Write text with echo() after reloading page with header() - php

Question

I have page called account_settings.php and it's consist of change password, change profile pic, change user details (name, bio etc.). My question is how to write message with echo() after redirecting page with header().
Something like this:
if (true)
{
Do_Some_MySQL();
header("Location: account_settings.php");
echo "Success!";
}
else
{
echo "Error!";
}
Thank you for all replies. ;-)

Answer 1

You can't actually do something after sending a Location header - it is impossible.
Instead, you could use $_SESSION array value to perform your task. Like:
if (true)
{
Do_Some_MySQL();
$_SESSION['message'] = 'Error!';
header("Location: account_settings.php");
}
else
{
echo "Error!";
}
And then on your account_setting.php:
<?php echo $_SESSION['message'] ?>
This would be nice if the account_settings.php is not the same page as you currently are. Otherwise, you could use the following code:
if (true)
{
Do_Some_MySQL();
$error = 'Success!';
header("Location: account_settings.php");
}
else
{
$error = "Error!";
}
And on the same page:
<?php if($error) echo $error; ?>
Also don't forget to include session_start() on both pages if you didn't it yet.

Answer 2

I would use a SESSION variable:
on redirect-page:
<?php
#session_start();
if(true){
$_SESSION['success'] = 1;
header("Location: account-settings.php");
}
?>
and on account-settings.php:
<?php
#session_start();
if(isset($_SESSION['success'])){
echo "Success!";
unset($_SESSION['success']);
}

Answer 3

You cannot echo anything after you just redirected. The browser is already processing the request to redirect to another page, so it doesn't bother about displaying the message anymore. What you seem to be looking for is something called flash message. You can set a temporary message in the session and have it display on the new page. For example, in your account_settings.php page:
// Make sure you have an actual session
if (!session_id()) {
session_start();
}
if (true) {
Do_Some_MySQL();
$_SESSION['flashMessage'] = 'Success!';
header('Location: account_settings.php');
}
Then in your template file for account_settings, check if there is any flash message and display it accordingly (and unset it to avoid a loop):
if (isset($_SESSION['flashMessage'])) {
echo $_SESSION['flashMessage'];
unset($_SESSION['flashMessage']);
}

Answer 4

These people are correct...you can't send headers after a redirect. Although I think this would be a beneficial alternative. To send a GET request in your header and process it on the receiving page. They are suggesting to use $_SESSION vars, but you can use GET vars. Ex:
if (true)
{
//Do_Some_MySQL();
header("Location: account_settings.php?message=success");
//above has GET var message = Success
}
else
{
header("Location: account_settings.php?message=error");
}
On your account_settings.php page have this code:
if (isset($_GET['message'])) {
$message = $_GET['message'];
if ($message == "success") {
echo "Success";
} else {
echo "Error";
}
}
This removes the need of CONSTANT SESSION vars. and gives you plenty of flexibility.
header("Location: account_settings.php?message=No%20results%20found");
//%20 are URL spaces. I don't know if these are necessary.
If you need you can add more then one.
header("Location: account_settings.php?message=error&reason=No%20Results&timestamp=" . Date());
then account_settings.php can be:
if (isset($_GET['message'])) {
$message = $_GET['message'];
$reason = $_GET['reason'];
$time = $_GET['timestamp'];
if ($message == "success") {
echo "Success";
} else {
echo "Error: <br/>";
echo "Reason: $reason";
}
}
But remember GET exposes your messages in the browsers URL. So DON'T send sensitive information unless you secure it. Hope this helps.