What's The Best Way Of Triggering "isset" Functions

Volitics

The code snippets below are examples of how I have been triggering executable directives. Actually, the code I've been writing is more jumbled-up. I've pared it down for illustrative purposes.

On "FirstPage.php" below there is a hidden field with the name "FinalDelete". There also is a submit button named "DeletePictureFolder".

What I'm doing is simply using the hidden field to trigger execution of the first part of the script on "NextPage.php" (below) and the submit button named "DeletePictureFolder" to trigger execution of the second part of the script below.

Other than triggering execution of the scripts on the next page the hidden field does not have any function.

The function of the submit button is to get to the next page. For convenience, I've also named the submit button "DeletePictureFolder" so it will triger the isset function on the next page.

My question is: Will the way I'm doing it cause any kind of problems? The script seems to be working ok but I'm just wondering if the way I'm doing it is adaquate programming. In other words, is there a more generally accepted way of triggering "isset" functions than the way I'm doing it below?

// First Page
<form method="post" action="NextPage.php">
// Hidden field - no purpose other than to trigger isset function on next page.
<input type="hidden" name="FinalDelete">
// Submit button - has a purpose but for convenience also making it trigger isset on next page.
<input type="submit" name="DeletePictureFolder" value="Click To Delete" class="submit1">
</form>


// NextPage.php
if (isset($FinalDelete)){
	// Execute final delete snippet here.

if (isset($DeletePictureFolder)){
	// Execute something else here.}
}

Thanks.

Weedpacket

Dunno what you actually mean by "triggering isset" but the code you've got has a good chance of failing whenever register_globals is off.

Volitics

Weedpacket;

Here's more on the example about what I'm talking about. The "$DeletePictureFolder" variable is used as the name of the "submit" button below. Actually, I would need the submit button anyway. It makes it convenient to name the submit button "DeletePictureFolder" so I can activate or trigger (i.e. makes it return TRUE) the "isset(Delet..bla bla...." function.

The hidden field "FinalDelete" has no name value - yet, it still activates the delete files routine below. I was thinking about giving the "FinalDelete" field a value of "one" so that the variable would be filled with a value.

I'm wondering if the way I've been activating "isset(..." functions may be a little bit too hacked up. Typically, is there a more generally accepted way of activating the isset functions?

// PageOne.php with the form.
// Here's the form with the $DeletePictureFolder and the $FinalDelete variables.
<form method="post" method="PageTwo.php">
<table border="1" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5" width="475">
<tr><td>These are the images you are getting ready to delete: 20030101001</td></tr>
<tr><td>Once you click this button the images will be gone!</td></tr>
<tr><td><input type="hidden" name="FinalDelete"> // Hidden field triggers the "isset(FinalDel..." below.
// "submit" button serves two (2) purposes: 1). Move to next page and 2). Activate "elseif(isset..." below.
<input type="submit" name="DeletePictureFolder" value="Click To Delete" class="submit1">
</td></tr>
</table>
</form>


// PageTwo.php page - this page has the delelete routine.
// The "DeletePicturesFolder" is the name of the submit button on the form.

elseif (isset($DeletePictureFolder)){ // ***** HERE'S ONE EXAMPLE. *******
	 // "DeletePicturesFolder" is activated using "isset" and routes the script through the below routine.

if (isset($FinalDelete)){ // ***** HERE'S THE OTHER EXAMPLE. ********	
	 // Hidden field with "FinalDelete" actives this routine using "isset"
/* Routine to delete existing files. */

$DirectoryPathName ="./newspictures/$Reference";
$File = "./newspictures/$Reference/WriteTo.txt"; 
if (file_exists($File)){
$Open = opendir ($DirectoryPathName);
for ($i = 0; $i < count($DirectoryFile = readdir($Open)); $i++) {
while (FALSE !== ($Files = readdir($Open))) {
$FileToDelete = $DirectoryPathName."/".$Files;
if (is_file($FileToDelete)){
unlink ($FileToDelete);
			}
		}
	}
}

Thanks.

weekender

what weed means is that when you post a form to a script, the variables arrive as part of the $_POST array, unless you have register_globals turned on (which you shouldn't, cause it's a risk and also it's off by default).

so you should do this

//no such thing as $DeletePictureFolder
//but there is a $_POST['DeletePictureFolder']
extract($_POST);
//now you have $DeletePictureFolder

Volitics

weekender, Weedpacket,

Thank you for your help. I'm chipping away at this small web site. I've been working on this thing since last spring. I can't afford to hire a programmer so I'm having to do it (the programming) myself.

I knew there had to be a better way of doing it.

I appreciate the help. Thanks again.

weekender

no problem, any time