help with php if statement

[rlhanson]

I have a page that I need to php include a file only IF a category has been selected.

I'm not sure what syntax I need to use, I've tried both the following:

 <?php
   if ($cat1=='')
   echo "Test";
   if ($cat1!='')
   include ("gallery.php") ;
   ?>  

and

 <?php 
$cat1 = $_POST['cat1'];
if (!isSet($_POST['cat1'])){
  echo "<p>Please choose a category!</p>";
  }
if (isSet($_POST['cat1'])){
include ("gallery.php") ;
}?>  

Both echo the statements when the category is not selected and both display the file regardless...

Any advice would be appreciated!

[Dmitriy]

If category selector is set via HTTP request, than forget about method 1. If it is set over POST request that the second one will do. If via GET request - both methods will not work.
Calling an URL like domain.com/test_gallery.php?cat=1 is a GET HTTP request and the code will be like this:

if (isset($_GET['cat])) {
include whatever you should
} else {
echo 'an error';
}

Anyway, regarding your second example - it is impossible for a variable to be set and unset in the same time. In the case of $_POST request - the second example will work.

Also, turn on all errors in PHP - you'll got pleanty of notices about your code and line numbers with descriptions of possible problems.

[rlhanson]

Dmitriy -
Thank you so much!!! This worked perfectly:

 <?php
   if (isset($_POST['cat1'])) {
   include "gallery.php";
   } else {
   echo "Please select a category";
   } 
   ?>  

How do I turn on errors for the page?

Thanks again!

[rlhanson]

If I wanted to set a category based off one not being selected, like $cat1=="recent";
how would I POST that information to the next page?

[jmarcv]

>How do I turn on errors for the page?

error_reporting (E_PARSE | E_ERROR );

As for your cat question, I dont understand what you are asking.

[Dmitriy]

Welcom, JM

I'd suggest using E-NOTICE too at dev stage.

As for the posting vars. I can't understand your question either But a few guesses: If you're using a form on the next page, you can add something like

<input type="hidden" name="cat" value="category">

And use $_POST['cat] again.

You can also use sessions or cookies. Depends on the situation.

[rlhanson]

Here's the navigation:
1st page: Select Product (goes to the next page with the GET I think)

2nd Page: Select Category
this page is created by a gallery script which loops through directories based off the prodID and the catID which is selected.
I used your code suggestion above to tell the gallery script to display thumbnails from the directory prodID/recent/ if no cat had been selected.

3rd page: Select Layout
this displays the layout with the background selected from the previous page.
If there was a category selected it works perfectly and posts the information to the next page for the designer...however, if the category images are displayed from the directory "recent", the images don't show up as the background, and it doesn't post to the next page.

Here's the gallery script for reference:

 <?php
function createThumbs( $pathToImages, $pathToThumbs, $thumbWidth ) 
{
  // open the directory
  $dir = opendir( $pathToImages );
  // loop through it, looking for any/all JPG files:
  while (false !== ($fname = readdir( $dir ))) {
    // parse path for the extension
    $info = pathinfo($pathToImages . $fname);
    // continue only if this is a JPEG image
    if ( strtolower($info['extension']) == 'jpg' ) 
    {
     // echo "Creating thumbnail for {$fname} <br />";
      // load image and get image size
      $img = imagecreatefromjpeg( "{$pathToImages}{$fname}" );
      $width = imagesx( $img );
      $height = imagesy( $img );
      // calculate thumbnail size
      $new_width = $thumbWidth;
      $new_height = floor( $height * ( $thumbWidth / $width ) );
      // create a new temporary image
      $tmp_img = imagecreatetruecolor( $new_width, $new_height );
      // copy and resize old image into new image 
      imagecopyresized( $tmp_img, $img, 0, 0, 0, 0, $new_width, $new_height, $width, $height );
      // save thumbnail into a file
      imagejpeg( $tmp_img, "{$pathToThumbs}{$fname}" );
    }
  }
  // close the directory
  closedir( $dir );
}
// call createThumb function and pass to it as parameters the path 
// to the directory that contains images, the path to the directory
// in which thumbnails will be placed and the thumbnail's width. 
// We are assuming that the path will be a relative path working 
// both in the filesystem, and through the web for links
$cat1 = $_POST['cat1'];
if (isSet($_POST['cat1'])){
  createThumbs("prodimages/{$rs['pId']}/{$cat1}/","gallery/{$rs['pId']}/{$cat1}/",200);
 }
 else {
  createThumbs("prodimages/{$rs['pId']}/recent/","gallery/{$rs['pId']}/recent/",200);
   } 
 
?>
<?php
function createGallery( $pathToImages, $pathToThumbs ) 
{
  $output .= "<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" width=\"500\">";
  $output .= "<tr>";
  // open the directory
  $dir = opendir( $pathToThumbs );
  $counter = 0;
  // loop through the directory
  while (false !== ($fname = readdir($dir)))
  {
    // strip the . and .. entries out
    if ($fname != '.' && $fname != '..') 
    {
      $output .= "<td valign=\"middle\" align=\"center\"><input name=\"optn0\" type=\"radio\" class=\"radio\" id=\"{$fname}\" onclick=\"updateoptimage(0,2,0,1);updateprice0();\" value=\"{$fname}\" />";
      $output .= "<input type=\"image\" src=\"{$pathToThumbs}{$fname}\" alt=\"{$fname}\" id=\"img{$fname}\" border=\"0\" style=\"cursor:pointer\" onclick=\"document.getElementById('{$fname}').checked=true;\" />";
      $output .= "</td>";
 
value=\"/select_category.php\" />";
      $counter += 1;
      if ( $counter % 4 == 0 ) { $output .= "</tr><tr>"; }
    }
  }
  // close the directory
  closedir( $dir );
  $output .= "</tr>";
  $output .= "</table>";
 
   // open the file
  $fhandle = fopen( "gallery.html", "w" );
  // write the contents of the $output variable to the file
  fwrite( $fhandle, $output ); 
  // close the file
  fclose( $fhandle );
}
// call createGallery function and pass to it as parameters the path 
// to the directory that contains images and the path to the directory
// in which thumbnails will be placed. We are assuming that 
// the path will be a relative path working 
// both in the filesystem, and through the web for links
$cat1 = $_POST['cat1'];
if (isSet($_POST['cat1'])){
createGallery("prodimages/{$rs['pId']}/{$cat1}/","gallery/{$rs['pId']}/{$cat1}/");
 }else {
 createGallery("prodimages/{$rs['pId']}/recent/","gallery/{$rs['pId']}/recent/",200);
   } 
 
?>  

[Dmitriy]

Than you have the category on the second page in $_GET['cat]. I see no problem.

[rlhanson]

I basically want this:

 <?php 
$cat1 = $_POST['cat1'];
if (isSet($_POST['cat1'])){
createGallery("prodimages/{$rs['pId']}/{$cat1}/","gallery/{$rs['pId']}/{$cat1}/");
 }else {
//tell script that $cat1 is "recent"
 createGallery("prodimages/{$rs['pId']}/{$cat1}/","gallery/{$rs['pId']}/{$cat1}/",200);
   } 
?>  

[rlhanson]

I've not used GET before, and as it is now, I am POSTing all over the place to go from one page to another! lol
I'm going to think about this for a bit and read some info on the GET statments...

thanks so much to both of you!