[Resolved] [Resolved] displaying results in the calling html form

rossv

I am new to php, and have set up a form using dreamweaver which calls a php script to search a database. THe echo/print instruction in the php script results in a new window being opened to display the results. The results are correct, but I would rather display them in the window from which they were called, so that that user can see the results below his/her input. This is probably an elementary brain-dead questions, but I can't see how to do this. Can anyone help please? Thanks.

Natty_Dreadlock

u wanna display em in the form fields or just below the form?

rossv

I want to put them below the calling forms, but on the same window as the forms.

Threehearts

Hi!
Have a look whether Dreamweaver put in a target="something" or action="something_he_doesnt_know"...
might be the problem...

greetings, jakob

rossv

Thanks, but I have to admit that I didn't understand what you meant. The form had the action to go to the php routine, and the method was POST. It goes to the routine fine, and does the search in the database fine. The only problem is that when the results are displayed, using echo or print, they do so in a new window rather that in the original from where they were called, and it is this that I am hoping someone can help me with.

Threehearts

Hi!
what - as is my guess - is happening to you is HTML standard behaviour.
if you have a link of any kind, for example:
<a href="...">..</a>
you can specify a target.
<a href="..." target="frame_main">...</a>
for example.
there are 4 reserved keywords for targets: top , parent, blank and self
standard is "_self", so if no target (window) is specified, the link will be displayed in the calling window.

if anything is specified as target that is not known to the browser, ie. that does not equal one of the other keywords or a name of a window/frame that the browser knows the target is interpreted as "blank":
"blank" means: open a new window.

this is not only true for <a href=""> but for any action that sends a request to a server via http, for example if you submit a form.

so if a new window is opened and you have not done so on purpose possibility a is:
a) dreamweaver entered it by default and didnt inform you
b) the specified target as such is ok but you mistyped or changed the name of the target frame or you have a <base href=..> somewhere....

something like this.

just search for "target=" in your source and deleted it.

should work.
greetings, jakob

rossv

Thanks. However (sorry, I am obviously being stupid) there are no "target=" in either the dreamweaver page or in the php page. Nor are there any <base> tags. So my results still come out on a new window when the php routine displays them using the print or echo statements. Is there no way that a php routine can control what window its output will appear in?

Natty_Dreadlock

actually, it is the default behaviour of all browsers to show new pages in the existing window (it's not a question of php or cgi). so there must be some javascript or so that opens a new window for the php page. maybe u can post some code so that we can have a look at it.

rossv

Thanks for your time and help. I appreciate it.

I have removed some bits that are security related.

This is not intended to be the final version, but an early one just to make sure that I can get the thing to work ok. Refinement follows later!!

<html>
<head>
<title>members search </title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">

</head>
<body>

<?php

// function to trim and escape data
function escape_data($data) {
$data=trim ($data);
if (ini_get('magic_quotes_gpc')){
$data=stripslashes($data);
}
return mysql_escape_string($data);
} // end of function

// Check if arrived here by being submitted from form
if(isset($POST['surname']) || isset($POST['county'])){

//Set connection parameters. Definitions of DB_HOST etc removed for security.

//Connect to mysql, sending error messages to user and to webmaster if unsuccessful. Again removed for security

// set up search for surnames
if ($_POST['surname']){
	//escape the surname input
	$data = escape_data ($_POST['surname_input']);
	// Set up query for surname research
	$query="SELECT * FROM $table_name WHERE LastName='$data'";
	} else {
	//escape the town input
	$data = escape_data ($_POST['county_input']);
	//set up query for town search
	$query="SELECT * FROM $table_name WHERE Town='$data' ORDER BY LastName DESC";
	}
// Do the search

$myresult = mysql_query($query);
//Any found?
$num=mysql_num_rows($myresult);
if ($num>0) {

// set up titles.
	$output='
	<table align="center" cellspacing = "0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> 
	<td align="left"><b> Title</b></td>
	<td align="left"><b> Surname</b></td>
	<td align="left"> <b> Address</b></td>
	<td align="left"><b> County</b></td></tr>';
	// print out data
	while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($myresult, MYSQL_BOTH)){
	$output.="<tr>
		<td align=\"left\"> $row[Title]</td>
		<td align=\"left\">$row[LastName]</td>
		<td align=\"left\">$row[Address]</td>
		<td align=\"left\">$row[County]</td></tr>";
		}
	} else {
$output=' no match found';
}
echo $output;
mysql_close(); // close the database connection

}

</body>
</html>

rossv

Forgot to include the calling code:

Natty_Dreadlock

i did not find any problems in your code at the first sight... the outputs should appear in the same window... which browser do u use?

rossv

IE 6.0.28, Netscape 4.79 (which also ignores the html in putting the output string together and so gives no output, but still opens a new browser window) and Opera 6.05. All have the same behaviour ie: a new browser window is opened for the output.

feldon23

If the word "target" does not appear anywhere in your HTML or CSS, then your computer is possessed.

rossv

What does 'possessed' mean? It's a new term to me!

Threehearts

possessed == devil or demon is in computer.
get official guide to exorcising from katholic clergy next to your place.
laughs
not that it was something new...

now, aside from more ecclesial solutions: could you have a look into the page that the frameset is defined in and post what's in there...
or better: give us a link where we can test the stuff...

--> reason for this:
my experience is that netscape is far "cleaner" in its interpretation of any type if code.
one example for this is, that netscape will not display framesets that have got faulty syntax like framesets that aren't closed or something similar.

M$IE usually uses some rule of the tumb: if it looks approximately like proper code then it is interpreted like it were, so youve got a good chance IE will still show you something thats similar or equal to what you expect, even if youv'e got a mistake somewhere

sequitur: since we've got strange html behaviour and netscape doesnt show html theres a good chance that there's a bug somewhere in html.

jakob

rossv

<html>
<head>
<title>Opening page</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/linkstyle.css" type="text/css">
<script language="JavaScript">

</script>

</head>

<body bgcolor="#EAFFFF" text="#000000">
<table width="755" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#F4F4F4">
<tr>
<td width="86" valign="top" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#EAFFFF">
<div align="center"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/index.htm"><img src="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/Images/logo_1.gif" width="86" height="86" border="0" alt="osca logo"></a></div>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="668" height="53" bgcolor="#EAFFFF">
<div align="center"><font size="6"><b><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" color="#556545" size="+4">O</font><font color="#556545"><b><font size="+2" face="Courier New, Courier, mono">steopathic
</font></b></font></b></font><font color="#556545"><b><font size="4" face="Courier New, Courier, mono"><font size="+4">S</font><font size="+2">ports</font><font size="+4">
C</font><font size="+2">are </font><font size="+4">A</font><font size="+2">ssociation</font></font></b></font></div>
</td>
<td width="1"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" rowspan="11">
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td height="28" colspan="5" valign="top">
<div align="center"><i><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="+2" color="#4799B8">MEMBER
SEARCH</font></i></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="32" width="46"></td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2"><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="-1">If
you are looking for an OSCA member,  you can search our membership
database here. You can search by either <i><b>surname</b></i>  or<i><b>
 town/city</b></i></font></td>
<td width="12"></td>
<td width="21"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="32"></td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2"><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="-1">To
search  please enter the surname or county name,  <i><b>without
abbreviations</b></i> (eg: hants),  in the appropriate box below,
 and then click the button below the box. </font></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="14"></td>
<td width="279"></td>
<td width="310"></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="52" colspan="2" valign="top" align="center">
<form name="Town form" method="post" action="members_search.php">
<input type="text" name="town_input" size="30" maxlength="30">
<input type="submit" name="town" value="Search by town/city">
<input type="reset" name="Reset" value="Reset">
</form>
</td>
<td colspan="2" valign="top" align="center">
<form name="Surname form" method="post" action="members_search.php">
<input type="text" name="surname_input" size="30" maxlength="30">
<input type="submit" name="surname" value="Search by surname">
<input type="reset" name="Reset" value="Reset">
</form>
</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="116"></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="24"></td>
<td colspan="2" valign="top" align="center"><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="-1">If
you experience problems,  please contact the <a href="mailt:%20rossv@tcp.co.uk">
webmaster</a></font></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td height="36"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="25" valign="top" bgcolor="#EAFFFF"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2" color="#0033CC"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/about.htm">About
OSCA</a></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="25" valign="top" bgcolor="#EAFFFF"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2" color="#0033CC"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/features.htm">Features</a></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" height="40" bgcolor="#EAFFFF">
<p><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2" color="#0033CC"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/postgraduate_courses.htm">Postgraduate
<br>
courses</a></font></p>
</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="25" valign="top" bgcolor="#EAFFFF"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2" color="#0033CC"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/future_events.htm">Future
events</a></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="40" valign="top" bgcolor="#EAFFFF"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2" color="#0033CC"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/find_member.htm">Member
<br>
search </a></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="40" valign="top" bgcolor="#EAFFFF"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2" color="#0033CC"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/members.htm">Members
<br>
section </a></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="25" valign="top" bgcolor="#EAFFFF"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2" color="#0033CC"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/links.htm">Links</a></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="25" valign="top" bgcolor="#EAFFFF"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2" color="#0033CC"><a href="file:///I|/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/contact_us.htm">Contact
us </a></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="48" valign="top" bgcolor="#eaffff"> </td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="2"></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>

feldon23

/WEB_SITES/DREAMWEAVER/linkstyle.css

Can you post this file as well?

rossv

a:link { text-decoration: none}
a:active { color: #666666; text-decoration: none}
a:visited { color: #990066; text-decoration: none}
a:hover { text-decoration: underline}

Natty_Dreadlock

sorry i cannot find any problem - can u post some url where we can see the code runnin?

rossv

Many thanks to all who were good enough to take the trouble to read and think about my problem. I have reached a solution, that, while inelegant and unsatisfactory because clumsy, at least works!!

What I have done is copy all the html of the calling page and insert it in the output of the php routine. So that when the php program prints the result of its search the calling page html is output as well, resulting in the calling page being re-output with of course the search results added to it.

Seems a rather clumsy way to do it, but it works!

Anyway, if anyone has any other ideas I would appreciate them, but thanks again for your suggestions.