[SOLVED] Need some guidence with sessions and redirects

jim.davidson · July 25, 2007

I'm teaching myself php, and I'm stuck. I have a two part form, each part on a seperate page. I want to send info from page one to page two. Thought ok, I use session variables. The problem is that they don't get sent to the second page. All works fine on my local testing server, but when I go live session varables don't show. Has this something to do with header? Is there another way to get to the second page?

Any help would be welcomed>

Here's part of the code

After user submits first form I load if to session variables in step one

$_SESSION['number_divers'] = $number_drivers;

$_SESSION['number_vehicles'] = $number_vehicles;

$_SESSION['current_insurance'] = $current_insurance;

$_SESSION['current_company'] = $current_company;

$_SESSION['refferal'] = $refferal;

// go to step two

header('Location: http://myinsurance.com/my_auto_quotes_2.php');

}

?>

Step Two

<?php

if (!isset($_SESSION)) {

session_start();

}

echo $_SESSION['number_divers'];

echo $_SESSION['number_vehicles'];

echo $_SESSION['current_insurance'];

echo $_SESSION['current_company'];

echo $_SESSION['refferal'];

?>

I dont' see anything

JeBu · July 25, 2007

Try putting

<?php
session_start();
?>

at the very top of your pages. Both pages must have it!

ViN86 · July 25, 2007

yes, make sure you start your session on each page. you can also modify PHP settings and enable auto session start.

did you consider forms and $_POST variables as compared to $_SESSION variables?

jim.davidson · July 25, 2007

I put session_start(); on both pages, did'nt make a difference. I stil don't see anything from the echo's.

I need to know what's in $_SESSION['number_divers'] in order to format the second form i.e. I only want detailed driver info depending on the number of drivers. So if there's two I have driver 1 input detail section and driver 2 input detail sections. If there would be three or four I'd add more.

This all works fine when I'm testing on my localhost, but when I upload and try "live" the session variables don't go over. The only difference in the code is this

When local I use this:

header('Location: http://localhost/my_auto_quotes_2.php');

When I'm live I use this:

header('Location: http://myinsurance.com/my_auto_quotes_2.php');

ViN86 · July 25, 2007

session_start() needs to be declared as the first thing on the page.

jim.davidson · July 25, 2007

On line one of both pages

Page One

<?php session_start();

$number_drivers = '';

Page two

<?php session_start();

echo $_SESSION['number_divers'];

akitchin · July 25, 2007

you'll need to amend your $_SESSION variable assignments on the form submission page:

$_SESSION['number_divers'] = $_POST['number_drivers'];
$_SESSION['number_vehicles'] = $_POST['number_vehicles'];
$_SESSION['current_insurance'] = $_POST['current_insurance'];
$_SESSION['current_company'] = $_POST['current_company'];
$_SESSION['refferal'] = $_POST['refferal'];

if register_globals isn't on (and it usually isn't), those local variables won't be populated from the form.

plutomed · July 25, 2007

Have you checked to make sure the variables that you have defined ($number_drivers etc) have a value?

jim.davidson · July 25, 2007

Here's the code from part one. Depending whether or not I'm testing or live is which line gets commented out on the goto step two.

<?php session_start();

$number_drivers = '';

$number_vehicles = '';

$current_insurance = '';

$current_company = '';

$refferal = '';

if (array_key_exists('step_two', $_POST)) {

// continue button clicked

// remove escape characters from POST array

if (get_magic_quotes_gpc()) {

function stripslashes_deep($value) {

$value = is_array($value) ? array_map('stripslashes_deep', $value) : stripslashes($value);

return $value;

}

$_POST = array_map('stripslashes_deep', $_POST);

} // end magic quotes

// get input

$number_drivers = trim($_POST['number_drivers']);

$number_vehicles = trim($_POST['number_vehicles']);

$current_insurance = trim($_POST['current_insurance']);

$current_company = trim($_POST['current_company']);

$refferal = trim($_POST['refferal']);

$_SESSION['number_divers'] = $number_drivers;

$_SESSION['number_vehicles'] = $number_vehicles;

$_SESSION['current_insurance'] = $current_insurance;

$_SESSION['current_company'] = $current_company;

$_SESSION['refferal'] = $refferal;

// go to step two

// header('Location: http://localhost/btracy_auto_quotes_2.php');

header('Location: http://bobtracyinsurance.com/btracy_auto_quotes_2.php');

}

?>

This is step two

I put these echos right at the beginning to check the input from step one. When I'm running on the local host header('Location: http://localhost/btracy_auto_quotes_2.php') I see info and everything works just fine.

If I'm running live header('Location: http://bobtracyinsurance.com/btracy_auto_quotes_2.php') I see nothing and everything defaults to one driver, even though I said 3 on step one.

<?php

session_start();

echo $_SESSION['number_divers'];

echo $_SESSION['number_vehicles'];

echo $_SESSION['current_insurance'];

echo $_SESSION['current_company'];

echo $_SESSION['refferal'];

ViN86 · July 26, 2007

you'll need to amend your $_SESSION variable assignments on the form submission page:
$_SESSION['number_divers'] = $_POST['number_drivers'];
$_SESSION['number_vehicles'] = $_POST['number_vehicles'];
$_SESSION['current_insurance'] = $_POST['current_insurance'];
$_SESSION['current_company'] = $_POST['current_company'];
$_SESSION['refferal'] = $_POST['refferal']; 
if register_globals isn't on (and it usually isn't), those local variables won't be populated from the form.

just recognized it. this is your problem. your declaring variables but the values are not populated as soon as you enter info in the boxes. you need to submit the form (to the same page in this case) and set your $_SESSION variables equal to the $_POST values.

jim.davidson · July 26, 2007

No that wasn't it still no go. I'm going to add the entire code I hope someone will take a few minutes a tell me what I'm doing wrong. It's probably a little sloppy, but I trying.

I really need to find what I'm doing wrong it's driving me nuts.

Thanks in advance to all for the help

Here the code for page one

<?php session_start();

$number_drivers = '';

$number_vehicles = '';

$current_insurance = '';

$current_company = '';

$refferal = '';

// read somewhere to set session variables to nothing at beginning

$_SESSION['number_divers'] = $number_drivers;

$_SESSION['number_vehicles'] = $number_vehicles;

$_SESSION['current_insurance'] = $current_insurance;

$_SESSION['current_company'] = $current_company;

$_SESSION['refferal'] = $refferal;

if (array_key_exists('step_two', $_POST)) {

// continue to step two button clicked

// remove escape characters from POST array

if (get_magic_quotes_gpc()) {

function stripslashes_deep($value) {

$value = is_array($value) ? array_map('stripslashes_deep', $value) : stripslashes($value);

return $value;

}

$_POST = array_map('stripslashes_deep', $_POST);

} // end magic quotes

// get input and store to session variables

$_SESSION['number_divers'] = $_POST['number_drivers'];

$_SESSION['number_vehicles'] = $_POST['number_vehicles'];

$_SESSION['current_insurance'] = $_POST['current_insurance'];

$_SESSION['current_company'] = $_POST['current_company'];

$_SESSION['refferal'] = $_POST['refferal'];

// go to step two

session_write_close();

// depending on wheather I'm testing or live as to which header I use

// header('Location: http://localhost/btracy_auto_quotes_2.php');

header('Location: http://bobtracyinsurance.com/btracy_auto_quotes_2.php');

exit;

}

?>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<head>

<title>Get free auto insurance quotes at Bob Tracy Insurance</title>

<!--

#auto1_main {position:absolute;

width:713px;

height:399px;

z-index:1;

left: 175px;

top: 20px;

}

.style6 {font-size: 12px}

.left_info {font-size: small}

.style1 {font-size: 14px}

#menu {

position:absolute;

width:143px;

height:640px;

z-index:1;

left: 3px;

top: 1px;

background-color: #547E29;

}

#tracy_slide { position:absolute;

width:140px;

height:140px;

z-index:5;

left: 713px;

top: 5px;

}

.style7 {font-size: x-small}

-->

</style>

</head>

<body>

<tr>

<tr>

<h3>Auto Quote Step 1 of 2 </h3>

</div></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td width="402"><h3>About You </h3></td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="style1">How many drivers are in your household? </td>

<option value="" selected="selected">Please Select</option>

<option value="3">Three</option>

</select>

</tr>

<tr>

<td> <span class="style6"> * Include yourself, your spouse, anyone of driving age in your household, and all other drivers of your vehicles.</span> </td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="style1">How many vehicles are you insuring? </td>

<option value="0" selected="selected">Please Select</option>

<option value="3">Three</option>

</select>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="left_info"> * If zero, the remaining questions are optional </td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="style1">Do you currently have auto insurance? </td>

<option selected="selected">Please Select</option>

<option value="Yes, I am on my parents policy">Yes, I am on my parents policy</option>

<option value="No, my insurance ran out">No, my insurance ran out</option>

<option value="No, my car broke down">No, my car broke down</option>

<option value="No, I haven't owned a car recently">No, I haven't owned a car recently</option>

<option value="No, I've never owned a car before">No, I've never owned a car before</option>

<option value="No, I have a company car">No, I have a company car</option>

</select>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="style1">What

insurance company are you currently insured with, or previously insured

with?</td>

<option value=""> -- Please Select -- </option>

<option value="Allstate" >Allstate</option>

<option value="Amica" >Amica</option>

<option value="Chubb" >Chubb</option>

<option value="Country-Wide Ins Co" >Country-Wide Ins Co</option>

<option value="Dairyland" >Dairyland</option>

<option value="Deerbrook" >Deerbrook</option>

<option value="Drive Insurance" >Drive Insurance</option>

<option value="Encompass (CNA)" >Encompass (CNA)</option>

<option value="Erie Insurance" >Erie Insurance</option>

<option value="Farmers" >Farmers</option>

<option value="Firemans Fund" >Firemans Fund</option>

<option value="GEICO" >GEICO</option>

<option value="GMAC (Integon)" >GMAC (Integon)</option>

<option value="Great American" >Great American</option>

<option value="Hartford" >Hartford</option>

<option value="Insurequest" >Insurequest</option>

<option value="Liberty Mutual" >Liberty Mutual</option>

<option value="Mercury Casualty" >Mercury Casualty</option>

<option value="Metropolitan" >Metropolitan</option>

<option value="Nationwide" >Nationwide</option>

<option value="NY Auto Insurance Plan (NYAIP)" >NY Auto Insurance Plan (NYAIP)</option>

<option value="NY Central Mutual" >NY Central Mutual</option>

<option value="One Beacon (CGU)" >One Beacon (CGU)</option>

<option value="Other Not-Listed Ins Company" >Other Not-Listed Ins Company</option>

<option value="Progressive Insurance Company" >Progressive Insurance Company</option>

<option value="Prudential" >Prudential</option>

<option value="Royal Sun Alliance" >Royal Sun Alliance</option>

<option value="Safeco" >Safeco</option>

<option value="State Farm" >State Farm</option>

<option value="Statewide Ins Co" >Statewide Ins Co</option>

<option value="Travelers" >Travelers</option>

<option value="US Capital Ins Co" >US Capital Ins Co</option>

<option value="Utica Mutual Ins Co" >Utica Mutual Ins Co</option>

<option value="Windsor" >Windsor</option>

<option value="NYSIF" >NYSIF</option>

</select>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="style1">How did you hear about us? </td>

<option value=""> -- Please Select -- </option>

<option value="Current Client" >Current Client</option>

<option value="Referral of Friend" >Referral of Friend</option>

<option value="Yellow Pages" >Yellow Pages</option>

<option value="Former Bob Tracy Client" >Former Bob Tracy Client</option>

<option value="Newspaper-Insert" >Newspaper-Insert</option>

<option value="Direct Mailer" >Direct Mailer</option>

<option value="Saw Our Office" >Saw Our Office</option>

<option value="Radio" >Radio</option>

<option value="Netquote -purchased lead" >Netquote -purchased lead</option>

<option value="Billboard" >Billboard</option>

<option value="Erie from another agent/state" >Erie from another agent/state</option>

<option value="Car Dealership" >Car Dealership</option>

<option value="Internet / Our Website" >Internet / Our Website</option>

</select>

*</td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

</table>

<tr>

<td><h3>Important Information</h3></td>

</tr>

</table>

<tr>

<td align="center"><div align="left" class="left_info">Information Disclosure: To provide

a quote, we will collect information from consumer reporting agencies,

such as driving record and claims history reports. We will also

review your credit report and use a credit-based insurance score

based on information contained in that report. An insurance score

uses information from your credit report to help predict how often

you are likely to file claims and how expensive those claims will

be. Typical items from a credit report that could affect a score

include, but are not limited to, the following: payment history,

length of reported credit history, number of loans and accounts

with current payment status, and number of inquiries. The information

used to develop the insurance score comes from one of the following

consumer reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax.

Future reports may be used to update or renew your insurance.

</div></td>

</tr>

</table>

<tr>

</tr>

</table>

</form>

</td>

</tr>

</table>

</div>

<p>

</p>

<tr>

<th width="184" class="whitefont" scope="col"><div align="center" class="left_info"> Bob Tracy Insurance </div></th>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="whitefont"><div align="center" class="left_info"> 433 State Street</div></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="whitefont"><div align="center" class="left_info"> Beaver, PA 15009</div></td>

</tr>

<tr>

</div></td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="whitefont"><div align="center">Monday thru Friday </div></td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td class="left_info"><div align="center" class="whitefont style7">Evenings by appointment </div></td>

</tr>

</table>

</div>

</body>

</html>

jim.davidson · July 26, 2007

Could the problems I'm having be related to the version of php that my web hosting service has for the server? It's currently runnung version 4.4.4. Should I request an update, and if so to what version?

jim.davidson · July 27, 2007

Problem solved. I stumbled upon myself.

For the header I had this...

header('Location: http://bobtracyinsurance.com/btracy_auto_quotes_2.php');

What I should have had was this...

header('Location: http://www.bobtracyinsurance.com/btracy_auto_quotes_2.php');

Three little w's made the difference, session variables now work.

Thanks to all for their suggestions

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[SOLVED] Need some guidence with sessions and redirects

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