Need help with come code

[evanscnce]

I am trying to make a website that lets me click a menu option and it just loads an html file into a window.

I have one right now, but there is a problem. When the page loads, the initial html file loads (main.html) But when I go to click a link, it keeps main.html instead of going where asked. However, it does show the correct address in the address bar.

 

 

here is what I have so far

 

<?php

  if (empty($page)) {

  $page = "main.html";

}

if (file_exists("$page")) {

  include("$page");

}

else {

  echo "<b>404</b> File not found.";

}

?>

 

Then the links are like this

index.php?page=main.html

 

 

Thanks for any help

[cooldude832]

You have to set $page  such as

$page = $_GET['page'];

However this method could leave to people acessing files you don't want them to simply by saying ?page=admin.php for example, instead use a switch

[teng84]

i believe "  panget yan" thats a wrong practice

 

it better to use something like this

 

switch($_GET['pagez']){

case 'delete':

include 'delete.php'

break;

default:

any page here or put the index page

break;

}

 

in this case you dont have to test it if that page exist

[teng84]

so your url should look something like this

 

page.php?page=delete

[evanscnce]

I used cooldude832's method as I don't have anything valuble on that site

 

Now everything works fine.

 

teng84

I am a noob to php so I don't understand what you are saying. to be honest

[cooldude832]

I said the same thing teng said its best to use a switch because even if u don't think it could be any file... any file you could have someone say your container file as the file and then create this infinite loop deal that would crash your server. i.e

www.mydomain.com/index.php?page=index.php?page=index.php?page=index.php?index.php?page=index.php?index.php?page=index.php get the point

[evanscnce]

oh I see.

 

I just don't quite understand where to inject his blurb of code into mine. Or what I would need to replace for that matter.

[teng84]

like what dude was saying people will know your page so they can run directly on it and besides

its ugly when you see something like

page.php?page=page.html

 

this is better

page.php?page = edit

 

this is clear

switch($_GET['pagez']){

case 'delete':

include 'delete.php'

break;

default:

any page here or put the index page

break;

}

 

but maybe the prob is that your not sure using switch ??

 

 

[evanscnce]

Yea, I don't understand the switch thing.

 

So I would put this correct?:

 

<?php

switch($_GET['pagez']){

case 'delete':

include 'delete.html'

break;

default:

main.html

break;

}

 

 

[cooldude832]

that or what you could try is naming acceptable pages

i.e

<?php
$pages = array("edit.html","delete.html","home.php");
if(in_array($_GET['page'],$pages)){
include($_GET['page']);
}
else{
include("default.html");
}
?>

[teng84]

or to be much simple

 

do this

 

if ($_GET['page'] == edit){

  $page= 'edit.php';

}

elseif ($_GET['page'] == delete){

$page= 'delete.php';

}

else{

$page = 'wrong.php';

}

include  $page ;

 

 

[cooldude832]

if u have only a few pages, else if you have like 20 pages your switch/else if will be long.  The idea here is classic needle in haystack logic which is the in_array() function by definition.  Switch by design is for a filtration in which a logical choice needs to be made based on some sort of input such as a percentage base drawing.

[evanscnce]

I got teng's method to work now

 

Just one thing. You said its ugly to have index.php?page=main.html

 

How do I make it prettier? (lol)

[teng84]

dont put the name of the page instead use the process pertaining that page

 

in my sample i use

page=delete

 

which mean you will include page for delete

[tibberous]

You can use mod rewrite in Apache - I wouldn't worry about it.

[cooldude832]

I'll give you a bit of an explanation of GET vs POST and you will begin to understand why its ugly.  Get is by design a way of processing variables from Page A to Page B while keeping the variable visitable to the user via the url.  This method has some advantages because the user can then bookmark this page and view it later, or actually edit the url manually.  Secondly it allows the page to be indexed by search engines so that it can be viewed as a unique page.  This is very important because when you are programing you don't want to make a million pages when each on is just different content pulled off a database, instead you create a viewer page and then say view.php?id=1 for example.  It acts like a unique page, but you only store the database entry/single view.php page on your server.  The disadvantage to GET is it shows the data so any type of personal data processing will be visable to anyone who uses that computer and could be stolen.

 

Now to post

Post uses a method of passign data hidden from user (not encrypted technically)  This methods best advantage is that you can hide data like Personal information and password so that they CAN'T be indexed.  Also Post hides the data in a sorta package to be opened on page 2 for you to handle via an array called $_POST.  This is also useful if you haev a lot of data so that the url isn't a big messy string that is porabbly only used once.  The disadvantage to psot is also clear that data can't be indexed for bookmarking/indexing.

 

Overall conclusion:  Use Post always unless you see a clear and defined reason for GET.  In this problem we have a clear use for GET to index all your pages.

[evanscnce]

Awsome. Thanks guys Got it up and working now.

 

*bookmarks this site*

 

[evanscnce]

One more question.

 

How do I make that code show an error if a page doesn't exist and also start at main?

[teng84]

i believe i have put this in my sample\

 

else {

$page='wrong.php';

}

 

its the default that if your condition is not satisfied then they fall in your wrong page 

[evanscnce]

OK, yea that works.

 

But how do I make the script start at a page right off the bat?

[teng84]

OK, yea that works.

 

But how do I make the script start at a page right off the bat?

 

what?

[cooldude832]

If it can't find the one it wiil load what ever is default so if it isn't defined it will load that also

[evanscnce]

How do I make one a default?

[teng84]

if youre using the if else then else in the last part all get value that dont match your condition will fall in your default

[evanscnce]

I use this

<?php
$pages = array("edit.html","delete.html","home.php");
if(in_array($_GET['page'],$pages)){
include($_GET['page']);
}
else{
include("default.html");
}
?>

 

But I want a default, and an error page.