It aint working (Newbie)

CEB

I am new to PHP.

The call to CEB_DISPLAY prints everything but the value in $F.
The example is from Beginning PHP 4 Chapter 3 with slight changes.

On PHP Version 4.3.11
On Oracle AS

Your help and patience is appreciated.
Thank you
CEB

CEB_INPUT_TEST.php
<html>
<head>
<title> CEB Input Test </title>
</head>
<body>
<b>
<form method=get action="CEB_DISPLAY.php">
<input type="text" name="F">
<br>
<input type=submit>
</form>
</b>
</body>
</html>

CEB_DISPLAY.php
<html>
<head>
<title> CEB Display </title>
</head>
<body>
<b>
<?php
print ("You entered: ");
print $F;
print ("!");

?>
</b>

</body>
</html>

Piranha

print $_GET['F'];

By the way, there is no reason to learn PHP 4 today. Go for PHP 5 instead.

CEB

Thank you. I tried both $GET, $POST and they both worked with the appropriate methods. Is the book just in error? I want to learn PHP 5 but we have not upgraded our version on the Oracle AS yet.
Thank you again.
CEB

stolzyboy

the book is assuming register_globals is ON

Piranha

And register_globals should be OFF to let you get full control.

leatherback

Piranha wrote:
And register_globals should be OFF to let you get full control.

Hm.. Think it is more a security issue..

Let me elaborate a little on the register_globals=on vss off.

Older version of PhP (<4.3) workled with register_globals = on. What this means is that if you say, submit a form to a page, all the variables defined in the form, are directly set for the script. Same for values passed through an URL.

"Great! Safes a lot of work!" I hear you think. True. However, 'the user' in general is friendly, but some are less frindly, and may want to test your website. So you have a backdoor open for them. By switching this off (register_globals = off) you need to do a bit more work to get the values in your script. But you are also aware that you are pulling variables into your script.

Your book is just assuming an older setting than what is nowadays done. Do NOT switch register_globals to ON. It safes you a bit of pain now BUT It creates a hell of a lot of pain later on.

Houdini

If you are learning PHP right now at this moment then a good free source is an online book called Practical PHP Programming which there is a link to the most updated version provided at that link, but I think that what is at that link will guide you up to PHP 5 anyway with a few refinements in the other link provided at that site.

I have this site as a point of reference and so should you, then you might also want to read the manual to understand why register_globals should be turned OFF since there are nasty things that could happen with them turned on.

I do appreciate that the code you showed also did not use the short tags which you might also see see below:

<?
//using short tag PHP
phpinfo():
?>

Using proper PHP tags in call code now days is as below

<?php
//using long tags for PHP vice xml or others
phpinfo();
?>

Welcome to PHP and hope you have few problems but there are many here to help you on your way...just ask when you encounter problems and there are experts here to help.

Also as a side bar please edit your POST so that it is displayed by enclosing your PHP code and in the future use it also to post your PHP...it is simple just look at the first link in my signature to see how to do so while composing a message or editing a POST you have already done.