Checking time taken to submit form

[Tailslide]

Hi all - me again!

I'm trying to check the difference in seconds between a session on a contact page:

<?php
session_start();
$_SESSION['time']  = time();
?>

and the current time on the form processing page:

$now = time() 

and if it's less than x amount of seconds - die() but I'm a bit lost on how to actually compare them - does that make any sense?

[Jake Arkinstall]

Hey tailslide.

As the time is in seconds since 1970, simply subtract one from the other to get the difference in seconds:

<?php
session_start();
if(array_key_exists('time', $_SESSION)){
    $difference = time() - $_SESSION['time'];
}else{
    $difference = 0;
}
if($difference < 10){
    die('Oy, no bots!');
}

That also helps filter forms submitted through other sites etc.

[Tailslide]

That worked a treat thanks!

I'm trying to build my own reasonably secure php form (don't all fall of your chairs laughing!). I'd got as far as getting honeypot fields, checking referrers and anti-spam questions working but I thought this might be a good addition.

Thanks!

[Jake Arkinstall]

I'd got as far as getting honeypot fields, checking referrers and anti-spam questions working but I thought this might be a good addition.

A landmine-field for bots. All thats left is a captcha-based math question and no bot can get past you (And some users too )!

Off Topic:

As to your sig - Nominations are over

[spikeZ]

Post the full script when you have finished it H (not for us to laugh at but to have a look through!!)

[Tailslide]

Oh lord that's a bit scary! Can't I post some CSS instead - I'm reasonable at that!!

[spikeZ]

lol, no.

[Jake Arkinstall]

Can't I post some CSS instead

You don't want to make us disappointed now, do you?

[Tailslide]

Me again!

Having got the basic processor page working well yesterday I started to look at getting decent validation working... and ran into problems.

It looks like I might be better off having the whole thing on the form page itself - looks like getting the validation messages working nicely would be easier that way.

(feel free to argue though - I'm feeling my way through this as I go).

So (finally) the question is if I use the code related to the time check Arkinstall posted then the instant I go to the form page I'm dumped out because $difference will always be less than whatever I set as I'm on the same page.

So how do I check the time at the point of submit being pressed rather than page being loaded?

Ta chaps!