php header() function won't redirect

Question

I'm trying to post data from a form with insert.php as the action. However, I cannot redirect back to the index.php once the data has posted to the database.

I've searched through the following sites to find the answer:

Trip Wire Magazine

Daniweb

as well as ten stackoverflow questions on the subject.

Here is the code for the insert.php file:

<?php 
include 'connect.php';
$id = $_POST['id']; 
$idea = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['new_idea']); 

if(!$_POST['submit']) {
    echo "Please fill out the form!"; 
    header('Location: index.php'); 
} else {
    mysql_query("INSERT INTO user_idea (`id`, `idea`, `time_created`) VALUES(NULL, '$idea', NULL)") or die(mysql_error()); 
    echo "Idea has been added!"; 
    header('Location: index.php'); 
}?>

From what I've gathered, the header() function won't execute if there's text output before it. I've tried this function without the echo "Idea has been added!"; and echo "Please fill out the form!";, but I still don't get a redirect.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

-MF

make sure you dont have like a blank line or empty space at the top of your file, or any other files you require( ) or include( ) — akatakritos
– akatakritos, Commented Nov 29, 2012 at 5:58

Nirav Ranpara · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-29 05:58:43Z

6

From PHP documentation :

header() must be called before any actual output is sent, either by normal HTML tags, blank lines in a file, or from PHP.

And in your case, you are using echo before header()

answered Nov 29, 2012 at 5:58

Nirav Ranpara

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1 Comment

Dmitry Minkovsky Over a year ago

This answer encapsulates the main problem. Use @diEcho's answer to get around this issue.

xkeshav · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-29 05:57:36Z

4

work around method : use ob_start() at the top of the page

other method : Please omit any white space before starting <?php or after ?> in the page and also use exit() just after header()

answered Nov 29, 2012 at 5:57

xkeshav

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1 Comment

xkeshav Over a year ago

@Michael its all my pleasure to help :)

Mohammed H · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-29 06:00:28Z

1

Try this

<?php 
 include 'connect.php';
 $id = $_POST['id']; 
 $idea = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['new_idea']); 

 if(!$_POST['submit']) {
    $message = "Please fill out the form!"; 
    header('Location: index.php?message='.$message); exit;
 } else {
    mysql_query("INSERT INTO user_idea (`id`, `idea`, `time_created`) VALUES(NULL, '$idea', NULL)") or die(mysql_error()); 
    $message = "Idea has been added!"; 
    header('Location: index.php?message='.$message); exit;
 }?>

Pass the error message to index.php and display it there.

answered Nov 29, 2012 at 6:00

Mohammed H

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Comments

Madhav Palshikar · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-29 06:10:58Z

0

Don't print your output before header(). Store your data into session or pass it through URL. Try this will surely help you .

answered Nov 29, 2012 at 6:10

Madhav Palshikar

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