[RESOLVED] Help with getting PHP script to work

Rycast

Hi everyone. First off, I'm really new to PHP and (serious) programming in general. I know HTML and a little C++, and I'm just getting started on PHP, but I've been working with websites for a long time.

I bought a script to use on a new website I'm starting - iAuctionSites.com - it's going to be a website auction site, like Flippa.com. I bought a script to use from a similar site.

Long story short, their script sucks, and I can't get it to work very well. They won't help me. I thought about trying to make my own script from scratch, but I figured it would work better to at least have something to start from, since I know so little PHP.

The problems:

There are a bunch of things in the script that aren't working. The functionality is built into the pages, but it's not working... for example:

You can't make auctions! You click the button, and nothing happens. It just reloads the page, and doesn't make the auction.

You can logon to the site to try to make a new auction if you want - use username "test2" and password "test2".

In the page code there is code to make a dialog prompting you that it worked - but it is never shown. Here is the code:

<?php if ($_SESSION['success']['new_auction']): ?>
	<div class="message">
		<h2>Auction Created</h2>
		<p>Your auction has been created! You can <a href="/auction/<?php echo $_SESSION['return']['auction_id']; ?>-<?php echo niceurls($_SESSION['return']['title']); ?>.html">view it here</a>.</p>
	</div>

Another problem (among many) is that after you register, it is supposed to show a dialogue saying that you registered. The code for this is:

<?php if ($_SESSION['success']['register']): ?>
	<div class="message">
		<h2>Registration Complete</h2>
		<p>Your registration is complete! You can now <a href="/login/">login</a> using the form on the left. Please also check your email for a validation link!</p>
	</div>

Most of the things that aren't working on site are just if-then-else statements using some kind of $SESSION variable. I don't understand what this variable is, or how the "['success']['register']" comes into play regarding it... where should I look to find out what is wrong? How is $SESSION being used here?...

Any help is appreciated! I know this seems like a stupid idea anyway, since it's just a clone of Flippa, and clones are stupid. But I've started making the site - I'm going to finish it. Although this script might be a lost cause.

Rycast

Sorry everyone! I just realized this should have been posted under the "Third Party PHP Scripts" board... could someone move it for me, or can I do it? Thanks!

Krik

$SESSION is a [man]superglobal[/man]. The $SESSION super global works just like an array, and in your case you have multidimensional $_SESSION array.

First, you need to make sure that the [man]session_start[/man] is being called. Otherwise the $_SESSION super global will not be available.

Second, make sure that the "$SESSION['success']['new_auction']" and "$SESSION['success']['register']" values are being set.

Lastly you may want to set [man]error_reporting[/man] to "E_ALL", as it will give you some notice level errors that may help track down the issue.

As you may have noticed I have reference php.net several times above, it is a great resource for figuring out PHP, especially if you already have some programing experience you will find it very useful.

Rycast

Krik, thank you! I had been looking around at PHP.net for a while now, but you really helped clear things up. Apparently all that was missing was "session_start();" in the main index file - now things are working more normally.

I don't know why the script developers left that piece of code out. The entire script is broken without it. Maybe they took it out intentionally so that I'd pay them more money to fix it...

Anyway, thanks again!