need help echo in index.php from process.php - php

Question

After my form has been submitted and my message has been sent I want to go back to the index which this does, but I also want to display echo 'Message has been sent' in the index.php in a div instead of my process.php, how would I go about doing this. Sort of new to php if you need any more of my code I will provide or link to site. Thanks.
This is what i tried so far.
in my process.php file
if(!$mail->send()) {
$output = 1;
// $output = 'Mailer Error: ' . $mail->ErrorInfo;
} else {
$output = 2;
header('Location:index.php');
}
in my index.php file
<?php
if ($output == 2) {
echo "<b>Message has been sent</b>";
} elseif ($output == 1) {
echo "<b>Message could not be sent, please try again</b>";
} else {}
?>

Answer 1

The variable $output isn't set in your index.php file.
As an easy way to start you can try it like
header('Location:index.php?output='.$output);
and fetch output in your index.php with
$output = $_GET['output'];
at the beginning of your file, that way you will be able to make your if statements work.
Also be advised that you will never be redirected if $output = 1 in your process.php, as the header is only in the else statement. Simply place the header after your else statements closing bracket.
if(!$mail->send()) {
$output = 1;
} else {
$output = 2;
}
header('Location:index.php?output='.$output);
die();
index.php:
<?php
if (isset($_GET['output'])) {
$output = $_GET['output'];
if ($output == 2) {
echo "<b>Message has been sent</b>";
} elseif ($output == 1) {
echo "<b>Message could not be sent, please try again</b>";
}
}
Please be advised that you shouldn't use unsanitized request data (user input and what so ever) in a production environment, as this is a security risk.

Answer 2

This won't work, the value won't get passed to the index this way:
} else {
$output = 2;
header('Location:index.php');
}
Your options (short of redesigning the way it works) are POST or GET;
} else {
$output = 2;
header('Location:index.php?sent=1');
}
Then in your index.php:
<?php
if (isset($_GET['sent']) && $_GET['sent'] == 1) {
echo "<b>Message has been sent</b>";
}
?>