PHP: STUMPED! Problem with HREF & URL Variable WITHOUT HTTP://

camarosource

Got a strange problem with a PHP script that I am writting that I am hoping someone here can help me out with..

Basically I have a PHP file that imports data from a database and executes a html file. It replaced variables in the html file with the contents in the Variables stored from the database.

I have a problem where I want to be able to click a link "Click Here" and the link is the variable stored in the database. In this case, a website address.. The problem is that while the database entry is stored in the variable correctly, and will even ECHO correctly which proves it is corrected exported, whenever it is combined with a HREF html link, it causes the link to be the BROWSER webpage address rather than the variables contend (WEBSITE URL)..

Example:

Let us for example:

WEBSITE address stored in the database is : http://www.youtube.com
The BROWSER URL that the PHP is correctly on is say : http://www.camarosource.ca/LALALA

FILE1.PHP

<?php

// --------------- Connecting to Database


// create connection
$conn = mysql_connect("localhost","[HIDDEN]","[HIDDEN]")
or die(mysql_error());

// select database
$db = mysql_select_db("[HIDDEN]", $conn) or die(mysql_error());

// Select and execute query
$sql = "SELECT * FROM test WHERE TEST_ID = '$_GET[id]'";

//Execute SQL query
$sql_result = mysql_query($sql,$conn) or die(mysql_error());
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql_result)) {
$ID = $row["TEST_ID"];
$WEBSITE = $row["WEBSITE"];

// ------------------------------ [ Start Display of Submission Sucessful page ] -----------------------------
$file = "file1.htm";
$read = fopen($file, "r");
$content = fread($read, filesize($file));
$content = ereg_replace("{WEBSITE}", $WEBSITE, $content);
echo $content;
}
// ECHOing the variable of WEBSITE just to be sure the contents are correct
echo $WEBSITE;
?>

This will SUCCESSFULLY import the WEBSITE contents (Website URL) to $WEBSITE. Load file1.htm where the $WEBSITE in the html will be SUCCESSFULLY stored. And as a TEST, echoing the $WEBSITE variable will SUCCESSFULLY display the CORRECT URL.

The problem?

The problem is that in the file1.html, I have a href

<input type="text" name="WEBSITE" size="80" value="{WEBSITE}">
<b><font face="Arial" size="2"><a target="_blank" href="{WEBSITE}">
Click Here</a></font></b>

Rather than displaying "www.youtube.com" as that is in the variable, it displays "http://www.camarosource.ca/LALALA/youtube.com"

Basically it takes the BROWSER URL and ADDs the contents of the variable to the URL string.

NOW.. if I DELETE the contents in the variable so $WEBSITE is EMPTY.. Then the contents of $WEBSITE is SUCCESSFULLY EMPTY. HOWEVER when you use the HREF, the link changes to the BROWSER URL.

YET.. if I put "http://" before "www.youtube.com" as the contents in the variable instead of "www.youtube.com", then it WORKS.. Something about not having "http://" on the url is having a problem.

Problem is not everyone who using this script will always be sure to add the [url]http://.[/url].. so how do I fix this?

dougal85

If the URL's don't start with http:// they are relative to the current location.

So, If i understand it right. You need to check that a url starts with http:// and if it doesn't you need to add it in.

halojoy

this is a
basic test and add 'http://', if needed, in any string

Regars 🙂
halojoy

<?php

// two test urls
$s1 = 'www.google.com';
$s2 = 'http://www.yahoo.com';
$url = $s1;
//$url = $s2;

// A global constant for use in such functions
define('HTTP', 'http://');
// The fix function. Will check first 7 CHARS
$fixed_url = strtolower(substr($url,0,7))==HTTP ? $url : HTTP.$url;


// Verification of BEFORE and AFTER
echo '<pre>';
echo 'url  : '.$url;
echo "\n";
echo 'fixed: '.$fixed_url;

?>

Simple version, without use of Constant HTTP

$fixed_url = strtolower(substr($url,0,7))=='http://' ? $url : 'http://'.$url;

dougal85

Just make sure you are away of https:// too!

halojoy

dougal85 wrote:
Just make sure you are aware of https:// too!

yes,
That's what a
Global Constant can be good for. (just change it in config.php)

In my real serious scripts, I surely do like they do in phpBB: common.php
I test SERVER Variables to see what is used, one of:
http://
https://

regars 🙂
halojoy