PHP: passing hidden variables server side

**Banfa** · Jun 26 '06, 01:54 PM

There are a number of things that you can do, for instance you could

1. Use a Session

Use a session to store the variables you need to pass, in some cases this will add the session id to the url but this is automatic. You have to start the session before and headers are set to the client, i.e. it must be the first thing you do in the script.

2. Use a cookie

Use a cookie to store the variables you want to pass along. Again you must start the cookie before you send and html headers. Of course since the cookie is stored locally an inteligent user may be able to get the data out of it.

3. Just include the page into the current script

If it's a case of the user requests page1.php but you want to return page2.php then you could just include page2.php into page1.php at the relevent point, or if this is not possible create a fragment that can be included into page1.php and page2.php.

4. Use hidden form inputs

I don't think this is a particularly good idea but you could put the data into hidden form input elements and then submit the form using the POST method.

I would probably go with either 1 or 3 personally.

**teren** · Jun 26 '06, 03:13 PM

thank you for your reply. i didn't explain myself well enough the first time. I am familiar with all those techniques. i don't think those apply here. let me try to explain the need better:

user lands on page.php?id=123 from another domain where i can't control sessions or cookies.

page.php takes the user and validates some information with a MySQL DB, and then sends the user on to page2.php

page2 may be on another domain or perhaps on the same one as page.php, depending on the results of the process on this page. We need to redirect the user programatically on the server directly to page2.php without the user having to hit a submit button, but we do need to also hide the variable being sent. so i can send them to the next page with header(), but then i can't add the variable info hidden. is there another way to do this?

for lack of better description, i am saying it's like having a post method form that is automatically submitted without the user having to click on the submit button. the #4 option above, can that be done on the server with hidden variables?

thanks again in advance,
teren

**iam_clint** · Jul 17 '06, 10:56 PM

you could use sessions like he said or you can do it a more difficult way which i personally wouldn't do but you can... use hidden text fields and use a javascript to submit this form on load.

**iam_clint** · Jul 17 '06, 11:02 PM

An example for automaticly posting a form

Code:

<script>
function auto() {
  document.myform.submit();
}
</script>
<body onload="auto();">
<form action="page2.php" method="POST" name="myform">
<input type="hidden" value="somevalue" name="you know">
<input type="hidden" value="somevalue" name="what todo here">
<input type="hidden" value="somevalue" name="so do it">
<input type="hidden" value="somevalue" name="ok">
</form>

PHP: passing hidden variables server side

PHP: passing hidden variables server side

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