[solved]PHP not receving POST variables

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[solved]PHP not receving POST variables

Postby GFSTCLAIR » 19. February 2012 03:08

I had this problem with 1.7.7, then decided to revert to 1.7.4, which I had installed some time ago but never actually used. Same symptoms.

Using Chrome, browse to localhost/readmusic.html :-

<html>
<head><title>Access the MUSIC Database</title></head>
<body onLoad="document.logon.user.focus();">
<form name="logon" action="readmusic.php" method="POST">
<p>Username: <input name="user" type="text"></p>
<p>Password: <input name="pswd" type="password"></p>
<p>Or just click <input type="submit" value="Go"> for anonymous access</p>
</form>
</body>
</html>

I just click Go, just to see what happens when readmusic.php is invoked:-

<?php

//Get the supplied name and password
if (!empty($_POST[user])) {
$user = $_POST[user];
} else {
// print "You forgot your name!"; // This check and the next made redundant by anonymous user feature.
// exit;
}
if (!empty($_POST[pswd])) {
$pswd = $_POST[pswd];
} else {
// print "You forgot your password!";
// exit;
}

// Open the connection
$conn = mysql_connect("localhost", $user, $pswd) or die(mysql_error());

Etc, Etc

I get this:-

Notice: Use of undefined constant user - assumed 'user' in C:\xampp\htdocs\readmusic.php on line 4

Notice: Use of undefined constant pswd - assumed 'pswd' in C:\xampp\htdocs\readmusic.php on line 10

Notice: Undefined variable: user in C:\xampp\htdocs\readmusic.php on line 18

Notice: Undefined variable: pswd in C:\xampp\htdocs\readmusic.php on line 18

I assume this has to be something absolutely elementary that I have missed, in the general area of telling the browser that a PHP interpreter is available "somewhere". The same code works OK on a different machine where I installed Apache and PHP separately, and had to modify a few initialisation files.
GFSTCLAIR
 
Posts: 2
Joined: 19. February 2012 02:55
Operating System: Windows 7

Re: PHP not receving POST variables

Postby Altrea » 19. February 2012 11:16

Hi GFSTCLAIR,

your posted code doesn't fit to the output i get on my XAMPP 1.7.7 development machine.

If i use your code, my error messages are
Code: Select all
Notice: Use of undefined constant user - assumed 'user' in C:\xampp177\htdocs\form_post\readmusic.php on line 4

Notice: Use of undefined constant user - assumed 'user' in C:\xampp177\htdocs\form_post\readmusic.php on line 5

Notice: Use of undefined constant pswd - assumed 'pswd' in C:\xampp177\htdocs\form_post\readmusic.php on line 10

Notice: Use of undefined constant pswd - assumed 'pswd' in C:\xampp177\htdocs\form_post\readmusic.php on line 11


What you can see is, that the two if clauses in lines 4 and 10 will return true, otherwise i wouldn't get the two messages of lines 5 and 11. Thats not the case in your own test. You have to find out, why your if-clauses will return false.

You can simply print_r the whole _POST-array to see all the keys and values:
Code: Select all
echo '<pre>';
print_r($_POST);
echo '</pre>';


To get rid of the "undefined constant" messages, simply put your array keys in single-quotes:
Code: Select all
//false
$user = $_POST[user];

//correct
$user = $_POST['user'];


best wishes,
Altrea
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Altrea
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Posts: 11926
Joined: 17. August 2009 13:05
XAMPP version: several
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro x64

Re: PHP not receving POST variables

Postby GFSTCLAIR » 19. February 2012 19:44

I did get the same error msgs as you did when using IE8 - the Chrome ones were just a bit simpler! Your suggestion of quotes was exactly correct - in fact I found they were missing on another usage 30 lines further on (not posted). Also, to make the connect work with the anonymous user, I had to initialise $user & $pswd to the empty string - in your implementation an uninitialised string (naughty anyway!) doesn't suffice.

This one is solved, thank you, Graeme in PA.
GFSTCLAIR
 
Posts: 2
Joined: 19. February 2012 02:55
Operating System: Windows 7

Re: PHP not receving POST variables

Postby Altrea » 19. February 2012 21:11

GFSTCLAIR wrote:I did get the same error msgs as you did when using IE8 - the Chrome ones were just a bit simpler!

I use Chrome too as my primary browser, so i can't confirm that.
The messages are generated by the php interpreter. The browser doesn't have much influence on that.
Maybe it was a cache issue then.

GFSTCLAIR wrote:This one is solved, thank you, Graeme in PA.

Glad to hear that. I will mark this topic as solved.

best wishes,
Altrea
We don't provide any support via personal channels like PM, email, Skype, TeamViewer!

It's like porn for programmers 8)
User avatar
Altrea
AF Moderator
 
Posts: 11926
Joined: 17. August 2009 13:05
XAMPP version: several
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro x64


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