I have a multi-step form that I have spread across 4 separate pages - in other words, 4 sections (I chose this method as it would be far too complex to process all my fields on one page). In my MySQL DB I have a table for each of the sections on each page (step1, step2, step3, step4). After submitting the first page I would like to insert my Page1 data to the DB and have it return the Primary Key, which I aim to then post to the next page (step2.php) ... and the same process will follow for Step3 and Step4.
The tables for Step2, Step3 and Step4 in the DB all have a Primary Key (reg_id) which are also all Foreign Keys to step1.reg_id.
I would like some advice/suggestions please on how to:
reg_id returned from Step1 to the Next Step pagesI am using plain and simple PDO to get my data in MySQL. I admit that I don't have a lot of PHP knowledge to accomplish this as I am too used to the lifecycle of ASP.NET webforms development, hence my asking for your expertise here.
Much appreciated as always!
As Karl said in his comment, it makes the most sense to save the form values as $_SESSION values before redirecting to the next page. The form processor then accesses the values from $_SESSION, just as if you had sent them as $_POST values.
To expand a bit on why this is a bit better, you have to think about what would happen if your users don't just go from page 1 to page 2... to the end of the form in one sitting. What if someone exits the wizard partway through? What if they need to go back and edit values, sometimes multiple times? In short, if your users have a workflow that results in either incomplete forms or the user going back and forth between form pages, you might end up with an awful lot of unnecessary validation and writes to the database.
If you save the form values in the session and only store them in the database when the user completes the entire multi-page form, you remove the possibility of these unnecessary writes to the database.
It also makes it easy for people to go backwards in the form to make edits without breaking your validation which you've indicated is a bit complicated. Ex. suppose a value x on page 1 is related to a value y on page 4. The user gets all the way to page 5 but then decides that they want to go back to page 1 to edit x. Page 1 has access to the session, and therefore has access to both x and y -- you could, for example, warn them if their new x value would make y invalid, or something along those lines.
You can either have 5 seperate pages for this, and pass data between them all.
Page1.php would have the initial form but do no processing, it posts all of its data to page2 onSubmit.
Page2.php would retrieve all the post data from page1.php, store into a database, and retrieve the ID of that and then display a form for the second stage of the wizard. This form onSubmit, sends the ID (in a hidden field) and the form elements to page3.php
Page3.php stores the post data from page2.php, retrieves the ID and displays the next form. Again submitting the hidden ID and form fields, this time to page4.php
You can repeat this step as many times as you have steps in the wizard.
The other way to do this is to have it all in one page. There will be several if statements, that read what data has been sent. A hidden field will keep track of the current step. i.e.
if $step == 1, display the first form (onsubmit sent $step = 2 as hidden field)
if $step == 2 retrieve post data from first form and insert into DB then display the second form (onsubmit send $step = 3 as hidden field)
if $step == 3 retrieve post data from previous form and insert into DB then display the second form (onsubmit send $step = 4 as hidden field)
and so on