Re: & terminates string?

Perry, Matthew (Fire Marshal's Office) wrote:

I am using PHP 4.3.1 and running Apache Server and MySQL. The following question is probably only related to PHP. Here is the problem: I am passing the following string from one form to another: "../create.php?dest=Employee/menu_handleemployee.php?action=update&ID=$ID" Here is the actual code: <form action="../create.php?dest=Employee/menu_handleemployee.php?action=update&ID =<?echo $ID;?>" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" name="form1EMPLOYEE"> When I view the source it comes out as expected: <form action="../create.php?dest=Employee/menu_handleemployee.php?action=update&ID =82" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" name="formEMPLOYEE"> But after it goes to the next page it turns into this: "../create.php?dest=Employee/menu_handleemployee.php?action=update" Everything up to and after the '&' disappears!!

that because PHP sees your URL as having two GET vars: dest=Employee/menu_handleemployee.php?action=update ID=82 the ampersand is the default name/value pair seperator. try using urlencode() [and urldecode() when you actually want to redirect to that 'dest' url] on the redirect string when passing it along in the URL (or form field) e.g. $action = '../create.php?dest='.urlencode("Employee/menu_handleemployee.php?action=update&ID=$ID"); and if that doesn't work try replacing the '&' char with something else e.g. $action = '../create.php?dest='.str_replace('&','$$',"Employee/menu_handleemployee.php?action=update&ID=$ID"); and then before your redirect to that url reverse the replacement e.g.: header('location: ' . str_replace('$$','&',"Employee/menu_handleemployee.php?action=update&ID=$ID")); exit; BTW: 2 dollar signs may not be the best choice of chars to use. another way of tackling the issue is by looking at the contents of $_SERVER (a auto superglobal var, just like $_GET, $_POST etc) - try: print_r($_SERVER); you'll be surprised what kinds of useful items are contained in that array. while you're at it try: print_r($_GET); looking at the output of that will probably help you understand where the 'ID' bit of the redirect url went. <RANT> print_r() is your friend USE IT!!! OFTEN!!! sing this as a reminder "When in doubt print it out" [ (tm) Wong Coding Industries ;-) ] </RANT>

The goal of this code is to send the redirect address to the form that modifies my data. I want variable "dest" to be used to dynamically redirect the page. I have tried the following to fix the problem without avail: 1) I tried saving the variable in other ways such as text fields in the form itself. 2) I tried addslashes() (which works well with similar problems related to ', " etc.). 3) I tried adding \ before & 4) I danced around my computer and threatened to pull the plug.

you forgot to wave the dead chicken around your head!

None of these worked! What is it about '&' that throws everything off with PHP variables? It doesn't seem to be a problem with HTML.

its the default request name/value pair seperator.

This is exceedingly difficult to research online because '&' is excluded from most search engines automatically.

it's called an ampersand. which might help further searching.

-Matthew