How do I find the URL of the previous page?

[Weirfire]

I was wondering if there was a way of extracting the page that was last viewed with PHP? It's only for pages where someone has clicked through to the page.

[Weirfire]

I found it.

It's $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERRER'] just in case anyone was curious. :)

[xml]

<?php
$ref = getenv("HTTP_REFERER") ;
?>

[Weirfire]

Is there any advantage of using getenv than $_SERVER. They seem to do the same thing.

[xml]

Hmm not that i know of :).

[Weirfire]

lol

Cheers :)

[T0PS3O]

I believe $_SERVER is how they want you to do it. getenv won't be supported for much longer. It has to do with global settings etc. Used to be a security risk but with $_SERVER $_GET etc. is fixed apparently. (Disclaimer: all off the top of my head from research some months back. Do not take this for fact and rely on it.)

[Weirfire]

I see. I'll use $_SERVER then :)

[Lever]

So how can this be executed from within the code of the page? I've got a page that processes a form and I want to enable it for the user to be able to click "go back" when a form field is missing. This is in my phpif(empty($email)) {
echo "<p>You didn't enter an email address, please go back and try again</p>";
} I'd like the go back text to be the link to the referring page (the form)

Any help very much appreciated :)

[sadcox66]

if(empty($email)) {
echo "<p>You didn't enter an email address, "."<a href=".$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERRER'].">please go back</a> and try again</p>";
}

[Lever]

Cheers dude, I dropped an R from REFERRER and it worked fine :) Now I just gotta figure out how to keep the variables intact on the previous form page so I've used <a href='javascript:history.go(-1)'>please go back</a> to keep it working for now ;)

[walliioo]

There is a big problem using HTTP referer with IE ... this function simply do not send the URL ... it works with Mozilla but not with IE ...

So if someone have an other idea ... exept using a form .... it will be fun !!

Thanks :D

[Weirfire]

Welcome to the forums walliioooioiooooo :)

The HTTP Referrer works for me with IE. I don't really know how it couldn't work with 1 browser and not another due to the fact it is a PHP function which is executed on the server.

My feelings are, it's your server that is at fault if you have your code laid out nicely.

[walliioo]

Yep i did not think about this... may be a security on the server or on the IE ???

Please help :confused: :confused:
lol

[exam]

I found it.
It's $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERRER'] just in case anyone was curious. :)Two comments:
- As already mentioned, it's $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] (It is spelled wrong)
- This variable is set by the client software and can be manipulated, don't rely on it for anything important.Now I just gotta figure out how to keep the variables intact on the previous form pageYou can put them in a $_SESSION variable.

[Weirfire]

Two comments:
- As already mentioned, it's $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] (It is spelled wrong)


Sorry exam :o

[exam]

No apologies necessary Weirfire, I was only clarifying for archival purposes as I remember all to well when I was starting out and couldn't get it to work until I misspelled it. No worries man :)

Edit: Oh and I didn't mean you misspelled it, referrer is misspelled as referer in php and in the HTTP protocol.

[Weirfire]

No apologies necessary Weirfire, I was only clarifying for archival purposes as I remember all to well when I was starting out and couldn't get it to work until I misspelled it. No worries man :)

Edit: Oh and I didn't mean you misspelled it, referrer is misspelled as referer in php and in the HTTP protocol.

I see :)

If you use phpinfo(); you get to see all the global variables. :)

[nevetS]

There are sometimes browser objects, toolbars, etc. that block the referrer. It's sent as part of the http request from the client.

Another way to do things is to set a cookie with every page visit to the location of the page, but that's blockable too.

[cornelius]

isnt refferer unreliable? and cookies be blocked??

use sessions its easy

i would do something like

--------------------------------------------------------------------
page_1.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------
<?php
session_start();

//some code

$page_name = $_SERVER[PHP_SELF];

$_SESSION['page_name'] = $page_name;

//some code
?>
--------------------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------------
page_2.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------
<?php
session_start();

//some code

$previous_page = $_SESSION['page_name'];

//some code
?>
--------------------------------------------------------------------

[Weirfire]

isnt refferer unreliable? and cookies be blocked??

use sessions its easy

i would do something like

--------------------------------------------------------------------
page_1.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------
<?php
session_start();

//some code

$page_name = $_SERVER[PHP_SELF];

$_SESSION['page_name'] = $page_name;

//some code
?>
--------------------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------------
page_2.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------
<?php
session_start();

//some code

$previous_page = $_SESSION['page_name'];

//some code
?>
--------------------------------------------------------------------

I've never actually used sessions before but does it not do the same thing as a cookie?

[exam]

I've never actually used sessions before but does it not do the same thing as a cookie?Yes. Php session handling can save the info on the server, but it still uses regular cookies to identify the user. :)

[cornelius]

it is but if the user has cookies disabled, sessions write the cookies into the url

[exam]

it is but if the user has cookies disabled, sessions write the cookies into the urlYou are absolutely right, but anyone in their right mind wouldn't use sessions in the URL (think SEO) unless it was in a password-protected part of the site or you got rid of them for the bots.