keep textarea data when reloading form

[clausowitz]

I have a form where people have to fill in some fields and send an email. When there is an error the user has to go back to the form with:

if (!isset($_POST['checkbox'])) {  
$msgToUser = '<br /><br /><font color="#FF0000">You did not add any recipients!<br><a href="javascript: history.go(-1)">Go Back</a></font>';
    include_once 'msgToUser.php'; 
    exit();
}  

 

I want to save the data that has been filled in the textarea so he doesn't have to type eveything again.

I tried several options but the textarea keeps getting blank.

 

<?php
$message = isset($_POST['message']) ? $_POST['message'] : '';

$fhtml = "<p>Welcome <b>'$logOptions_username'</b> write your email here.   <a href=\"#\" onclick=\"return false\" onmousedown=\"javascript:toggleViewFlags('country_flags');\">Add Recipients</a>
<br>
</p><input type=hidden name=post value=yes><p>
Subject:<br>
<input type=text name=name size=100>
</p>
<p>
Message:<br>
<textarea name=message rows=10 cols=75>$message</textarea>
</p>
<p>
<input type=submit name=submit value=\"Send\">
      $sendMsg
</p>
";
echo $fhtml;
?>

 

This code is apparently not working.

 

Marco

[ManiacDan]

Don't print the error on a separate page.  Post to the SAME page, and print the error at the top of the page.  Then use your existing code in your second block to retain the form data when necessary.

 

 

[scootstah]

You won't be able to using that method, because the page doesn't "reload", it serves a cached version.

 

Usually if there are form errors the form will simply be redisplayed instead of having to go back. And then you can just populate it with values from $_POST.