header('Location: ) in php switch to execute url with onclick function - php

Question

To put it simply I have this variable which carries a hyperlink:
$test3 = 'Move to Quotes';
and what I need is to execute this variable inside a switch case like below:
switch ($_POST['dropdown']) {
case "Select Folder":
echo "Please select";
break;
case "One":
exec($test3); <-- //here i want to run (if this is not execute, my misunderstanding) the link.
break;
case "Two":
header('Location: http://www.facebook.com/'); <-- //this is just a test
break;
default:
echo "<br></br>";
echo "Move multiple files:";
echo "<br></br>";
}
?>
<form method="post" name="theform" action="">
<select name="dropdown">
<option value="Move to Folder">Select</option>
<option value="One">One</option>
<option value="Two">Two</option>
</select>
<input type="submit" value="Move"/>
</form>
I'd like know how to execute the ahref link without the user clicking it, but simply set this link as a case and when the user submits the form, the selected case actions the hyperlink.
Any help appreciated.
MORE DETAIL
I understand that javascript and php are both seperate languages and that a better option would be to use Ajax, but my understanding of Ajax is limited.
To explain it better, this is what's going on in its entirety:
1) I have a mailbox with a selection of messages.
2) You are able to check these messages and then click a link "Trash Selected" which deletes the selected messages. This the link:
Trash Selected
The javascript function actions the php function in $muldel for all selected messages and updates the database.
This is the javascript function in question:
function inboxDelete(url) {
document.messages.action = url;
document.messages.submit();
}
archiveMove() is exactly the same, just duplicated temporarily to make things clear.
3) I have now re-used the ahref code to do the same procedure, but this time, for moving the selected messages into folders.
4) These folders can be selected from a drop down box - this is where the form comes in.
5) So although I can get it to work by adding a link like such:
$test3 = 'Move to Quotes';
echo $test3;
6) I now need this to work the same way but the link being changed, depending on which folder is selected.
That's the full extent to my problem, I hope this is more clear.
I am aware you can send variables into javscript using GET or POST and then carry out the function entirely through javascript. I have tried something like below, but to no avail:
<form method=post name="myform" action="<?php echo $PHP_SELF;?>">
<input type="hidden" name="formVar" value="">
<input type="text" value="Enter Text Here" name="myText">
<input type="text" value="Enter Text Here" name="myText2">
<input type="submit" value="Send form!" onClick="readmove()">
</form>
<?php
// Retrieve the hidden form variable (using PHP).
$myvar = $_POST['formVar'];
if ($myvar == "$mulmov"){
echo $mulmov;
}
?>
<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
function setText(){
document.myform.myText.value = document.myform.myText.value.toUpperCase();
}
function readmove(){
document.myform.myText.value = "<?php echo $myvar; ?>" ;
readmove2();
}
function readmove2(){
if (document.myform.myText.value == "$mulmov"){
document.myform.myText2.value = "<?php echo $mulmov; ?>" ;
<?php exec ('archiveMove(\''.$mulmov.'\'); return false;'); ?>
} else if (document.myform.myText.value == "$mulmov2"){
document.myform.myText2.value = "<?php echo $mulmov2; ?>" ;
}
}
</script>

Answer 1

First of all, you can't execute JavaScript from within PHP like this. At this point, the control has already moved to the server and JavaScript is run on the client-side.
Second of all Im assuming you dont want to just follow the link, you want to run the link's onClick event, since the href is just a hashtag. So you are trying to run a JavaScript function with PHP. You cant call a function in one language from a function in another language.
Its hard to tell what exactly you are trying to do, but if you want to run a function when a user selects a certain dropdown, write a php function that does what archiveMove() does. If you want this to happen without a page refresh, you can stop the submit process and call your archiveMove() function with javaScript and Ajax.
If elaborate on what exactly you are trying to do, maybe we can help more.
Ok, so the only difference between your working code and the not working code is that you want to dictate the submitted URL based on what is selected in the dropdown?
So you can use JavaScript to set the form action when the dropdown is selected.
BUT, It might be a better idea to submit the form with the same action everytime, and then use PHP to decide what to do. It seems like this is where you were headed initially. Just get the folder id in the switch statement and call a function to make your edits:
The PHP can be similar to the way you had it:
switch ($_POST['dropdown']) {
case "Two":
// set folder id
$folder_id = 2;
break;
}
moveMessages($_POST['Messages'], $folder_id);
function that moves the messages where they need to go.
function moveMessages($messages, $folder_id){
// depending on your form setup
foreach($data as $id => $value ){
if($value){
// code to move to folder
}
}
return true;
}
If there are other factors involved, let me know.

Answer 2

You can write JavaScript code that request a url using window.location.href in click hadler.
window.location.href="http://example.com";

Answer 3

Ok this was my solution but thank you also for your solution Jeff Ryan, this worked also.
<script language="javascript">
function buttons(str)
{
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML = str;
if (document.f1.users.options[1].selected){
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML ="<?php echo $mulmov; ?>";
document.messages.action = document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML;
}
else if (document.f1.users.options[2].selected){
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML ="<?php echo $mulmov2; ?>";
document.messages.action = document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML;
}
}
function submit_mes(str)
{
document.messages.submit();
}
</script>
<form name="f1">
<select name="users" onChange="buttons(this.value)">
<option value="">Select a folder:</option>
<option value="Quotes">Quotes</option>
<option value="Projects">Projects</option>
<input type="button" value="Move" onClick="submit_mes(this.value)">
</select>
</form>
<div id="txtHint"><b>Folder will be listed here.</b></div>