Use a session variable that's not from $_POST or $_GET?

[Moron]

Okay, on page 1 there is an HTML form where they enter Employee Number and Password.

Page 2 - These values are used with $_POST. The database displays their First name Last Name, and Middle Initial, and other info.

Page 3 - Is there a way to take and use First Name, Last Name, and Middle Initial from Page 2 that were NOT posted by a form? I want to pass these to page 3 using a session statement.

[obsidian]

well, you can definitely do what you're after with session variables. you'd want to have session_start() at the top of each page where you want the session variables to be available. for instance:
[code]
<?php
// page 1 submits the info

// page 2 retrieves it and assigns it to a session variable:
$_SESSION['fName'] = $_POST['fName'];

// page 3 retrieves and uses session variables:
echo $_SESSION['fName'];
?>
[/code]

that's really all there is to it, but you need to make sure to be starting the session for any page on which you need the variables.

[Moron]

[quote author=obsidian link=topic=107220.msg429821#msg429821 date=1157632445]
well, you can definitely do what you're after with session variables. you'd want to have session_start() at the top of each page where you want the session variables to be available. for instance:
[code]
<?php
// page 1 submits the info

// page 2 retrieves it and assigns it to a session variable:
$_SESSION['fName'] = $_POST['fName'];

// page 3 retrieves and uses session variables:
echo $_SESSION['fName'];
?>
[/code]

that's really all there is to it, but you need to make sure to be starting the session for any page on which you need the variables.
[/quote]

Not working.

On Page 2, I have...

[code]<?php
session_start();
$empcode = $_POST['empcode'];
$_SESSION['empcode'] = $empcode;
$lastname = $_POST['NAMEL'];
$_SESSION['NAMEL'] = $lastname;
?>[/code]

On page 3 at the top, I have...

[code]<?php
session_start();
$_SESSION['empcode'];
$_SESSION['NAMEL'];
?>[/code]

Further down, I have....

[code]$_SESSION['empcode'];
$_SESSION['NAMEL'];

echo "<CENTER>";
echo "<font size=4 color=#000000 face=arial>";
echo "<b>";
echo $_SESSION['empcode'];
echo $_SESSION['NAMEL'];
echo "</b>";
echo "</font>";
[/code]

It echoes empcode (Employee Number), but not NAMEL (Last Name).

[ober]

Doing this doesn't do ANYTHING.

<?php
session_start();
$_SESSION['empcode'];
$_SESSION['NAMEL'];
?>

You only need session_start() at the top of the 3rd page.  The session variables (if set previously) are already there.

You can also take those 2 lines out further down.

The rest should work if you've got all your capitalization correctly. 

Also, throw in "print_r($_SESSION);" to make sure all your variables are making it into the session.

[shoombooltala]

i think what you need to do is the following:

top of page2 you put:
[code]
<?php
session_start();

//in the middle of the page where the user gets authenticated and you get their first, middle and last name you would use this:

$_Session['fname'] = $firstName;  //where $firstname is the variable containing the name you got form the database of the user.
$_Session['mname'] = $middleName;  //where $middleNameis the variable containing the name you got form the database of the user.
$_Session['lname'] = $lastName;  //where $lastNameis the variable containing the name you got form the database of the user.
?>
[/code]

then on top of page 3 also you put:

[code]
<?php
session_start();

//then you would retreive the values using this:

echo $_Session['fname'];
echo $_Session['mname'];
echo $_Session['lname'];
?>
[/code]

[Jenk]

Page 1:

[code]<?php
session_start();

$_SESSION['variable'] = 'Hello world!';

header('Location: page2.php');

?>[/code]

Page2.php:
[code]<?php
session_start();

echo $_SESSION['variable'];

?>[/code]

[obsidian]

shoombootala, you [b]do not[/b] want to assign your session variables as you have shown. if you do that, the session variable 'fname' will actually hold the value "$firstName" and so on. you never want to try to assign variables from within single quotes.

[code]
<?php
// change this idea:
$_SESSION['fname'] = '$firstName';

// to this:
$_SESSION['fname'] = $firstName;
// or this:
$_SESSION['fname'] = "$firstName";
?>
[/code]

[shoombooltala]

[quote author=obsidian link=topic=107220.msg429958#msg429958 date=1157642800]
shoombootala, you [b]do not[/b] want to assign your session variables as you have shown. if you do that, the session variable 'fname' will actually hold the value "$firstName" and so on. you never want to try to assign variables from within single quotes.

[code]
<?php
// change this idea:
$_SESSION['fname'] = '$firstName';

// to this:
$_SESSION['fname'] = $firstName;
// or this:
$_SESSION['fname'] = "$firstName";
?>
[/code]
[/quote]

you are totally correct. I edited and fixed it now. Thanks :)