session variables wont 'jump' pages?

gibbon100

Im trying to learn this language in my spare time and im trying to wrap my head around sessions. Im trying to create a 4-step registration type page where I have name and address on 1, email and telephone number on 2, acceptance of terms on 3 and a final confirmation on the final page which lists everything you have inputted.

This is the code I have from the pages where information is bieng entered, this is an example of the first page;

<?php 
session_start();

$_SESSION['name'] = $name;
$_SESSION['address'] = $address;
$name=$_POST['name'];
$address=$_POST['address'];

?>

<form action="two.php" method=POST>
Name: <input type=text name='name'><br>
Address: <input type=text name=address><br>
<input type=submit value="Continue..."><p>
</form>

and when I come to do the following on a later page

<?php 
session_start();

echo "You entered ". $_SESSION['name'];

?>

No luck. I can however recall the session variables from the SAME page. Just not other pages.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

dagon

you need:

$name=$POST['name'];
before
$SESSION['name'] = $name;

or $SESSION['name'] = $POST['name'];

gibbon100

Here are the scripts im writing:

Stage One

<html>
<head>
<title>Week # - Exercise #</title>
<font face="tahoma" color="red"><u>Week # - Exercise #</u></font>
</head>
<p>

<?php 
session_start();


$name=$_POST['name'];
$address=$_POST['address'];
$_SESSION['name'] = $name;
$_SESSION['address'] = $address;

?>


<form action="two.php" method=POST>
Name: <input type=text name='name'><br>
Address: <input type=text name=address><br>
<input type=submit value="Continue..."><p>
</form>

Stage 2

<html>
<head>
<title>Week # - Exercise #</title>
<font face="tahoma" color="red"><u>Week # - Exercise #</u></font>
</head>
<p>

<?php 
session_start();


$dateofbirth=$_POST['dateofbirth'];
$username=$_POST['username'];
$password=$_POST['password'];
$_SESSION['dateofbirth'] = $dateofbirth;
$_SESSION['username'] = $username;
$_SESSION['password'] = $password;


?> 


<form action="three.php" method=POST>
Date of Birth: <input type=text name=dateofbirth><br>
Username: <input type=text name=username><br>
Password: <input type=password name=password><br>
<input type=submit value="Continue..."><p>
</form>

Stage 3

<html>
<head>
<title>Week # - Exercise #</title>
<font face="tahoma" color="red"><u>Week # - Exercise #</u></font>
</head>
<p>

<?php 
session_start();


$accept=$_POST['accept'];
$email=$_POST['email'];
$acceptemail=$_POST['acceptemail'];
$_SESSION['accept'] = $accept;
$_SESSION['email'] = $email;
$_SESSION['acceptemail'] = $acceptemail;

?>


<form action="four.php" method=POST>

Terms and Conditions:<p>
<textarea cols="40" rows="10">
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis malesuada sollicitudin neque. Nam accumsan nisi. 
Donec molestie aliquet pede. Curabitur rhoncus gravida massa. Vivamus nibh turpis, venenatis non, posuere eu, pellentesque vitae, velit. 
Morbi aliquet, est nec convallis interdum, elit augue facilisis odio, eu luctus augue velit et diam. Fusce augue mi, feugiat eget, ultricies sit amet, mollis vestibulum, urna. 
In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed arcu. Quisque mollis. Curabitur mattis felis ut felis. Suspendisse placerat convallis metus. Mauris orci augue, sagittis ut, fermentum dapibus, aliquet sed, neque. 
Duis eget magna interdum ligula posuere euismod. Cras in elit ac nibh blandit ornare. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Sed imperdiet nunc. 
Aenean ligula tellus, gravida in, aliquam non, molestie congue, eros. Duis pulvinar odio et nunc.
</textarea><p>

<input type=checkbox name="accept">I agree to the Terms and Conditions.<P>

Email: <input type=text name=email><p>

<input type=checkbox name="acceptemail">I agree to recieve updates via e-mail.<P>

<input type=submit value="Continue..."><p>
</form>

Final Stage (Confirmation)

<html>
<head>
<title>Week 4 - Exercise 3</title>
<font face="tahoma" color="red"><u>Week 4 - Exercise 3</u></font>
</head>
<p>

<?php 
session_start(); 


$name=$_SESSION['name'];
$address=$_SESSION['address'];
$dateofbirth=$_SESSION['dateofbirth'];
$username=$_SESSION['username'];
$password=$_SESSION['password'];
$accept=$_SESSION['accept'];
$email=$_SESSION['email'];
$acceptemail=$_SESSION['acceptemail'];

echo "$name";
echo "$address";
echo "$dateofbirth";
echo "$username";
echo "$password";
echo "$accept";
echo "$email";
echo "$acceptemail";

?>

Nothing is bieng displayed at the end (on the final stage) can anyone see why??

dagon

print_r($_SESSION); try it on page two and 3 if its empty i suspect your php version has not been complied with session support.

nrg_alpha

I have a habit of putting session_start at the absolute very top.. just to play it safe..

<?php 
session_start();

// your session stuff here..
?>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> // don't forget your doctype!
<html>
<head>
.. .. . . yadda yadda yadda

I think there is code flow issues here. You are telling page 1 to assign $name to $POST['name'] prior to the post variable being created (same with the others)..If I understand correctly, I think all of this session and post stuff from page 1 should be at the top of page two... as page two is the destination page from your form.. not a reloading of itself..

What I also find confusing is why (in stage 1) are you creating a variable called $name (which is assigned to $POST['name'], only to create a session variabel ($SESSION['name']) and assign it to $name?

Why not simply create and assign your session variable to post (and likewise for address)?

$_SESSION['name'] = $_POST['name'];
$_SESSION['address'] = $_POST['address'];

It saves the 'middle-men' variables ($name and $address) from the equation.. it streamlines things a little.

And on a side note, hopefully you are sanitising your $_POST variables prior to assigning them to session variables.

But as I examine all of this, I think your info (sessions stuff) from page one should be at the top of the next page (if I understand this correctly).. variables cannot be assigned to $POST variables if those POST variables are not yet set... you can test thise for yourself by getting php to output (echo) the variable $SESSION['name'] after your session declarations at the top of the page.. I would not be suprised to see an error..

On a final note, do you have your error reporting enabled?
I would insert at the top of the page (after session_start() is fine):

ini_set('error_reporting', E_ALL | E_STRICT);
ini_set('display_errors', 'On');

this will tell you what problems you are having (but I think this has to be done on localhost, as I understand that remote servers deliberately do not display errors for the sake of protection against revealing these sort of things to potential harmful trouble makers who may otherwise exploit this).

Cheers,

NRG