Any issues with using <meta> refresh within PHP code?

[pablogosse]

Hi all. I'm working on a page which uses a switch statement to process a number of potential database queries.

Right now, if the query executes successfully I use the include() statement to insert the file to which the user should be redirected, and if an error occurs I log and display the error.

However, the result with this is that if the query succeeds and the redirect file is included, and then the user hits the refresh button, the posting page is reloaded again, which at times will cause a database error (due to unique fields in the db).

Normally I would use header('location:.....url.....') to redirect the user, but in this case all output (error messages, success messages, etc.) MUST be displayed in the same template, so because this output is already started header('location:.....url......') won't work.

Is there any disadvantage to using a

<meta HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" CONTENT="0;url=...url....>

within my PHP code?

Thanks in advance,
Pablo

[kevinsequeira]

is it possible to show the code so that we can try to see whats going on ??

reg
kevin

[pablogosse]

Sure thing. Here's the breakdown.

home.php is called, creates an instance of the cms class, provides the base layout for the page, and calls the $cms->CMS_set_page() method, which locates, evaluates and includes the appropriate file. The layout of the page is completed after the $cms->CMS_set_path() method has been called.

In this case, I'm including the file _mods/admin/groups/cms.groups.act.php, which is comprised of the following:

<?php
include_once('_classes/cms/cms.class_check.inc.php');
$this->CMS_is_admin();

if ( in_array($_POST['method'],array('add','suspend')) ) {
  $conn = $this->CMS_open_db();
  switch ($_POST['method']) {
    case 'add':
      $add_group = 'insert into cms_groups (name,status) values (\\''.$_POST['name'].'\\','.$_POST['status'].')';
      if ($conn->Execute($add_group)) {
        include_once('_mods/admin/groups/cms.groups.dsp.php');
      } else {
        $this->CMS_set_db_error_values('add new group',$add_group,$conn->ErrorMsg());
        $this->CMS_error('db');
      }
      break;

case 'suspend':
  $suspend_group = 'update cms_groups set status = 0 where g_id = '.$_POST['g_id'];
  if ($conn->Execute($suspend_group)) {
    include_once('_mods/admin/groups/cms.groups.dsp.php');
  } else {
    $this->CMS_set_db_error_values('suspend group',$suspend_group,$conn->ErrorMsg());
    $this->CMS_error('db');
  }
  break;

  }
} else {
	echo 'No valid method specified'; // ADD CASE TO CMS_error to catch and log invalid methods
}
?>

so what I'm wondering is if instead of using include_once('_mods/admin/groups/cms.groups.dsp.php'); to redirect the user, would there by any disadvantage to using a meta-refresh tag to do the same thing?

Thanks in advance,
Pablo