how to pass user message back to page from script

[justinh]

Hi,

I'm using ASP web pages with a PHP server-side script to process a form with method=post. I'm checking the validity of a field in the PHP script, and if it fails there is code in the PHP to pop a message dialog (via javascript). The current workflow is this:

1) user submits form with bad data

2) simultaneously, a dialog is popped saying there is an error, and the form web page is gone and a blank page is shown

3) user selects the OK button and a javascript "history.go(-1)" is executed

4) user is now back to the form with previous values in the fields

 

If the user put in good data, he would be advanced to a 'thank you' page.

 

I'd like to avoid (2) and (3) with the page advancing then going back. In other words, I'd like the error check and message to be processed before the form page is left.

 

Is what I want possible?

 

Note that I can't modify the PHP much, and I'm very green at programming. :-)

 

Thanks,

Justin

[niche]

If you're depending on php, you'll have to leave the page. Else, there's javascript. Can you use js?

 

EDIT:

 

This might help

 

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20537696/remember-and-repopulate-file-input

Edited December 26, 2014 by niche

[justinh]

Yes, I have to use the PHP script. I see other pages with PHP (I'm pretty sure) form validation that will give user feedback on the page (showing red text and such) with no apparent page transition - it looks like real-time validation. How do they do that? Is the page actually being refreshed and I just can't tell it?

[Ingolme]

Yes, I have to use the PHP script. I see other pages with PHP (I'm pretty sure) form validation that will give user feedback on the page (showing red text and such) with no apparent page transition - it looks like real-time validation. How do they do that? Is the page actually being refreshed and I just can't tell it?

 

They're using Javascript to validate the form. Sometimes purely with Javascript, other times they'll use AJAX to ask for database information from PHP