Passing variables from HTML to PHP using form submission

Question

I'm having a problem with the following piece of code. My desire is to have the heading Search results appear when the form is submitted using the 'Search' button, and I'm trying to implement this using the hidden input called searching. The idea is that when the form is submitted, this value is set to 'yes', and that will reveal the heading, but that is not what is happening here. Can anyone please tell me where I've gone wrong?

<html>
    <head>
        <title>Search</title>
    </head>

    <body>
        <h1>Search</h1>

        <form name = "search" action = "<?=$PHP_SELF?>" method = "get">
            Search for <input type = "text" name = "find" />
            <input type = "hidden" name = "searching" value = "yes" />
            <input type = "submit" name = "search" value = "Search" />
        </form>

        <?php
            if ($searching == "yes")
            {
                echo "<h2>Search results</h2>";
            }
        ?>
    </body>
</html>

Felix Dransfeld · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-12 21:27:45Z

2

@chris, you dont have to use a hidden field. you just can check if the form was submitted like this:

if(isset($_GET['search'])) echo 'foo';

@Boris, why should it be more secure to store the global into another var? I would agree if you check the global against a regex or whatever before.

Felix

answered Mar 12, 2011 at 21:27

Felix Dransfeld

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1 Comment

Boris Guéry Over a year ago

In old version of PHP, all variables from GET and POST were available as global (register_global=on), it was about to show that you can't use $searching directly but you needed to get it from the $_GET predefined variable. You obviously don't need to do that

JCOC611 · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-12 20:35:53Z

1

You need to access the superglobal $_GET:

if($_GET["searching"]=="yes"){
  //echo here
}

answered Mar 12, 2011 at 20:35

JCOC611

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1 Comment

Your Common Sense Over a year ago

did you ever try to program under E_ALL?

Boris Guéry · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-12 20:36:20Z

1

Unless you're using an old version of PHP, or a really unsecure configure, you're likely not using global variables.

Therefore, you need to first retrieve your $searching variable from the magic $_GET variable.

$searching = $_GET['searching'];

answered Mar 12, 2011 at 20:36

Boris Guéry

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1 Comment

Your Common Sense Over a year ago

did you ever try to program under E_ALL?

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