARS[C]))
{
setcookie("TestCookie", "Test");
Header("Location: $PHP_SELF?C=1");
}
else
{
if (isset($HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]))
{
echo "Cookie is set $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]";
}
else
{
echo "Cookie was not set";
}
}
?>

My question is:

I just want to set a GET variable but I want it to be hidden to the page's viewers, can I? Because it (GET variable) looks ugly in the URL, and one more thing, if the user delete the GET variable from the URL and hit enter, the cookie will be recreated!

So, I want to get rid of the GET variable?

I apreciate your kind help 🙂

thna_brianb

Is there a reason that you can't use POST instead?

alsaffar

A big reason:

when I want to test the cookie if it was set or not since I cant see the cookie content until the next page, so Im refresh the page, and when I refresh the page the POST variables are useless, because of this, in the redirection I put a GET variable to test it in the next page.

Please any idea how to get rid of the GET variables.

I built my script based on the User contributed notes of setcookie manual.

thna_brianb

My only reason for asking the question was to see if it would have the same functionality if instead of using the header redirect, you could use a javascript redirect using a POST with document.form.submit() instead. If the user had javascript turned off, then you can kick out the get redirect with the <noscript> tags. Only trying to brainstorm your problem for alternatives.

alsaffar

my javascript progrmming skills is realy poor 🙂

can you build your ideas in my script instead of the get variable?

I'll apreciate it man.

LordShryku

Also, if it's just Joe User you're hiding it from, then you could use frames. The Address bar will only display the parent frame address.

thna_brianb

Sure thing ...

I just got this to work :

<form name="form" action="<?=$PHP_SELF?>" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="C" value="1">
</form>
<?
if (!isset($HTTP_POST_VARS[C]))
{
setcookie("TestCookie", "Test");
print "<script language=\"javascript\">\n";
print " document.form.submit();\n";
print "</script>\n";
}
else
{
if (isset($HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]))
{
echo "Cookie is set $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]";
}
else
{
echo "Cookie was not set";
}
}
?>

but ... if the user has javascript turned off, you will have to use <noscript> tags to submit the form manually with a GET. The advantage, most users have javascript turned on, so its nice eye candy to supress the get string. The drawback, for the small percentage of people who do not allow javascript, they will see the get.

alsaffar

Pure Genius Man ...

Its working perfectly, thanx 4 help.

Although it got a small bug, but now its working fine:

<?
if (!isset($HTTP_POST_VARS[C]))
{
setcookie("TestCookie", "Test");
?>
<form name="form" action="<?=$PHP_SELF?>" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="C" value="1">
</form>
<script language="javascript"> document.form.submit(); </script>
<?
}
else
{
if (isset($HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]))
{
echo "Cookie is set $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]";
}
else
{
echo "Cookie was not set";
}
}
?>

alsaffar

Oppps ... 😕

Its working fine, but if the user hit the back button, it will create another cookie!!!!

Please HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP 🙁

alsaffar

Wow, its working now:

<?
if (!isset($HTTP_POST_VARS[C]))
{
if (isset($HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]))
{
setcookie("TestCookie", "Test");
}
?>
<form name="TestCookieForm" action="<?=$PHP_SELF?>" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="C" value="1">
</form>
<script language="javascript"> document.form.submit(); </script>
<?
}
else
{
if (isset($HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]))
{
echo "Cookie is set $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS[TestCookie]";
}
else
{
echo "Cookie was not set";
}
}
?>

But still I have one more problem and its a major one 😕

If I include this code in every single page I have, then if the page that Im including this code to, have a form, then all the POST variables in the main form will be discarded since I have an intermidiate form that check the cookie setting 😕

I hope its clear, my question now:

The POST variables in the MainForm (look to the code down) can I save them in an array and then I can use them later (i.e. after the execution of the (TestCookieForm)?

Example:

<?
include(TheAboveCode.php);
?><form name="MainForm" action="<?=$PHP_SELF?>" method="post">
<input name="test1">
<input name="test2">
<input type="submit">
</form><?

One more time, I hope that Im clear 🙂

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP 🙂

steadyguy

Have you thought about using sessions? That way you can hide the result of POST variables, and you can make other stuff persistent, too ...

alsaffar

I want to use cookies since I need the information to stay at the user's PC even if he close the session.

My script is working fine now, but if the (Cookie's test script) is included in a page that uses a form also, here's the problem since the POST vars in the main form will be useless because the upper script is using a form also!

So, is there's a way to store the POST vars and pass them into an intermidiate form and the use them in the next page?

I hope everything is clear 😉

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP 😕

thna_brianb

this is the way it should work ... err to my best guestimation ... if you already have a form in the page, it should have a different form name .. i.e.
<form name="form2">
if the user loads the page without the cookie, the javascript form submittion should reload that page before the user sees it, and then the user will have the cookie. The page will load and the user sees the form. when the user fills out the form and clicks submit, the second form will be the only one to submit. If you are worried about loosing data because a cookie is not set after a user submits a page, which will overwrite the post, don't be. I would assume that the only way a user can submit a form is if he/she has already hit the form page, which initially will set the cookie. so when the form submits with the user data, the cookie will already be set.

not sure if I hit the 'head on the nail' 😃 but it was a "guestimation" of what you were saying. LMK if this is not the case.

Hope it helps.

Brian