please help!

[Jessica]

What's the URL look like?

[wikedawsum]

http://test.aacapartsandsupplies.com/members/reports.php?username=

[Jessica]

Well...that would explain why there is no username wouldn't it.

[wikedawsum]

Well, yes. I understand that.. which is why I'm trying to figure out why it isn't getting the username.

[simcoweb]

I'm assuming that the page before the landing page with the link to the report.php IS the login page? And...that the username field is actually named 'username'?

[Jessica]

Okay, the amount of code here is starting to confuse me.

Where is $username ever initially set, before it is supposed to go in the URL? Before you ever try and $_GET it, where is it ever set to be printed out in that link?

[trq]

The whole point is your users are allready logged in by this stage. No need to pass there username around in the url, make your query grab it from the $_SESSION array. eg;

[code=php:0]
$sql = "SELECT * FROM report WHERE username = '{$_SESSION['username']}'";
[/code]

[The Little Guy]

if it isn't too late, I have made a script for you that will get the user login, process it, then display user information, it is 3 files big, where each file is no more than 15 lines long, Hope it helps you.

Login.html
[code]<form action="check.php" method="post">
Name: <input type="text" name="username"><br>
Pass: <input type="password" name="password">
</form>[/code]

check.php
[code]
<?php
$conn = mysql_connect("mysql.aacapartsandsupplies.com", "bconger", "bmc5106") or die($msg_no_connect);
mysql_select_db("tokens") or die(mysql_error());

$sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM report WHERE username='{$_POST['username']}' AND password='{$_POST['password']}'")or die(mysql_error());
$row = mysq_fetch_array($sql);
if($row){
session_start();
$_SESSION['username'] = $row['username'];
$_SESSION['login'] = 1;
header("Location: reports.php");
}else{
header("Location: login.html");
}
?>[/code]

reports.php
[code]<?php
session_start();
if($_SESSION['login']!=1){
header("Location: login.html");
}

echo 'Welcome: '.$_SESSION['username'];
?>[/code]

[wikedawsum]

Ok.. this is following the PHP and MySQL Web Development book by Luke Welling. I'm learning this as I go, which I know is probably a bad idea, but I learn best by actually doing things.. not reading it.

I have an index page that contains a login form. The script for the login form is contained in member.php (landing page).

member.php is as follows:

[code]<?php

// include function files for this application
require_once('tokens_fns.php');
session_start();

if (!isset($_SESSION['valid_user'])){
  //create short variable names
  $username = $_POST['username'];
  $passwd = $_POST['passwd'];

$conn = mysql_connect("*****", "*****", "*****")
  or die($msg_no_connect);
  mysql_select_db("*****")
  or die(mysql_error());

  // Run query
  $sql = "SELECT * FROM user WHERE username='$username' and passwd=sha1('$passwd')";
  $r = mysql_query($sql);
  if(!$r){
    $err=mysql_error();
    echo $err;
    exit();
  }

  if(mysql_num_rows($r) > 0){
    echo "no such login in the system. please try again.";
    exit();
  }
  else{
  $_SESSION['valid_user'] = $username;
  }
}


do_html_header('');

display_user_menu('');

check_valid_user('');

?>

<div id="right">
    <div id="title">
      <h1>Welcome to your AACA Locker <? echo $_SESSION['valid_user']; ?></h1>
    </div>
<?
if (isset($_SESSION['valid_user']))
{
  echo '<p>Thanks for logging in! You may now view your custom reports, vote in our
      polls, and be sure to check for any rewards you may have won!</p>';
}
  else
  {
  if (isset($username))
  {
  // if they've tried and failed to log in
  echo 'Could not log you in.<br />';
  }
  else
  {
  //they have not tried to log in yet or have logged out
  echo 'You are not logged in.<br />';
  }
  }
  ?>
  </div>
 
<?
do_html_footer('');
?>[/code]

The link to my reports page is contained in the user menu which is contained in my display_user_menu() function. It's simple HTML with this: <a href="reports.php?username=<?=$username?>">Reports</a> added for the reports link.

Complete reports.php page:

[code]<?php

require_once('tokens_fns.php');
session_start();

if (isset($_SESSION['valid_user'])){

$username = $_GET['username'];
if  (isset($username)) {
    echo "This is the dang username: $username";
    } else {
    echo "There is nothing in this variable";
}

  $conn = mysql_connect("******", "******", "******")
  or die($msg_no_connect);
  mysql_select_db("******")
  or die(mysql_error());
 
  $sql = "SELECT * FROM report WHERE username='$username'";
  $res = mysql_query($sql);
  if(!$res){
    $err=mysql_error();
    echo $err;
    exit();
  }

do_html_header('');

display_user_menu('');

check_valid_user('');

}
else {
echo 'You are not authorized to view this page.';
}

?>

<div id="right">
    <div id="title">
      <h1>Reports for <? echo $_SESSION['valid_user']; ?></h1>
    </div>
<p>To download your report, click on the report name.</p>
<?
if (mysql_num_rows($res) > 0 ) {
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($res)) {
    echo '<table border="0" cellpadding="5">';
      echo "<tr>
  <td><img src='../images/download_icon.gif' align='left' hspace='10'><a href='{$row['report_url']}'>{$row['report_name']}</a></td>
</tr>";
  }
    echo '</table>';
  }
  else
  echo 'Your reports have not been set up. Please check back soon.';
  ?>
<p>In order to view PDF documents, you must have Adobe Reader installed on
      your computer. If you do not, you may <a href="http://www.aacapartsandsupplies.com/adobe_reader.exe">download
      it here</a>.</p>
  </div>
 
<?
do_html_footer('');
?>[/code]


I hope that clarifies both of your questions..

[Jessica]

In the display_user_menu() function, add global $username; or pass it the username var. Otherwise this function can't see $username which is why it's blank, even though it's the same page.

[wikedawsum]

I was able to solve my problem by using thorpe's suggestion. I was also able to get my results by using a subquery like so:

[code]$sql = "SELECT * FROM report WHERE username IN (SELECT username FROM user)";[/code]

Thank you all for your input and bearing with me. This board has taught me a lot, and I greatly appreciate it!