Pre-filling HTML forms

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June 5th, 2009, 12:53 PM

Kathy Sutton

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Pre-filling HTML forms

I have a question of how I can transfer data entered by users on one web page to another.

I have two fields on a web page First Name and E-Mail Address that users populate. When they hit the submit button, they are directed to a more detailed form where the users enter data in several fields in addition to First Name and E-Mail address. I am trying to make this page user friendly so that users do not have to re-enter their First Name and E-Mail Address. How can I get the First Name and E-Mail Address fields to auto-populate in the second form page? Can this be done using HTML?

June 5th, 2009, 01:11 PM

myndconsulting

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Possible with PHP.

June 5th, 2009, 01:35 PM

Kathy Sutton

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Pre-filling HTML forms

Both pages I have are in HTML. Is is possible to achieve this functionality without using PHP (i.e., just with HTML code)?

June 5th, 2009, 01:39 PM

holodoc

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Well you could do it with Javascript and cookies but its pretty much pointless to do it like that. A server side technology like PHP would be much better.

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PHP Code:


		
			
<?php 

abstract class Ignorance extends Stupidity implements Unavoidable { 

     public static $humiliation; 



     final function findCover(); 

} 

?>

June 5th, 2009, 02:16 PM

Skipt

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Quote:

(i.e., just with HTML code)?

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June 7th, 2009, 12:52 PM

Kathy Sutton

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I am looking at JavaScript and PHP options to enable this functionality. I have novice question on using PHP. Would I have to convert my First page to .php or would converting the Second page alone to .php suffice?

(Converting the first page to .PHP will be complicated since it is receiving lilnks from other sites.)

I am attaching my original question for convenience ....

I have a question of how I can transfer data entered by users on one web page to another.

I have two fields on a web page First Name and E-Mail Address that users populate. When they hit the submit button, they are directed to a more detailed form where the users enter data in several fields in addition to First Name and E-Mail address. I am trying to make this page user friendly so that users do not have to re-enter their First Name and E-Mail Address. How can I get the First Name and E-Mail Address fields to auto-populate in the second form page? Can this be done using HTML?

June 7th, 2009, 01:45 PM

Winters

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It can be quite easily performed by Javascript, however, you must allow for users who have Javascript disabled. A server-side handling script would be the best choice.

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holodoc agrees!

June 7th, 2009, 02:29 PM

Kathy Sutton

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With PHP, will it suffice if I rename my Second more-detailed data capture page .PHP? Or do I have to introduce PHP code into the First simpe data capture page as well.

I will appreciate if someone can put a link to a good tutorial link (or guidance) on the PHP-based approach.

June 7th, 2009, 02:35 PM

Winters

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Do you have any experience scripting or programming?

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June 7th, 2009, 03:15 PM

Kathy Sutton

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My knowledge is limited; I am getting started. Hence the request for help.

#11

June 7th, 2009, 03:53 PM

Winters

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Quote:

Hence the request for help.

Yes, I gathered, which is why I asked, to better know the level of help you need.

Does your server have PHP, Perl, ASP, etc installed?

#12

June 7th, 2009, 03:58 PM

Kathy Sutton

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Winters

Yes, I gathered, which is why I asked, to better know the level of help you need.

Does your server have PHP, Perl, ASP, etc installed?

THansk. My server supports PHP. It does not support Perl or ASP.

#13

June 7th, 2009, 04:07 PM

holodoc

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Since its most likely that the server is PHP enabled here is a very basic PHP script that can achieve what you want.

service-step-one.php

Code:

<!-- Your first page form -->
<form method="post" action="service-step-two.php">
	<p>
	<label for="firstName">First name:</label>
	<input id="firstName" name="firstName" type="text" maxlength="30" />
	<label for="email">Email:</label>
	<input id="email" name="email" type="text" type="text" maxlength="100" />
	</p>
	<p>
	<input id="submitButton" type="submit" value="Next >>" />
	</p>
</form>

service-step-two.php

PHP Code:


		
			
<?php

/*

* This goes right at the very beginning of your second page.

*/

if(!isset($_POST['firstName']) || !isset($_POST['email'])){

    header('Location: service-step-one.php');

    exit();

}

?>

<!-- This is somewhere in your HTMl where you want your populated form to appear. -->

<form method="post" action="service-step-three.php">

    <form method="post" action="service-step-two.php">

    <p>

    <label for="firstName">First name:</label>

    <input id="firstName" name="firstName" type="text" maxlength="30" value="<?php echo $_POST['firstName']; ?>" />

    <label for="email">Email:</label>

    <input id="email" name="email" type="text" type="text" maxlength="100" value="<?php echo $_POST['email']; ?>" />

    Here goes the rest of the details....

    </p>

    <p>

    <input id="submitButton" type="submit" value="Next >>" />

    </p>

</form>

You should first confront your user with the service-step-two.php page where he fill sin his name and email. If he however just submits the form without filling it he will be redirected again to the first form. Note however that this is just a very basic example of how you would do it and that there are potential security risks etc. possibly involved in this code.

For further reading you could try:
http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_forms.asp
http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_post.asp

Now Winters is going to kill me for ruining his joy

Last edited by holodoc : June 7th, 2009 at 04:15 PM.

#14

June 7th, 2009, 05:49 PM

Kathy Sutton

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Thanks for your reply and detailed help with the code. I will study it. From the look of it, it appears my first page will have to be converted from a HTML extension to a PHP extension. Am I correct? If so, it is a problem for me since the first page is receiving several links from other websites. I am required to keep the first page a HTML. Is there any way around this?

#15

June 7th, 2009, 06:24 PM

holodoc

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Kathy Sutton

In this case your first page (service-step-one.php) doesn't have to be a PHP page since it doesn't contain any PHP code. Only pages that contain PHP code delimited by PHP tags (<?php ... ?>) need to have a .php extension.

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