html form - retaining input when returning via back button

[Robdav]

hi guys,

i've got an html form which a user will complete. i'll validate the input server side as i don't want to use javascript just in case the user has it switched off, and if there are any problems I'm going to inform the user to use their back button and retype the offending information.

Once the user returns to the form I would like it to have retained the informaiton they previously entered. How difficult is this to implement? is it a case of using a header statement to keep the form page from expiring or am i missing something here?

thanks in advance...

 

[GravyMonster]

If you're using ASP.NET it's all taken care of for you.

If you're using ASP or PHP you'll have to store the information in the session object once it's submitted, and then put the values back into the form fields when the form is reloaded.

 

[Robdav]

OK thanks. I'm using php so it's session variables then. I guess when I build the form up I'll check the existance of a session variable for each field and then inject the value into the field.

cheers

 

[Beansprout]

if there are any problems I'm going to inform the user to use their back button

If you're using POST that won't work because post data is designed to be sent only once to the server, so if the user goes back they'll get various "I don't want to do it" errors from their browser. Just say "click here" to go back

Even better, have the form submit to the same page (ie itself, or display the form again programatically, say you created a showForm() function) so that you can display it again, and simply add the error mesages in red at the top or bottom. No need to go back/forth then

 

[Robdav]

I think I'll go with the same page form jobbie, sounds easier than trying to fanny around with back buttons etc.

thanks bean..