Session or Global Variable

[hargi]

Im using codeigniter to make an app and want to know which is the best way to do this.

Basically I have a user log on then they create a 'client' and then input different forms for the client into different table.

My first idea was when they created a client I store the ClientID in a session variable that I could then use with my sql to make sure its input into the table.
This would work and I could make the user go through all the forms in sequence.

However the user would probably log on at the beginning of the day and work on lots of clients. I take it I could update the session variable to reflect each new client in turn.

But there will be times where they dont have to create a new client they just have to add a record for a existing one, or update an existing record.

What would be the sensible way of making this?

 

[hargi]

I think I understand what your saying but Im just a bit to thick to implement it.

So my first createclient controler i have

// build array for the model
		$UID = $this->session->userdata('UserID');
		$CID = 'ClientID';
		$table = 'Client';
		$form_data = array(
					    'ClientID' => set_value('ClientID'),
					     'FirstName' => set_value('FirstName'),
					     'LastName' => set_value('LastName')
					);
					
			// run insert model to write data to db
		
			if ($this->newformadd_m->SaveForm($table, $form_data) == TRUE) // the information has therefore been successfully saved in the db
			{
				redirect('newbenefit_c/index');   // or whatever logic needs to occur
			}

So the formdata gets the data from the form first of all how do get the ClientID out of this then how would i pass it to the index function of the newbenifit_c controler.

 

[hargi]

Basically what I think im doing is when the user logs on I create a session variable called UserID this is the ID of the user and I have a field in everytable that is called UpdateUserID this is so we can track which user entered the information or updated it.

<?php

class Newclient_c extends CI_Controller {
               
	function __construct()
	{
 		parent::__construct();
		$this->load->library('form_validation');
		$this->load->database();
		$this->load->helper('form');
		$this->load->helper('url');
		$this->load->model('newformadd_m');
	}	
	function index()
	{			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('ClientID', 'ClientID', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[11]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('FirstName', 'FirstName', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[50]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('LastName', 'LastName', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[50]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('NationalInsuranceNumber', 'NationalInsuranceNumber', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[9]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('ClientReference', 'ClientReference', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[50]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('Gender', 'Gender', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[60]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('MaritalStatus', 'MaritalStatus', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[50]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('ContactNumber', 'ContactNumber', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[20]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('Nationality', 'Nationality', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[50]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('Ethnicity', 'Ethnicity', 'required|trim|xss_clean|max_length[50]');			
		$this->form_validation->set_rules('ClientNotes', 'ClientNotes', 'trim|xss_clean');
			
		$this->form_validation->set_error_delimiters('<br /><span class="error">', '</span>');
	
		if ($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE) // validation hasn't been passed
		{
			$view['main_content'] = 'newclient_view';
			$this->load->view('includes/template', $view);
		}
		else // passed validation proceed to post success logic
		{
		 	// build array for the model
			$UID = $this->session->userdata('UserID');
			$CID = 'ClientID';
			$table = 'Client';
			$form_data = array(
					       	'ClientID' => set_value('ClientID'),
					       	'FirstName' => set_value('FirstName'),
					       	'LastName' => set_value('LastName'),
					       	'NationalInsuranceNumber' => set_value('NationalInsuranceNumber'),
					       	'ClientReference' => set_value('ClientReference'),
					       	'CreateDate' => (date('Y-m-d H:i:s')),
					       	'Gender' => set_value('Gender'),
					       	'MaritalStatus' => set_value('MaritalStatus'),
					       	'ContactNumber' => set_value('ContactNumber'),
					       	'Nationality' => set_value('Nationality'),
					       	'Ethnicity' => set_value('Ethnicity'),
					       	'ClientNotes' => set_value('ClientNotes'),
					       	'UpdateUserID' => $UID
						);
					
			// run insert model to write data to db
		
			if ($this->newformadd_m->SaveForm($table, $form_data) == TRUE) // the information has therefore been successfully saved in the db
			{
				redirect('newbenefit_c/index');   // or whatever logic needs to occur
			}
			else
			{
			echo 'An error occurred saving your information. Please try again later';
			// Or whatever error handling is necessary
			}
		}
	}

The newformadd_m has this one function in

function SaveForm($table, $form_data)
	{
		$this->db->insert($table, $form_data);
		
		if ($this->db->affected_rows() == '1')
		{
			return TRUE;
		}
		
		return FALSE;
	}

 

[hargi]

There is a page and controller before this one where the user logs on thats where i get the UserID from and store it as part of the session. Thats fine as in every insert or update i will need that UserID. The user does not know their UserID this is looked up from database. IT is not included on any forms just something i am adding to the insert statements.

I may be making this more complicated then it is. Basically I want to get away from the user having to enter the clientID into every form they fill out. So when they create a new client I need someway of getting that client id to be passed to each controller so that either i can pre-populate that field in the form so they dont have to enter it. BUT can change it if they need to work on another client.

 

[hargi]

Thanks for sticking with me inogen. I know what i want it to do but not how to explain it.
Yeah there will be about 7 forms.
But then when they come to the end of the 7th form they will either create a new Client or want to update an existing Client so id have to change the session variable of the clientID.

is that still ok?