Page selection logic

mcquam

I need to direct users to a page based on their response to a form. Here is my code:

<?php

// If no session value is present, redirect the user.
if (!isset($_SESSION['response_id'])) {

// Start defining the URL.
$url = 'http://' . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . dirname($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']);
// Check for a trailing slash.
if ((substr($url, -1) == '/') OR (substr($url, -1) == '\\') ) {
	$url = substr ($url, 0, -1); // Chop off the slash.
}
$url .= '/index.php'; // Add the page.
header("Location: $url");
exit(); // Quit the script.
}

// Redirect if page was accessed directly
if(!defined('BASE_URL')) {
	//Need the base url, defined in the config file
	require_once (CONFIG);

//Redirect to the index page
$url = BASE_URL . 'index.php';
header ("Location: $url");
exit;
}

require_once (DB);

if (isset($_POST['submitted'])) { // Handle the form.

if(isset($_POST['q01_01_00'])) {
    $q1 = escape_data($_POST['q01_01_00']);
} else {
    $q1 = FALSE;
}

// Add the data to the responses table.
$query = "UPDATE responses SET q01_01_00=$q1 WHERE response_id=$rid";
$result = @mysql_query ($query); // Run the query.


switch ($q1)
{
case 1:
$nextq = 'q01_02';
break;

case 2:
$nextq = 'q01_10';
break;

default:
$nextq = 'q01_03';
break;
}

}
?>

    <div id="content">
<form  action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '?p=$nextq'; ?>" method="POST">

<fieldset>

    <legend>Section 1: Background</legend>
    <p>Question 1.1  What is your marital status?</p>
    <p>
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="1" checked="yes" /><label for="q01_01_00">Single, never married</label><br />
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="2" /><label for="q01_01_00">Married and living with spouse</label><br />
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="3" /><label for="q01_01_00">In a Civil Partnership and living with a partner</label><br />
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="4" /><label for="q01_01_00">Living with partner</label><br />
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="5" /><label for="q01_01_00">Divorced, separated or widowed</label><br />
    </p>
<p>

        	<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="TRUE" />
            <?php  echo '<input type="hidden" name="rid" value="' . $rid . '" />
	';?>

	<input type="submit" value="Next" />
    </p>


    </fieldset>
    </form>
   </div>

I am using index.php as a switch to insert questions into the page like this:

switch ($p) {

case 'q01_01':
	$page = 'questions/q01_01.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Question 1.1';
	break;

case 'q01_02':
	$page = 'questions/q01_02.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Question 1.2';
	break;

case 'q01_03':
	$page = 'questions/q01_03.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Question 1.3';
	break;

case 'q01_10':
	$page = 'questions/q01_10.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Question 1.10';
	break;

case 'register':
	$page = 'register.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Register';
	break;

case 'activate':
	$page = 'activate.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Activate';
	break;

case 'login':
	$page = 'login.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Login';
	break;

case 'logout':
	$page = 'logout.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Logout';
	break;

case 'change_password':
	$page = 'change_password.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Change password';
	break;

case 'forgot_password':
	$page = 'forgot_password.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Forgot password';
	break;

// Default is to include the main page.
default:
	$page = 'main.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Scottish Student Finances Survey 2008';
	break;

} // End of main switch.

// Make sure the file exists:
if (!file_exists('./modules/' . $page)) {
	$page = 'main.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Survey';
}

// Include the header file:
include_once ('includes/header.html');

// Include the content-specific module:
// $page is determined from the above switch.
include ('./modules/' . $page);

// Include the footer file to complete the template:
include_once ('includes/footer.html');

?>

How can I keep the page in the GET array to use the switch and also include the logic from the form to direct the user to the next page depending on their response?

mcquam

Is this a stupid question? Should I re-format and re-post?

NogDog

mcquam;10939246 wrote:
Is this a stupid question? Should I re-format and re-post?

I changed your [noparse]

 and [quote] tags to [code=php] tags.[/noparse] Makes it a bit easier to read. :)

mcquam

Most kind. Thank you.

NogDog

Hopefully someone will come by soon with some suggestions or questions. I'm just zipping through right now mostly doing the "moderator thing", and at a quick read I did not have a good understanding or solution. I may be back later tonight. 🙂

mcquam

Looks like I can't use the form action. Anyone point me in the right direction even?

NogDog

Do you just need to change...

switch($p)

...to...

switch($_GET['p'])

😕

mcquam

Actually that bit works ok. I have this above the switch:

if (isset($_GET['p'])) {
	$p = $_GET['p'];
} elseif (isset($_POST['p'])) { // Forms
	$p = $_POST['p'];
} else {
	$p = NULL;
}

My code works fine when I just need to select a page using the $p switch, but when I need to add a further layer of choice which is the answer to the question. So if question 1 has four checkboxes, I need to direct users not just from page to next page, but to a page derived from their answer.

Can I fit in an additional layer in the switch or something?

NogDog

I'm afraid my brain is simply not wrapping itself around the question here. 🙁 The lack of other responses may indicate that others are having the same problem (or not, who knows?)

Maybe you could try restating the question, perhaps with simplified, idealized examples that would make it clear what the issue is (i.e., just enough code to illustrate the problem/question, but no "noise" to confuse my poor, tired brain)?

In fact, sometimes just thinking about how to ask a question can help you find the answer, if I may get a bit metaphysical here. 😉

johanafm

mcquam;10939362 wrote:
Can I fit in an additional layer in the switch or something?

Yes, you can nest as many switches and/or ifs as you like. And this type of question is easily answerable by yourself through simple examples.

Just assume it works and see what happens

$a = 1;
$b = 'a';

switch($a) {
	case 1:
		echo '1<br/>';
		switch($b) {
			case 'a':
				echo 'a<br/>';
				break;
			default:
				echo 'default';
		}
		break;
	default:
		echo 'default';
}

$a = 1;
$b = 'a';

if ($a == 1) {
	echo '1<br/>';
	if ($b == 'a')
		echo 'a<br/>';
	else
		echo 'default';
}
else
	echo 'default';

mcquam

Thank you NogDog, you are right, my question was not very clear.

Johanafm, I have tried the nested switch a few times and it does seem to work as you say, however...

This may seem like a simple question now but I can't get my answer variable into the page switch. I now have $q for the question and $a for the answer. So my question (previously page) switch look slike this:

// Validate what page to show:
if (isset($_GET['a'])) {
	$a = $_GET['a'];
} elseif (isset($_POST['a'])) { // Forms
	$a = $_POST['a'];
} else {
	$a = NULL;
}


// Validate what page to show:
if (isset($_GET['q'])) {
	$q = $_GET['q'];
} elseif (isset($_POST['q'])) { // Forms
	$q = $_POST['q'];
} else {
	$q = NULL;
}


// Determine what page to display:
switch ($q) {

case 'q01_01':

	$page_title = 'Question 1.1';


                switch($a) {
                    case '1':
                        $page = 'questions/q01_01.inc.php';
                        break;

                    case '2':
                        $page = 'questions/q01_02.inc.php';
                        break;

                    case '5':
                        $page = 'questions/q01_10.inc.php';
                        break;

                }

            default:
            $page = 'questions/q01_01.inc.php';
	break;

case 'q01_02':
	$page = 'questions/q01_02.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Question 1.2';
	break;

case 'q01_03':
	$page = 'questions/q01_03.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Question 1.3';
	break;

case 'q01_10':
	$page = 'questions/q01_10.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Question 1.10';
	break;

case 'register':
	$page = 'register.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Register';
	break;

case 'activate':
	$page = 'activate.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Activate';
	break;

case 'login':
	$page = 'login.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Login';
	break;

case 'logged_in':
	$page = 'logged_in.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Login';
	break;

case 'logout':
	$page = 'logout.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Logout';
	break;

case 'change_password':
	$page = 'change_password.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Change password';
	break;

case 'forgot_password':
	$page = 'forgot_password.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Forgot password';
	break;

// Default is to include the main page.
default:
	$page = 'main.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Survey';
	break;

} // End of main switch.

// Make sure the file exists:
if (!file_exists('./modules/' . $page)) {
	$page = 'main.inc.php';
	$page_title = 'Survey';
}

// Include the header file:
include_once ('includes/header.html');

// Include the content-specific module:
// $page is determined from the above switch.
include ('./modules/' . $page);

// Include the footer file to complete the template:
include_once ('includes/footer.html');

?>

I have hard-coded the $q variable into the GET array and my problem now is how to get the POST array to include my $a variable. Here is my question page with the form:

if (isset($_POST['submitted'])) { // Handle the form.

if(isset($_POST['q01_01_00'])) {
        $a = escape_data($_POST['q01_01_00']);
} else {
    $a = NULL;
}

// Add the data to the responses table.
$query = "UPDATE responses SET q01_01_00='$a' WHERE response_id=$rid";
$result = @mysql_query ($query); // Run the query.


}
?>

    <div id="content">
<form  action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '?q=q01_01'; ?>" method="POST">

<fieldset>

    <legend>Section 1: Background</legend>
    <p>Question 1.1  What is your marital status?</p>
    <p>
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="1" checked="yes" /><label for="q01_01_00">Single, never married</label><br />
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="2" /><label for="q01_01_00">Married and living with spouse</label><br />
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="3" /><label for="q01_01_00">In a Civil Partnership and living with a partner</label><br />
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="4" /><label for="q01_01_00">Living with partner</label><br />
    <input type="radio" name="q01_01_00" value="5" /><label for="q01_01_00">Divorced, separated or widowed</label><br />
    </p>
<p>

        	<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="TRUE" />
            <?php  echo '<input type="hidden" name="rid" value="' . $rid . '" />';?>

	<input type="submit" value="Next" />
    </p>

What should I do to get the $a variable posted? As it stands, it is not available until the page is posted and then it is too late.