[Resolved] random random numbers

[mistafeesh]

I'm building a business directory, and I use an ID number to identify the contacts incase of duplication in other fields. Only thing is, I don't have the ID, which is generated when the datagoes into the (MySQL) database, until the data is already in there, so passing info on to the next page is tricky.

To get over this, I thought I'd have a random number as a temporary ID, which'd be deleted after all the database entry pages were done.

Here's the problem.
I've used the code

<?php $tmpid = rand() ?>

But the variable $tmpid seems to keep on giving different random numbers! So when I use it to put in the database it's a different number from when I use it to pass the temporary ID on to the next page. Duh!

Am I barking up the wrong tree here? Is there a way I can get it to just generate one random number, and then use it for that page?

[pablodelapena]

Why not have it create one ID when the user first visits/clicks a button etc then pass that along the pages in the URL or as a session or even in a cookie?

Then in the next pages along the line rather than create a new random (which you are doing) just call the stored variable.

[mistafeesh]

how would I create an ID when they first go onto the page?

[pablodelapena]

example:

//session_start() must be included on all pages requiring this ID
session_start();

if (!isset($_SESSION['ID'])) {
//if no ID is found then assign one
$_SESSION['ID'] = rand();
}

Thats using sessions at least. probably the easiest. Then from then on whenever you need the ID just make sure session_start() has been called and then use this variable: $_SESSION['ID']

[mistafeesh]

aargh!

I've cut and pasted that into my code at the top, and now I get the error:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/dan/public_html/act/members/signup.php on line 3

any idea what on earth I could be doing wrong?

[mistafeesh]

PS tried with and without the exclamation mark in front of isset just in case it was a typo!!

[pablodelapena]

hmm, my code is correct. Paste the entire file as your parse error reports an error on line 3... line 3 is blank! Or at least the entire top part of the file.

[mistafeesh]

OK here goes!

The error only comes when I post that code in, and goes away when I remove it though...

<?php
session_start (); 

if_(!isset( $_SESSION ['ID']))_{ 
//if no ID is found then assign one 
$_SESSION['ID']=rand(); 
}
?>
<?php require_once('../Connections/act.php'); ?>
<?php
function GetSQLValueString($theValue, $theType, $theDefinedValue = "", $theNotDefinedValue = "") 
{
  $theValue = (!get_magic_quotes_gpc()) ? addslashes($theValue) : $theValue;

  switch ($theType) {
    case "text":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;    

    case "long":
    case "int":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? intval($theValue) : "NULL";
      break;
    case "double":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . doubleval($theValue) . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "date":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "defined":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? $theDefinedValue : $theNotDefinedValue;
      break;
  }
  return $theValue;
}

$editFormAction = $HTTP_SERVER_VARS['PHP_SELF'];
if (isset($HTTP_SERVER_VARS['QUERY_STRING'])) {
  $editFormAction .= "?" . $HTTP_SERVER_VARS['QUERY_STRING'];
}

if ((isset($HTTP_POST_VARS["MM_insert"])) && ($HTTP_POST_VARS["MM_insert"] == "form1")) {
  $insertSQL = sprintf("INSERT INTO directory (tmpid, co_name, contact, telephone, email, address, password) VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s, %s, %s, %s)",
                       GetSQLValueString($HTTP_POST_VARS['tmpid'], "int"),
                       GetSQLValueString($HTTP_POST_VARS['co_name'], "text"),
                       GetSQLValueString($HTTP_POST_VARS['contact'], "text"),
                       GetSQLValueString($HTTP_POST_VARS['telephone'], "text"),
                       GetSQLValueString($HTTP_POST_VARS['email'], "text"),
                       GetSQLValueString($HTTP_POST_VARS['address'], "text"),
                       GetSQLValueString($HTTP_POST_VARS['password'], "text"));

  mysql_select_db($database_act, $act);
  $Result1 = mysql_query($insertSQL, $act) or die(mysql_error());

  $insertGoTo = "s_upthanks.php?tmpid=$tempid";
  if (isset($HTTP_SERVER_VARS['QUERY_STRING'])) {
    $insertGoTo .= (strpos($insertGoTo, '?')) ? "&" : "?";
    $insertGoTo .= $HTTP_SERVER_VARS['QUERY_STRING'];
  }
  header(sprintf("Location: %s", $insertGoTo));
}
?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html><!-- InstanceBegin template="/Templates/act.dwt.php" codeOutsideHTMLIsLocked="false" -->
<head>
<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="doctitle" -->
<title>ACT online</title>
<!-- InstanceEndEditable --><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<link href="../act.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/JavaScript">
<!--
function MM_reloadPage(init) {  //reloads the window if Nav4 resized
  if (init==true) with (navigator) {if ((appName=="Netscape")&&(parseInt(appVersion)==4)) {
    document.MM_pgW=innerWidth; document.MM_pgH=innerHeight; onresize=MM_reloadPage; }}
  else if (innerWidth!=document.MM_pgW || innerHeight!=document.MM_pgH) location.reload();
}
MM_reloadPage(true);
//-->
</script>
<meta name="keywords" content="South Devon, Self-employment, Business, Start-up, Own Business, Self-employed, Training, Help, Advice, Information Sources, Counselling, Support, Courses, Development, Programmes, Schemes, New Business, Enterprise, Jobcentre, Development, Tips, Planning, Start-up, Planning, Business, Plans, New Deal, WBLA, Work-based Learning for Adults, Skills">
<meta name="description" content="Training, Advice and Support Schemes inSouth Devonfor anyone considering Self-employment; planning a Business Start-up; needing help with Business Plans – or seeking Courses to develop their existing enterprise and Business Skills. Free tips for the self-employed and general information.">
<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="head" -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/JavaScript">
<!--
function MM_findObj(n, d) { //v4.01
  var p,i,x;  if(!d) d=document; if((p=n.indexOf("?"))>0&&parent.frames.length) {
    d=parent.frames[n.substring(p+1)].document; n=n.substring(0,p);}
  if(!(x=d[n])&&d.all) x=d.all[n]; for (i=0;!x&&i<d.forms.length;i++) x=d.forms[i][n];
  for(i=0;!x&&d.layers&&i<d.layers.length;i++) x=MM_findObj(n,d.layers[i].document);
  if(!x && d.getElementById) x=d.getElementById(n); return x;
}

function MM_validateForm() { //v4.0
  var i,p,q,nm,test,num,min,max,errors='',args=MM_validateForm.arguments;
  for (i=0; i<(args.length-2); i+=3) { test=args[i+2]; val=MM_findObj(args[i]);
    if (val) { nm=val.name; if ((val=val.value)!="") {
      if (test.indexOf('isEmail')!=-1) { p=val.indexOf('@');
        if (p<1 || p==(val.length-1)) errors+='- '+nm+' must contain an e-mail address.\n';
      } else if (test!='R') { num = parseFloat(val);
        if (isNaN(val)) errors+='- '+nm+' must contain a number.\n';
        if (test.indexOf('inRange') != -1) { p=test.indexOf(':');
          min=test.substring(8,p); max=test.substring(p+1);
          if (num<min || max<num) errors+='- '+nm+' must contain a number between '+min+' and '+max+'.\n';
    } } } else if (test.charAt(0) == 'R') errors += '- '+nm+' is required.\n'; }
  } if (errors) alert('The following error(s) occurred:\n'+errors);
  document.MM_returnValue = (errors == '');
}

function tmt_compareField(f1,f2,rule,errorMsg){
	var myErr = "";
	if(eval("MM_findObj('"+f1+"').value"+rule+"MM_findObj('"+f2+"').value")){
		alert(unescape(errorMsg));myErr += 'errorMsg';}
	document.MM_returnValue = (myErr == "");
}
//-->
</script>
<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
</head>

Just included the head, cos the file was too long

[pablodelapena]

remove the space between session_start and the parenthasis ().

Also make sure there is no information being sent to the browser before session_start(); Not even a single blank space. thats a killer and gets alot of beginners.

[mistafeesh]

tried that, and for some reason, it didn't work. I think I may have a problem with the PHP setup on my (local) webserver, as I've just remembered similar problems with code lifted straight off php.net...

Anyway, I removed the if isset bit and curly parentheses, and it seems to work...at least I don't get any errors, and a number is definitely generated. Now to see if it stays the same, or keeps changing again!

[pablodelapena]

If you have removed those bits then it will regenerate a new number with every load of the page. the (!isset()) was checking to see if there was NO session variable set. If there wasnt it was assigning one. The next time you laod the page there would be a session variable so it would not assign a new one. See what those were doing now?

[mistafeesh]

I see what it was doing, but in this instance, I'm not too worried about that. It's only a one off sing-up type page, with the sign-ups being manually checked. I need to look into if I have set things up a bit awry when I installed MySQL/PHP etc....

Anyway, YAY it works at last - The session ID does change to a new random number when I load the next page, but not before, so I've converted it to a normal variable and stuffed it into the database before it can change it's mind!

[pablodelapena]

Clap clap! we got there in the end! Hope you can sort the rest out for yourself. Half the fun of PHP is learning new stuff🙂

[mistafeesh]

😃 if that's half the fun then boy am I having fun!

I've thrown myself right in at the deep end by taking on a job which basically requires me to write a whole CMS. And I've got very little PHP experience so far...
I'm really getting there though. And the sense of achievement is great.

I couldn't do any of it though, without some very helpful people:p ta!

[pablodelapena]

Your gonna love PHP, you'll never look back.

[mistafeesh]

I already do love it. I'm so relieved that I chose PHP over ASP when researching which host to use...my anti M$ prejudices did me proud...