PHP classes & returning variables

Question

I'm trying to learn the object oriented side to php and keep hitting brick walls. One which is probably simply fixed but I can't figure out is why a variable variable passed back from a class function via URL will not echo to my page.

index.php

require_once('db.php');
require 'userclass.php';
$user = new user();

if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
    if($user->login($_POST['username'], $_POST['password'])){
        echo("poo");
    }
}

userclass.php

include('db.php');
session_start();
class User{

public function login($username, $password){
    $uname = $username;
    $pass = $password;
    header("location:index.php?uname=".$uname);

}
}

I think it might be something to do with my if condition logic?

Please point out any othwer stupidities on my part or non-common practices, I'd rather learn as much as possible while I'm at it rather than have just one solution. :)

Thanks!

Sorry the echo("poo"); is supposed to be echo $_GET['uname'];, I was testing a direct string, which also fails. — user1571463
– user1571463, Commented Aug 2, 2012 at 13:11
new User() instead of new user(); ? or is that just a typo in here? — Benno
– Benno, Commented Aug 2, 2012 at 13:12
Your code shows that the echo("poo"); will never happen because everytime you login you get redirected to another page (header("location:index.php?uname=".$uname);) — Oussama Jilal
– Oussama Jilal, Commented Aug 2, 2012 at 13:13
$uname is not defined inside the User class. You should exit after sending the Location header. — Florent
– Florent, Commented Aug 2, 2012 at 13:14

lll · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-02 13:23:16Z

2

Your class is defined with a capital letter. Use it.

$user = new User();

Your method does not return a value, and also tries to perform a redirect?

Your code that checks for a successful login is expecting a boolean value. You need to return true; (or false). The code you have listed also doesn't contain any logic that checks if the username or password is valid, although I suspect this is intentional at this stage, since you are testing.

Why is there a redirect seemingly in the middle of nowhere?

When you want to redirect you also need to kill the script and prevent any further page output, otherwise the redirect will not happen.

public function login($username, $password){
    if ($username == 'testuser' && $password == 'testpass') {
        return true;
    }
    header("Location: index.php?uname=$uname");
    die();
}

Other little niggles:

require and require_once are both statements and not functions. You are mixing a bracketed and non-bracketed syntax. It's preferable that you don't use brackets for statements.

You are passing $_POST['username'] straight back out in the Location header. While newer versions of PHP protect against header injection, it's a pretty bad idea to do this.

edited Aug 2, 2012 at 13:23

answered Aug 2, 2012 at 13:15

lll

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3 Comments

user1571463 Over a year ago

Ah thanks, sorry I'm fairly new to oo principles and am used to constant redirects rather than navigating through classes and functions. Thanks for the die(); advice too I've never seen that. One more question, how would I pass the username/password variable values back to index so when I redirect to a logged in page, I can echo something similar to welcome back $username?

lll Over a year ago

@user1571463: It's an entirely different subject, but check out Sessions and htmlentities - Also being new and wanting to learn is fine, don't be sorry for it. Keep posting well presented questions where you have done some initial research and tried yourself, and people will be more than happy to help.

user1571463 Over a year ago

Sorted the issues, Thanks again. :)

Benno · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-02 13:15:22Z

0

if($user->login($_POST['username'], $_POST['password'])){ would require some kind of return value for it to evaluate, and thus echo "poo"; would never happen, because you are then directed to a different page ?uname=, where $_POST is not set.

Login would need to return true IF certain conditions were met, and then I think the header location should probably be inside the index.php (if you are redirecting after a successful login.

answered Aug 2, 2012 at 13:15

Benno

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Comments

Дамян Станчев · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-02 13:16:07Z

0

When you call $user->login(...) it will send a header to go to another page. It also does not return any valid value like true/false... Add a returned value and remove the header and I think that will solve your problem...

answered Aug 2, 2012 at 13:16

Дамян Станчев

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