php page accessible only by passing through another php page - php

Question

I am looking to develop a website containing stages. I want for example to pass by the stage 2 only when i click on the finish button in the page of stage 1 so the stage 2 page can't be accessible by its url or whatever only if the user pass by another page.
Is there a method to do this ??? i am a beginner in security so please try to help me, thanks in advance coders

Answer 1

Make use of sessions to develop this model.
index.php
<?php
#extract($_POST);
if(isset($sub))
{
session_start();
$_SESSION['authenticate']=true;
header("location:test1.php");
exit;
}
?>
<form action='' method="post">
<input type="SUBMIT" name="sub" value="Finish" />
</form>
open.php
<?php
session_start();
if(!isset($_SESSION['authenticate']))
{
echo "You are not allowed to access";
}
else { echo "You came from index.php ! so you are a valid user"; }
session_destroy(); //<-- I added this so you can test your example multiple times.

Answer 2

I think, this show work :)
Use can either redirect your user directly from index.php to open.php
header('Location : open.php');
Or,
in open.php, put this
if($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] == 'index.php page's full link') {
//Do or Show whatever you want to show here
} else {
// Tell the user that you are not authorized
}
If that doesn't work, echo $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] and see what link it gives you. And put that link where specified above.
Cool? :)
Edit (As per the comments) --
Lets say you have a form in your form in stage1.php
<form method="post" action="">
<span class="error"><?php echo $error; ?></span>
Name: <input type="text" name="name"><br/>
Email: <input type="text" name="email"><br/>
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
use this php in stage1.php
if (isset($_POST['name'])||isset($_POST['email'])) {
if (!empty($_POST["name"])||!empty($_POST["email"])) {
$error = "Please fill in all the fields correctly";
}
else {
$name = $_POST['name'];
$email = $_POST['email'];
//You can also save the above Variables Globally by $GLOBALS['name'] = $_POST['name'];
//So that you can use the details when you reach the final stage
header('Location : stage2 page's link');
}
}
?>
and in Page 2 lets say you have another form, then there also check
<?php
if(!empty($name)||!empty($email)) {
//the above is check for global variables email and name are not empty - means stage 2 was filled properly
//Do things for the second page's form like you did for stage 1
} else {
header('Location : stage1 page's link');
//redirect back to stage 1.
}
?>