redirection without reloading the whole page - php

Question

I have a framework and I think I'm following something like the MVC pattern: A framework (the model) an index page that controls the input (the controller) and the views pages (that are included inside main.php/the main html)
I read a lot about structure and logics, to write a good application. I read many comments like "Why are you outputting anything if all you are going to do is try and redirect the user to another page?". Well the answer is, the most common case: redirect after the user successfully logged in. Do I need to print something? Of course, the whole main page with a login form/post. How I'm supposed to do that redirection??
So I'm a bit confused about logics and structure of the application. How do you store all the output and do the header redirection without printing anything?
I was thinking about using javascript to do the redirection but I also read comments saying; "if you write good code (following a good logic/structre), you won't need to use hacks like javascript redirection". How is that even possible?
Because the php output_buffering should not be enabled.
I have the output_buffering enabled, and I can use header (after output) without any problem. If I use the javascript redirection the whole page reloads, but using header it just loads the content (the views content that are included in main.php).
So how do you do this without output_buffering?

Answer 1

If you want to redirect to a success page AND pass messages - say, after a successful login - an easy solution is to use "flash" sessions, where you store a message in a SESSION and then, as soon as it's used, you discard it. You don't need to sore anything in the output buffer for this.
This is a very basic example, but should give you the gist of it.
login.php
if($login_successful) {
// put your message in the session
$_SESSION['message'] = 'Login Successful';
// redirect to the success page
header('location: success.php');
}
success.php
<?php
session_start();
// check if $_SESSION['message'] exists
if(isset($_SESSION['message'])) {
// print the message
echo $_SESSION['message'];
// clear the session
$_SESSION['message'] = null;
}

Answer 2

Looks like you are mixing up some things here. What you are talking about are actually two different requests. Either the user wants to view the main page, or he wants to log in using that form on your main page. In your index.php you would have something like this (pseudocode):
if (isLoginRequest) {
// user wants to log in
if( validateLogin($loginFormData) ) {
redirect('successful');
} else {
displayLoginError();
}
} else {
// user wants to view main page
echo main.html
}
Update to answer the question in the comments: The better alternative would be to leave your form validation stuff in login.php and refer to that in your login form <form action="login.php" .... Then in your login.php you would have something like this:
if (loginSuccessful) {
redirect('success.php');
// no need to call die() or whatever
} else {
setFlashMessage('Login failed'); // set a flash message like timgavin described
redirect('index.php')
// also no die() or whatever
}
index.php then is responsible to display your main page and, if set, rendering the flash message from a failed login attempt.

Answer 3

Simple solution: Move the login post script from login.php to another file (login_post.php). The same for other scripts using header() after dom output. (no need to change the form action="")
In index.php:
$url = parse_url($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], PHP_URL_PATH);
//some more security checks like esc_url() (non-php function)
if ($url == '/login') {
include('header_pages/login_post.php');
}
// all these includes before including main.php
// where views pages are included and the DOM output starts
Since header() is inside the post script, no more headers already sent errors (And output_buffering off, of course).
Same for logout page that is currently being included inside main.php
Thanks to the other answers, they helped me finding this solution.