Header location and pixel image

lalloo

I am searching for a solution to the following problem. Any suggestions how to handle it will be appreciated.

Users fill out a form (same form, different sites) and it is submitted to my site. As part of processing, I use a jump page where I log certain info (time, IP address, etc.), determine where to redirect the user (based on some pre-defined criteria) and use

header("location: http://xxxxxxxx.com/xxxxx.php");

to redirect the user to the destination page. It happens invisibly and there is no output to display on the jump page.

Now I have a new requirement. Need to add a pixel image on the jump (invisible) page before redirecting the user to destination page. Apparently, I cannot display the image before the headers as if the location header is used before the image tag, the image will never be called. (The image needs to be on the jump page as this is where we determine which pixel image to use for different users.)

Thanks in advance.

halojoy

either it is the code you show
thar doesn't work
or more probably The Code of 'xxxxx-php'
= the userpage.

Maybe here we could see why userpage = blank

Also most variable values are lost, when using header:location
so to keep them you would have to store values into $_SESSION array

Here are 2 such pages.
page1 and page2

<?php // page1.php Store: imgtag and redirect
session_start(); //we always need this, to work with $_SESSION

//some other code
//


$_SESSION['imgtag'] = 'myimage.png';
header("location: http://xxxxxxxx.com/page2.php"); 
exit(); //we should always exit() after a header:location redirect

?>

... and then recall it in the jump page
using

<?php // page2.php Load: imgtag
session_start(); //we always need this, to work with $_SESSION

$image = $_SESSION['imgtag'];
echo $image;

?>

lalloo

Thanks for your response.

The user is redirected to a page on a different server, so the session variables won't work.

Is it true that the variable values appended to the redirect URL will get lost? I have experimented with it and all variables seem to have been passed on to the destination page properly. (E.g.,

header("location: http://xxxxxxx.com/xxxxx.php?v1=something%20Nice&v2=is%20here&v3=Variable3&v4=Var4&v5=something%20else%20here");
exit;

Question: If variables appended to the URL get lost, can a form be submitted to the redirect page with all pre-populated hidden input (without having to have a submit button)?

Note: The pixel image needs to be called before the user is redirected to the destination page.

Thanks.

Weedpacket

Just clear something up for me, first: why do you need to have an image on a page that, by definition, isn't going to be served to the user?

lalloo

Appreciate your curiosity. Without going in details, it's a business requirement to track certain transactions. The pixel image is from a third party. Hope this helps.