Web page initialization

**JustaLinuxGuy** · Oct 28, 2007, 11:15

I can't find anything on how a web page initializes. In other words, before the page comes up, I want to put default values in some fields. I've tried the
if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET') to no avail. Meaning, it doesn't even go into the if statement.

Help please.

Thank you!

**Dachande663** · Oct 28, 2007, 11:34

By 'put default values in some fields' do you mean you want to put some data into an actual form on your page? Please explain further what you need.

**galen** · Oct 28, 2007, 15:21

Put a name on the input button of your form

Code:

<input type="submit" name="submit_button">

Then on the top put something like

Code:

if (!isset($_REQUEST['submit_button']))
LIST OF DEFAULT VALUES

In your form put the default value in the value

Code:

<input type="text" value="<?= $default ?>" />

**JustaLinuxGuy** · Oct 29, 2007, 05:47

OK, I'm getting data from a MySQL data base and I've been doing pretty much what galen suggested except the part about the '$REQUEST'.
So, when the page is first brought up, it reads a cookie, takes that value populates a form (which isn't happening completely right now). I thought I could have an 'if' statement and and $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET', that code would execute only when the page is loaded. My form is of method='post'.
Anyway, I worked around it by $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] !='POST' which does what I want now - I think.
<-------- Part of the Listings: ------------->
(this code included by following file....)
if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD']!='POST'){

//$articleID = $_POST['articleID']; //Needs to be seesion value
$articleID = $articleCookie;
$sql = "SELECT htmlLink, summary, publish, datetime FROM newsFromWeb where articleSerialNum = '$articleCookie'";

// Arrray of all the variables that came back.
$results = mysql_query($sql, $conn) or die('Error, Sql query failed on SELECT');

if(!$results){
$message = "Invalid query: ";
$message .= mysql_error();
$message .= "\n";
$message .= "Whole query: " .$sql;
die($message);
}

$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);

$htmlLink = $row["htmlLink"];
$summary = $row["summary"];
$publish = $row["publish"];
$timeStamp = $row["datetime"];

if(mysql_num_rows($results) != 0 ){
$feedback = "Select for " .$htmlLink ." processed correctly. for articleID: " .$articleID ."num rows " .mysql_num_rows($results) ;
}
else{
$feedback = "mysql_query failed.";
}
mysql_free_result($results);
}

<----- And from the code that has the form and includes above : ----- >
<form name="edit_form" id="edit_form" method="post" action="articleEditor.php" class="c7" onsubmit="RefreshAction(this)">
....
<td colspan="6" valign="top"><input name="articleLink" type="text" value="<?php echo __($htmlLink); ?>" class="c9"></td>
<td colspan="8"/>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="12"/>
<td colspan="14"/>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="24"/>
<td width="126" colspan="3" class="c8">Summary</td>
<td colspan="11"/>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="107"/>
<td colspan="9" valign="top"><textarea name="summary" class="c10"><?php echo __($summary); ?></textarea></td>

<-------end code listings----->

Anyway, the form's SQL code is executing and retrieving rows, but for some reason, those 'php' statements that have the variables are not showing up and I'm wondering if it's because I have my initialization timing off. Or something so that the variables are not being filled by the time the page is sent to the browser.
(Sorry about my terminology, I'm working on it but I've come from a Windows and OS/2 executable development background.)
Thanks everyone!!

**JustaLinuxGuy** · Oct 29, 2007, 05:48

Oh, yeah, the above code isn't everything because I didn't want have this gigantic post for you folks to read.

**ParkinT** · Oct 29, 2007, 06:01

I suggest you verify that the variables actually have values.
Use (my favorite) "var_dump" command, in your HTML, to display the contents of $summary, $htmlLink, et cetera.
Like this:
<?php var_dump($summary, $htmlLink, $publish, $timeStamp); ?>
This confirms the SQL results are correct and that the variables are being populated correctly. Otherwise, it appears you are applying the values as you described.

**Jake Arkinstall** · Oct 29, 2007, 06:02

That's why you use PHP BBCODE tags. For example:

PHP Code:


<-------- Part of the Listings: ------------->

(this code included by following file....)

if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD']!='POST'){



//$articleID = $_POST['articleID']; //Needs to be seesion value

$articleID = $articleCookie;

$sql = "SELECT htmlLink, summary, publish, datetime FROM newsFromWeb where articleSerialNum = '$articleCookie'"; 



// Arrray of all the variables that came back.

$results = mysql_query($sql, $conn) or die('Error, Sql query failed on SELECT');



if(!$results){

$message = "Invalid query: ";

$message .= mysql_error();

$message .= "\n";

$message .= "Whole query: " .$sql;

die($message);

}



$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);



$htmlLink = $row["htmlLink"];

$summary = $row["summary"];

$publish = $row["publish"];

$timeStamp = $row["datetime"];



if(mysql_num_rows($results) != 0 ){

$feedback = "Select for " .$htmlLink ." processed correctly. for articleID: " .$articleID ."num rows " .mysql_num_rows($results) ;

}

else{

$feedback = "mysql_query failed."; 

}

mysql_free_result($results);

}



<----- And from the code that has the form and includes above : ----- >

<form name="edit_form" id="edit_form" method="post" action="articleEditor.php" class="c7" onsubmit="RefreshAction(this)">

....

<td colspan="6" valign="top"><input name="articleLink" type="text" value="<?php echo __($htmlLink); ?>" class="c9"></td>

<td colspan="8"/>

</tr>

<tr>

<td height="12"/>

<td colspan="14"/>

</tr>

<tr>

<td height="24"/>

<td width="126" colspan="3" class="c8">Summary</td>

<td colspan="11"/>

</tr>

<tr>

<td height="107"/>

<td colspan="9" valign="top"><textarea name="summary" class="c10"><?php echo __($summary); ?></textarea></td>





<-------end code listings----->

**JustaLinuxGuy** · Oct 29, 2007, 07:23

Ah, more news.....<p/>Even though MySQL 'SELECT' is coming back "successful", the value from my $row['htmlLink'], for example, isn't getting into my local variable, or nothing is really coming back. I'll use the var_dump command to see what's going on. <p/>Thanks for checking to see if I'm doing something really dump.<p/>'BBCODE' - learn something new everyday! , Thanks!

**galen** · Oct 29, 2007, 08:20

Code:

 if(!$results){
$message = "Invalid query: ";
$message .= mysql_error();
$message .= "\n";
$message .= "Whole query: " .$sql;
die($message);
}

^ That is useless because you already include a die after the query

also register_globals is probably off so

Code:

 $articleID = $articleCookie;

would do nothing and teh sql statement wouldn't return anything. Meaning your $row['htmlLink'] woudl be empty.

Try

Code:

 $articleID = $_COOKIE['articleCookie'];

**JustaLinuxGuy** · Oct 29, 2007, 11:03

After doing a "var_dump":
var_dump($sql);
string 'SELECT htmlLink, summary, publish, datetime FROM newsFromWeb where articleSerialNum = '75'' (length=90)
-- SQL OK.

var_dump($results);
resource(4, mysql result)
-- Should return 4 - OK

$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);
var_dump ($row)
boolean false
--false?!?!