Splitting code across 2 PHP files

hadoob024

I'm implementing this guy's code into my page, but am having this one problem. The code for his form page as well as the code for the verification/handling of the form submission are all in the same file. I, however, would like to split this up across 2 different files, but have no idea how to do it. Is it a simple process? I tried playing around with it all day, but can't seem to get it to work. Here's the code that he has:

<?php

include "ImageCreator/security_image.php";

$action = $_GET['action'];
$hash = $_POST['hash'];
$attempt = $_POST['attempt'];
$submit = $_POST['submit'];

if($action == 'do')
{
	// see which button they pushed
	if($submit == "Submit")
	{
		if(sha1(strtoupper($attempt)) == $hash)
		{
			// this is the really important part
			// make sure the file actually exists.
			// this is the only potential flaw in my program
			if(!file_exists("ImageCreator/".$hash.".png"))
			{
				$error .= '<span class="error">You entered the right string for that hash, but the image file does not exist.<br>
								So you are probably trying to do something you shouldn\'t. Nice try.</span><br>';
			}
			else
			{
				$error .= "<font size=\"4\">Congratulations, you entered the correct string!<br>
								Here is another one to try.</font><br>";
				if(!@unlink("ImageCreator/".$hash.".png"))
					$error .= '<span class="error">Could not delete old file.</span>';
				if(!$img_string = get_hash())
					$error .= '<span class="error">Could not generate new image.</span><br>';
			}
		}
		else
		{
			$error .= '<span class="error">You entered the wrong string. Please try again.</span><br>';
			$img_string = $hash;
		}
	}
	else if($submit == "New Image")
	{
		if(!@unlink("ImageCreator/".$hash.".png"))
			$error .= '<span class="error">Could not delete old file.</span><br>';
		if(!$img_string = get_hash())
			$error .= '<span class="error">Could not generate new image.</span><br>';
	}
}
else
{
	if(!$img_string = get_hash())
		$error .= '<span class="error">Could not generate image.</span><br>';
}


// replace this with any HTML you wish, but you will need the variables listed at the top
echo'
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
	<head>
		<title>Security Image</title>
		<LINK href="security-style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
		<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
	</head>
	<body>
		<table class="main_table" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="10" width="100%" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse">
			<tr>
				<td width="80%" VALIGN="TOP">
					<br>
					<br>
					<center>
						'.$error.'
					</center>
					<br>
					<br>
					<form method=post ACTION="index.php?action=do">
						<center>
							<img src="ImageCreator/'.$img_string.'.png" alt="Oops, it\'s broken">
							<br><br>
							Enter the numbers and letter in the image:
							<br>*Hint: If it looks like a number, it probably is*
							<br>
							<input maxLength="50" size="20" name="attempt">
							<br>
							<input type="hidden" value="'.$img_string.'" name="hash">
							<input type="submit" value="Submit" name="submit">
							<input type="submit" value="New Image" name="submit">
						</center>
					</form>
				</td>
			</tr>
		</table>
	</body>
<html>';

?>

subwayman

Just take out what you want into another file. However, remember that if you 'include' the file it is simply inserted inline so you need to make sure your script tags match.

hadoob024

Here's how I've split it up so far, but it doesn't seem to work:

image.php:

<?php
// replace this with any HTML you wish, but you will need the variables listed at the top
echo'
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
	<head>
		<title>Security Image</title>
		<LINK href="security-style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
		<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
	</head>
	<body>
		<table class="main_table" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="10" width="100%" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse">
			<tr>
				<td width="80%" VALIGN="TOP">
					<br>
					<br>
					<center>
						'.$error.'
					</center>
					<br>
					<br>
					<form method=post ACTION="image2.php">
						<center>
							<img src="ImageCreator/'.$img_string.'.png" alt="Oops, it\'s broken">
							<br><br>
							Enter the numbers and letter in the image:
							<br>*Hint: If it looks like a number, it probably is*
							<br>
							<input maxLength="50" size="20" name="attempt">
							<br>
							<input type="hidden" value="'.$img_string.'" name="hash">
							<input type="submit" value="Submit" name="submit">
							<input type="submit" value="New Image" name="submit">
						</center>
					</form>
				</td>
			</tr>
		</table>
	</body>
<html>';

?>

image2.php:

<?php
include "ImageCreator/security_image.php";

$action = $_GET['action'];
$hash = $_POST['hash'];
$attempt = $_POST['attempt'];
$submit = $_POST['submit'];

// see which button they pushed
if($submit == "Submit")
{
	if(sha1(strtoupper($attempt)) == $hash)
	{
		// this is the really important part
		// make sure the file actually exists.
		// this is the only potential flaw in my program
		if(!file_exists("ImageCreator/".$hash.".png"))
		{
			$error .= '<span class="error">You entered the right string for that hash, but the image file does not exist.<br>
							So you are probably trying to do something you shouldn\'t. Nice try.</span><br>';
		}
		else
		{
			$error .= "<font size=\"4\">Congratulations, you entered the correct string!<br>
							Here is another one to try.</font><br>";
			if(!@unlink("ImageCreator/".$hash.".png"))
				$error .= '<span class="error">Could not delete old file.</span>';
			if(!$img_string = get_hash())
				$error .= '<span class="error">Could not generate new image.</span><br>';
		}
	}
	else
	{
		$error .= '<span class="error">You entered the wrong string. Please try again.</span><br>';
		$img_string = $hash;
	}
}
else if($submit == "New Image")
{
	if(!@unlink("ImageCreator/".$hash.".png"))
		$error .= '<span class="error">Could not delete old file.</span><br>';
	if(!$img_string = get_hash())
		$error .= '<span class="error">Could not generate new image.</span><br>';
}

?>

subwayman

Where are you including the file? I can't see an include statement.

Also, if you are splitting it off why not dump the big echo statement and only use php to echo the dynamic stuff. As in the following excerpt:

                <center> 
                    <?php echo $error; ?> 
                </center>

hadoob024

Yeah, I think you're right. I will dump the big echo statement, and then use the PHP tags whenever I need it (like in the example you pointed out).

As for the include, I forgot that the first time. But I went ahead and added the line:

include "image2.php";

to the beginning of the file image.php. Now when I load image.php it looks fine, but when I click on the submit button, I don't see anything but a blank page. When examining the code, to me it looks like image.php sets up the form, and then image2.php checks to see if the appropriate text was entered into the form field, however it's not working properly when I split this up into 2 files.

What does this line of code do:

Is this how you set it up so that the file that processes the form is the same file that contains the original form?

subwayman

You need to be very careful to plan out what you want to happen as it's clear you are inexperienced with forms and the way php can work.

Means on submission of the form it goes to the file index.php with a query string action=do.

Therefore it will not call your file:image2.php.

Change the line to point to the correct file.

However, before simply typing away. Run through the code in your head and make sure you understand how it is meant to work. What happens when the file is first displayed. What happens when the form is submitted? If you do this you will have a much easier time taking someon elses code and adapting it to your needs.

hadoob024

Thanks. I just wasn't sure what this part did:

ACTION="index.php?action=do"

In the actual form, I did change the action line to:

ACTION = "image2.php?action=do"

I think I figured out my problem though. Prior to reloading the form I saw that it spits out the $error variable. I removed this line from image.php and moved it to the end of image2.php. It seems to work now.

Now I'm just working on cleaning up the HTML. Thanks.