CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phphtmlforms
Jan T Hrdý
Jan T Hrdý

Reputation: 9

How to run php file just as script without loading it as html document?

I have a html form and php file as its action. When I click submit button it runs the php code but also load a blank page and the url changes.

How can I make just run code and stay on the same html page?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 701

Answers (1)

Markus AO
Markus AO

Reputation: 4889

It sounds like you may need to develop beyond the "one page = one script" paradigm. Now, there are a number of possible approaches to "not leaving the page", such as:

  1. Include your form processing code in the form page itself. Pros: Really simple and rudimentary. Cons: Code not reusable.

  2. Submit the form via javascript (AJAX/Fetch). Pros: "Modern" and elegant when properly done. Cons: Relatively complicated. Requires both PHP and Javascript.

  3. The simplest "elegant" approach: Separate your form-processing logic and include/call from the page when a form is submitted. Basic example:

<?php /* form.php */

if(!empty($_POST)) { // if form was submitted ("post")
    include 'form_processor.php';
    $result = process_form($_POST);
    echo 'Form Process Result: ' . $result;
}
?>

<form action="form.php" method="post">
... your HTML form here ...
</form>


<?php /* form_processor.php */

function process_form($post, $args = []) {
    $errors = [];
    
    // do stuff with the post data: validate, store, etc.
    
    if(count($errors) > 0) {
        $result = 'Errors: ' . implode(', ', $errors);
    } else {
        $result = 'Okay';
    }
    return $result;
    
}

You will need to put some thought into crafting a form processor that's reusable in multiple contexts, e.g. by passing arguments that define case-specific validation and data processing. Probably turn it into a class, or at least into multiple functions with clear separation of tasks (validating, storing, e-mailing, etc.). The above should give you a basic path forward.

Upvotes: 1

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