Looking for alternative to DIE function.

dmacman1962

Hi Everyone,

I routinely use the DIE function for terminating my code if, say, someone does not properly fill out a form. The challenge is, the sites I design are often very intensive HTML layouts and I need to include the remainder of the HTML code in each instance.

For example:


if (empty($student_first_name))
{
die("<p align='center'><font face='Arial' size='3' color='#FF0000'>You did not enter your first name.<br>Please </font><a href='javascript:history.go(-1)'><font face='Arial' size='3' color='#FF0000'><b><u>click here</u></b></font></a><font face='Arial' size='3' color='#FF0000'> to go back and correct this entry.</font></p></td><td bgcolor=#d3d6da></td></tr><tr><td><img src=p4.gif /></td><td bgcolor=#d3d6da></td><td><img src=p3.gif /></td></tr></table>");
}

As you can see, I either need to have all the remaining HTML for that page in each DIE function, or use an include to point to the remaining HTML.

My question is there an alternate, more efficient way?

In the old days I could us a 'goto' command to point the end of that page or layout and 'goto' that in the event of a error or missing or incomplete entry.

I appreciate your suggestions,

Don

scrupul0us

try:

break
continue
exit

dmacman1962

Hi scrupul0us,

Thanks for the suggestions.
I looked at all 3 before and it seems the exit is about as close as I am going to get to the old 'goto' command. Here is Devinemke's suggestion about 'exit' and what I am facing.

devinemke at devinemke dot com
11-Jan-2002 08:38
If you are using templates with numerous includes then exit() will end you script and your template will not complete (no </table>, </body>, </html> etc...). Rather than having complex nested conditional logic within your content, just create a "footer.php" file that closes all of your HTML and if you want to exit out of a script just include() the footer before you exit().

for example:

include ('header.php');
blah blah blah
if (!$mysql_connect) {
echo "unable to connect";
include ('footer.php');
exit;
}
blah blah blah
include ('footer.php');

I am probably going to have to use this method, unless you have a different method you prefer.

Thanks,
Don

devinemke

wow, a quote from me 5 years ago. anyway, just a followup to my suggestion from the php manual: what i typically do is created my own error handler that looks something like this:

function exit_error($error = '')
{
	include_once('header.php');
	if ($error) {echo '<br><br>error: <b>' . $error . '</b>';}
	include_once('footer.php');
	exit();
}

the function takes the error output as is argument so i can pass whatever i want to it (or nothing at all). notice as well that i use [man]include_once[/man] to call the header and footer. this way i can call this function anywhere within the logical flow of my scripts and not worry about redeclaration errors.

MarkR

Can I recommend that instead of die(), you throw an exception.

If the calling code doesn't catch it, you can register a global exception handler with set_exception_handler (or something)

Mark