[SOLVED] redirect: header vs. include?

[fivestringsurf]

hello there,

 

Would like some general advice regarding re-routing users.  (php5) I've been using two methods for re-directing users to a new page within a website-  header() or include()

 

What's the best way? Are there advantages to one over the other....for instance in a member system sometimes I'll use something like this to re-route non-logged in users:

if (!isset($_SESSION['c_id'])) {
             $msg ='hey loser, you're not welcome here!';
include('../contact.php');
exit();
}else{
$c_id = $_SESSION['c_id'];
}

 

 

Other times I'll use something like this:

if (isset($_SESSION['c_id'])) {
header('location:edit_profile.php');
}

 

Now, I like using include() because I can include variables like my $msg above, but (there's always a but isn't there!) I run into header/footer navigation bar linkage problems when using relative links within my included header and footer files

.This appears to happen for pages located in different directories.

 

I started using header()  to re-route users because i wasn't getting the problems wth my included nav bar links, but this method I can't have any variables or you get that infamous header warning that everyone and their grandma has had at somepoint (i don't want to use url vars)

 

Anyone familiar with these issues?

What do you guys do?

Thank you

[Alex]

header('Location: ..'); is used for redirecting and include() is not, include is used for including other files, not re-routing at all.

[waynew]

You could set the error message in a session variable if you like and echo that out after using header()

[fivestringsurf]

so....

don't use include?

use header() -ALWAYS...and set a session variable before leaving the page and grab it upon landing on the new page?

 

 

[waynew]

You could do it that way.

You could also keep a list of errors in an array and only pass the index of the error message through the URL and then take it out there.

[fivestringsurf]

aha, that's why i come here....you guys are slick.  really slick.

I didn't even think of that.  Is that what you do waynewex?

 

I could see that adding to the whole modularity of the site too...all you messages are

in say one file and just include it at the top of each page.

 

The thing is though I've always had some trouble when including functions and variables...i seem to have to make anything i am including  global to get it to work.

Not sure if that is dangerous or uses excess resources?

 

could i just create a php file with my msg list and include it at the top of each page?

[waynew]

Create a config file and require it at the top of all your pages. Put session_start() at the top of the file and then load arrays from there.