Moving variables from Smarty to PHP

Neumy

How do I move a value out of Smarty and back to my code?
I have a webpage that dumps results from a database into User Friendly Format Smarty templates. On one template page, I need the user to add additional information and then save this to the database. However, I'm having no luck returning this info from .tpl to .php. Passing variables from .php to .tpl is a simple $smarty->assign("variable",$variable); but is there a way to pass variables back???

example:
---main.php---------------
<?php
CORE CODE: Result variables
$smarty->assign("variables",$variables);
$smarty->display('result.tpl');

?>

---result.tpl----------------
{php}
"dumping variables in user friendly format"
$newVariable = array("additional","questions");

{/php}

I need the $newVariable to be passed back to main.php so it can be saved (serialized) into the database. I tried to pass it in a session with no luck.
Each result.tpl page has multiple ways out (NEXT, 1|2|3|4|5|6, RETURN, etc) and I'd like the data to be saved whatever button is pressed.

eoghain

I'm a little lost. Do you want the value of $new_variable to be passed to the next PHP page? If so then you need to have each exit point in your template be an actual form that submits that data.

Neumy

okay, I was hoping to avoid that! Every button each of my result-template pages are the same and I was hoping to avoid changing this page into submit buttons.
It's nice and easy to pass variables TO a smarty template by $smarty->assign("blah",$blah);
I was just hoping it would be equally easy to pass a variable back using a simular format.

Thanks for you help. I'll get busy making changes.

eoghain

Nope, you need to remember that you are dealing with a stateless environment, and anything that your user sees and interacts with you have no control over. So if you want information back from your user then you have to post that information via a form.