Best practice for multi-page form?

[jeffrydell]

Hi all - I'm new here, looks like a very helpful group. Thanks for the resource!

I have a multi-page form which consists of a 'backbone' script and multiple scripts for each step:

This is an EXTREMELY simplified overview of the backbone (there are actually 14 steps with possible loop-backs and branches)...

if (isset($lastthing))
{
$step = "Done";
}
elseif (isset($secondtolastthing))
{
$step = "Almost Done";
}
else
{
$step = "Starting";
}

then I look up $step in a MySQL table, put that row in an array and ...

run a pre-form script that establishes default values
display the form
validate the form data with a post-form script that is called with the Form Action
if data is not valid, loop back to this step again with an error message
if data IS valid, proceed to the next step and call the backbone script again.

I'm looking for a 'better way' to structure this whole thing. The browser's Back button is NOT my friend. Lots of unpredictable things happening when the end user takes navigational 'adventures' off the planned route.

Anyone have a tested & proven way of dealing with this type of application or a place I could 'read up' on best practices?

Thanks for whatever help you send my way!

[rsmith]

Look into Sessions

[jeffrydell]

Yes, I'm already using Arrays within $_SESSION to store form results ... that's not a problem. I can carry data all the way through the process.

My problem is more with the navigation - I need a way to control the program flow better and ensure that when someone tries to access a form, the appropriate data has already been entered (like choosing a script called 'restroom' without having determined a variable called Gender) ... or conversely, that they aren't too far in to the process so that they don't change something fundamental that would make data from later in the process inaccurate (like going back to a script called Menu where they might select a choice from the 'Entree' dropdown after they have already been through the 'Pay' script).

Is that clearerer?