Cannot echo variables after form submittiom - php

Question

So I am submitting a form to the same page. I have used the following code to check whether the form was submitted, and to avoid 'undefined variables' errors during the first page reload.
if (isset($_POST['submit'])){
// Get search variables
$pName = $_POST['pname'];
$pLocation = $_POST['plocation'];
$pPrice = $_POST['pprice'];
if (isset($_POST['ptype'])){
$pType = $_POST['ptype'];
}
echo "pType";
}
However, I cannot echo the php variables onto the page. I am guessing this is because the form is refreshed when it is sent by post, so the variables are lost.
How can I fix this problem?
This is the html form
<form method="post" action="../html/searchpage.php">
<div id="searchborder">
<input type="text" id="pname" name="pname" placeholder=" Property name">
<input type="text" id="plocation" name="plocation" placeholder=" Property location">
<input type="number" id="pprice" name="pprice" placeholder=" Property price">
<div id="ptypeholder">
<div id="ptypebox">
<select name="ptype">
<option value="" disabled selected>Post type</option>
<option value="buy">Buy</option>
<option value="rent">Rent</option>
</select>
</div>
</div>
<button type="submit"><img src="../images/search.png"></button>
</div>
</form>
I am trying to display 'property posts' into html cards from a database using php in this page. The form is the search bar for the property posts.
Thanks!

Answer 1

I don't think $_POST['submit'] is being set because the button needs a name ie
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit">
also you have a few other syntax errors, structure, may be this will help :-
<form method="post" action="searchpage.php">
<input type="text" id="pname" name="pname" placeholder="Property name">
<input type="text" id="plocation" name="plocation" placeholder="Property location">
<input type="number" id="pprice" name="pprice" placeholder="Property price">
<select name="ptype">
<option value="" disabled selected>Post type</option>
<option value="buy">Buy</option>
<option value="rent">Rent</option>
</select>
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit">
and you don't HAVE to assign the post values to $vars you can use them directly -
<?php
if (isset($_POST['submit'])){
// Get variables
//$pName = $_POST['pname'];
//$pLocation = $_POST['plocation'];
//$pPrice = $_POST['pprice'];
echo $_POST['ptype'].'<br>';
echo $_POST['pname'].'<br>';
echo $_POST['plocation'].'<br>';
echo $_POST['pprice'].'<br>';
}
?>
Needs more work to make it check all posts are set or validation but works as a basic starting point
Also in original you posted echo "pType"; will only echo the text pType not the value