[RESOLVED] PHP Program Flow

penmore

Hi,
I've programed in different programming languages over the years and am used to a top to bottom program flow or a master control module approach. I'm currently modifying a wysiwyg online web page editor that uses the textarea to display and edit a web page.

What I'm trying to understand is how a piece of code that changes the file name where the textarea is to be saved, depending on which submit button is pressed works (I can understand the actual code).

The code that changes the file name uses the $_POST to check which button is pressed but what I'm not understanding is how this code runs when it is at the very top of the php file, outwith the html tag and the submit buttons are further down the page in the form.

Are there any tutorials that explain the program flow and the link between php and html ?

Thanks,
Peter

djjjozsi

a PHP program is running on server side. If you click on a submit button in a form, that send the variables (uring POST or GET method)
to the processing program, which means the page is reloading, so its not matter where is your Form in your code.

You have lots of ways to change the one php file to make contents depending on the user's events (links, forms, session variables, previous events, other user's state and activity, random content, ect. ).

Here is an example, how to call functions on textarea's value depending on 5 submit buttons.

http://phptool.extra.hu/tutorials/capture-9/capture-9.html

Hello, jjozsi.

penmore

Hi,

Thanks for the explanation regarding the way that the php process works with forms but is there any explanation that covers the other situations that do not use forms, or is that just normal top to bottom program flow ?

I've tried the link you posted but I cannot see the webpage.

Peter

djjjozsi

any explanation that covers the other situations that do not use forms

There are hundreds of other cases available to use php codes 🙂 php has broken out of the "Hypertext Preprocessor" contectual. Lets start reading this section from the manual: http://hu.php.net/manual/en/intro-whatcando.php

And a wide range of usage listed here: http://hu.php.net/manual/en/funcref.php

or is that just normal top to bottom program flow ?

If we are talking about a tiny form processor program, then you're right. But after an upper level the exeptions coming..

For example:
http://jotform.com/

I've tried the link you posted but I cannot see the webpage.

Flash Player and Mpeg 4 video codec needed for the page.

Hello, jjozsi.