Posted by Jack Jackson on 11/14/00 11:22

The light dawns.

Thank you everyone for this explanation, and the help




JJ

Mark Rees wrote:
> Jack Jackson" <jackson.linux@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:42E8D1F2.6030104@gmail.com...
>
>>Somehow my intent has been turned around here and I apologise.
>>
>>I do not want to use *any* client side validation. I only want to do
>>server side validation and server side storage.
>>
>>My intent was to remove the client from as much as possible of this - if
>>I didn't need their information I wouldn't even allow clients!! :)
>>
>>What I wanted to do was this:
>>
>>
>>p. 1 : I send client page one, they send answers. SUBMIT sends to page 2
>>script.
>>
>>p 2. Before displaying anything to the client, Page 2 script validates
>>input from page 1. If there are problems, page 2 script redisplays page
>>one questions with highlights around problems. Clicking submit then
>>resubmits page one data to page 2 script.
>>
>>Once page 2 script validates all page 1 answers, page 2 script stores
>>all those answers to a SESSION, then sends PAGE 2 QUESTIONS ONLY (no
>>$_POST information) to client. Client answers page 2 questions and
>>clicking submit submits PAGE 2 QUESTIONS to page 3 script.
>>
>>p 3. Before displaying anything to the client, Page 3 script validates
>>input from page 2 questions. If there are problems, page 3 script
>>redisplays page 2 questions with highlights around problems. Clicking
>>submit resubmits page 2 data to page 3 script.
>>
>>Once page 3 script validates all page 2 answers, the script stores all
>>those answers to a SESSION, then sends PAGE 3 QUESTIONS ONLY (no $_POST
>>information) to client. Client answers page 3 questions and clicking
>>submit submits PAGE 3 QUESTIONS to page 4 script.
>>
>>At this point, if the client goes off for a bite, or two weeks
>>backpacking in the Anapurna region, I'm fine, because the information is
>>stored in the session (I have a very small group taking this
>>questionnaire, all have a vested interested in filling it in, so I am
>>not too worried abou their going aaway from it for more than a couple
>>days max).
>>
>>Once they complete the last set of questions, I say thanks much, get all
>>the information out of their SESSION, insert it into the db, send
>>confirmation emails all around and we're done.
>
>
> Sessions are used to identify users on a single visit to a website. They are
> not intended to track users who turn off their machines, then turn them on
> again and visit the website again. There are various ways of doing this, and
> for all I know it may be possible with sessions, but I don't recommend you
> try.
>
> Do as suggested previously by various posters, it is the simplest and most
> robust solution to your problem:
>
> 1. have the user register their details first up. Store this in a db, and
> use it to identify the user on any subsequent visit.
> 2. when each page is submitted, write the information into the db. This way
> it will definitely be associated with the right user
> 3. Whenever a user revisits the questionnaire, make them log in, then take
> them to wherever they were up to - you will be able to work this out from
> the amount of data you have recorded against them.
>
> e.g. database table
>
> userid
> question
> question
> question
> question
> question
> question
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>Is this possible? How?
>>
>>Thanks!
>>
>>
>>
>>Marcus Bointon wrote:
>>
>>>On 27 Jul 2005, at 21:22, Jack Jackson wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Right. Except I would rather have it working in a session because I
>>>>specifically do not want to have the form sending $_POST data back
>>>>and forth to the browser six times for several reasons. SO I'd like to
>>>>
>>>>Page1 // User enters first batch of data, presses SUBMIT at bottom.
>>>>Data is cleaned and written to SESSION, user passed to Page2
>>>>
>>>>repeat as necessary to last page. At last page, process and error
>>>>check newest input, then commit it, plus all previously stored
>>>>session info to db.
>>>>
>>>
>>>As has also been said, Javascript can do this really nicely. The best
>>>example I've seen of this is in Mambo's (a popular PHP CMS) admin
>>>interface. It uses a tabbed multi-page form with client-side
>>>validation. It's really just one big page, so if the user has JS turned
>>>off, they will get one big form with no client-side validation, but it
>>>will still work. It's a really elegant way of working. It doesn't
>>>require any server interaction between pages - nothing is submitted
>>>until the form is complete.
>>>
>>>See here for a howto: http://www.devx.com/webdev/Article/10483/1763/
>
> page/1
>
>>>Admittedly this approach doesn't easily allow to you abandon and resume
>>>later (unless you get clever with JS and cookies).
>>>
>>>For keeping data in a session, you could combine this approach with
>>>Ajax: http://particletree.com/features/smart-validation-with-ajax
>>>
>>>Marcus
>
>

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