Form\'s & PHP - Can you help?

[Anon]

Hello,

I dont know if this happens to some of you. If so, it would be great if you can assist.

We have a form on page 1, page 2 checks the form for any un-filled feilds. If someting in not in - Page 2 will say \"go back and enter xxxxx feild. When you click the back button, all the good data is gone..leaving the user to fill it ALL out again before re-submitting.

Is there any way to hold what the usere previosly typed in memery so if he/she does make a mistake..they can go back and still have thir good data there?

Thanks in advance,

Jack

[Anon]

Quick NOTE: on this forum.. you can go back anf forth between pages and still have your data in place. This is what I want to acheive.

Please help

[Anon]

You might try putting the form and its action on the same page, triggered by a hidden field in the form, ie:

<?php
/ check form results
$x = "(total conditional result of form checking), or false if empty(hidfield)";
$y = "(error message returned from script), or '' if empty($hidfield)";
/
if (!$x) {
echo $y;
?>
<form action="" method="post">
<input type=hidden name="hidfield" value="set">
<!-- other form stuff -->
</form>
<?php
}else{
//process form here!
}
?>

[Anon]

Thanks brian. I should have stated that this IS all in 1 php file. i used page 1 and page to as an example..my fault.

So yes its in 1 file. That same php will 'post to itself' and check the feilds. If one is off it will ask you to go back.

here is the beginning of that page:

---

<?
include("common.php");
session_register("current_user");
$current_user = "";
session_unset();
session_destroy();

---

I thought by registering the session that it will hold all info. The prob isthis part of the code:

---

$num_rows = 0;
//make sure there isn't another person by that name
$sql = "SELECT * FROM agents WHERE agent = '$agent'";
$output = mysql_query($sql,$link);
$num_rows = mysql_num_rows($output);
if ($num_rows > 0)
{
print "There is already an agent by that name. Please try another name.<P>";
}
elseif ($agent == "")
{die ("<P>Please Enter A Name!<P><FORM><INPUT TYPE=\"BUTTON\" VALUE=\"BACK\" onClick=\"history.back()\"></FORM>");}
elseif ($agentpass == "")
{die ("<P>Please Enter A Password!<P><FORM><INPUT TYPE=\"BUTTON\" VALUE=\"BACK\" onClick=\"history.back()\"></FORM>");}
elseif ($agentemail == "")
{die ("<P>Please Enter an Email Address!<P><FORM><INPUT TYPE=\"BUTTON\" VALUE=\"BACK\" onClick=\"history.back()\"></FORM>");}

	else
		//success! Go ahead and add the account.

---

The javascript will take you back to the form..but all data is lost.

[Anon]

As I think Brian was trying to say you need to submit the form to itself. if it finds an error just re-display the form setting all good values using $HTTP_POST_VARS assuming your method was post.
To choose whether to redisplay the form you could set a flag in your if statements that check for errors and use an array to store where errors occur. Then at the top of your form check for the array and display the relevant messages.

[fordiman]

if there is an error, why not have it reinitialize (set to "") that one variable, initialize ( if (empty($var)) { $var = ""; } ) all the others, and fill in the form all by itself. This way, if it fails in ANY way, the values of all the input fields will be the original value, or blank. The user doesn't HAVE to go back. This way, you avoid using 'die' which can be a pain in the ass in this instance.

ie:

<?php
//init-if-necessary code, omit $hdnfld
//check variables for validity, reinitialize any that aren't valid
//store error in $err, store t/f result in $x
if (empty($hdnfld) || $x) {
//recreate the form
?>
<form action="" method=post>
<input type=hidden name="hdnfld" value="set">
<input type=text name="thingy1" value="<?php echo $thingy1; ?>"
...
</form>
<?php
}else{
//process form and return results.
}