Forum Login Issues

Unmaker

I really don't know if this is the category I should be posting this in, but by all standards I am programming-n00b and I understand so little about PHP and seem to be unable to learn with the resources I have. Anyway...

       I am using FUDforum and I am in the process of fine tuning the script. Unfortunately, since I am a novice programmer who barely understands the basics of PHP, (and I am seemingly unable to wrap my head around the explanations and lessons given to me via books and the internet [I really aught to sign up for a class or something],) I'm having a hard time doing it. One thing that I am trying to change, is the fact that the quick login box is below the Category list, I'd like it to be on top. However, when I tempt to move the quick login script above the Forum script in Dreamweaver, the quick login box disappears altogether in my browser. The second thing that makes no sense to me is the login form's method is post, but when I login the url changes from, "http://localhost/forum/index.php" to "http://localhost/forum/index.php?t=index&S=a1faefdc74a184de3d0dc8cae03a4449", doesn't post mean the url remains unchanged? I could really use a hand, here is all the codes pertaining to the login and its ordering:

//Forum script comes first.
<?php echo (_uid ? '

var catChange = function(o) { return }
var callback = 
{
	success:catChange,
	failure:catChange
}
YAHOO.util.Connect.asyncRequest("POST","index.php?t=cat_focus", callback, "SQ='.$usr->sq.'&S='.s.'&c="+cid+"&on="+(on == "none" ? "1" : "0"));

' : '' )  .'
}
</script>

<table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" class="ContentTable">
<tr>
	<th colspan=3 class="wa">Forum</th>
	<th nowrap>Messages</th>
	<th nowrap>Topics</th>
	<th nowrap>Last message</th>
</tr>
'.$forum_list_table_data.'
</table>
'.(_uid ? '<div class="SmallText ar">[ <a href="index.php?t=markread&amp;'._rsid.'&amp;SQ='.$GLOBALS['sq'].'&amp;cat='.$cat_id.'" title="All your unread messages will be marked as read">mark all messages read</a> ]
'.($FUD_OPT_2 & 1048576 ? '[ <a href="rdf.php?mode=m&amp;l=1&amp;basic=1"><img src="theme/default/images/rss.gif" title="Syndicate this forum (XML)" /></a> ]' : '' )  .'
</div>' : ''); ?>

//then the quick login script.
<?php echo (__fud_real_user__ ? '' : '<table class="wa" border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td align="right">
<form name="quick_login_form" method="post" action="index.php?t=login"'.($GLOBALS['FUD_OPT_3'] & 256 ? ' autocomplete="off"' : '').'>'._hs.'
<table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3>
<tr class="SmallText">
	<td>Login<br /><input class="SmallText" type="text" name="quick_login" size=18></td>
	<td>Password<br /><input class="SmallText" type="password" name="quick_password" size=18></td>
	'.($FUD_OPT_1 & 128 ? '<td>&nbsp;<br /><input type="checkbox" checked name="quick_use_cookies" value="1"> Use Cookies? </td>' : '' )  .'
	<td>&nbsp;<br /><input type="submit" class="button" name="quick_login_submit" value="Login"></td>
</tr>
</table></form></td></tr></table>'); ?>

//GLOBALS variables used in login script
<?php
	$FUD_OPT_1= 1738470591;
	$FUD_OPT_3= 0;
?>

Here is also the login script viewed in the Page Source Code

<table class="wa" border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td align="right">
<form name="quick_login_form" method="post" action="index.php?t=login"><input type="hidden" name="S" value="6a996ce74f4f162f95206415c93116ee"><input type="hidden" name="SQ" value="0">
<table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3>
<tr class="SmallText">
	<td>Login<br /><input class="SmallText" type="text" name="quick_login" size=18></td>

<td>Password<br /><input class="SmallText" type="password" name="quick_password" size=18></td>
<td>&nbsp;<br /><input type="checkbox" checked name="quick_use_cookies" value="1"> Use Cookies? </td>
<td>&nbsp;<br /><input type="submit" class="button" name="quick_login_submit" value="Login"></td>
</tr>
</table></form></td></tr></table><br />

Thank you in advance for your help.

leatherback

YES. POSt means that data is posted to the next page 'in the background'. However, if you loko at the action of the form you will see:
form name="quick_login_form" method="post" action="index.php?t=login"
which explains the t=login.

The s=^{%$%@^{&^&(#}} @*& whatever; means that the session parameter is not stored in a cookie, since you have probably some anti-cookie seeting. Is is prased through the URl, for you. you need not worry about it at any stage. Just code as normal.

To move the formbox, take a text editor, and move this:
//then the quick login script.
<?php echo (fud_real_user ? '' : '<table class="wa" border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td align="right">
<form name="quick_login_form" method="post" action="index.php?t=login"'.($GLOBALS['FUD_OPT_3'] & 256 ? ' autocomplete="off"' : '').'>'._hs.'
<table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3>
<tr class="SmallText">
<td>Login<br /><input class="SmallText" type="text" name="quick_login" size=18></td>
<td>Password<br /><input class="SmallText" type="password" name="quick_password" size=18></td>
'.($FUD_OPT_1 & 128 ? '<td> <br /><input type="checkbox" checked name="quick_use_cookies" value="1"> Use Cookies? </td>' : '' ) .'
<td> <br /><input type="submit" class="button" name="quick_login_submit" value="Login"></td>
</tr>
</table></form></td></tr></table>'); ?>
to where you want the loginbox to appear.

Unmaker

Thank you kindly. But I tried moving that whole thing and when I did the login box just disappeared. Any ideas?

This is what its like when I have dont move the login box

When I do move it, the box disappears altogether.

Unmaker

Okay, I've decided I don't really need a quick login script if I can't figure out how to fix it. Anyway I have a question about cookies. How do I store the session parameter in a cookie, or change this anti-cookie setting? Thanks in advance for your help.