Problem With $http_post_vars

[kvarnerexpress 0]

I have a piece of code on one server that works and the same piece of code on another server does not.
The difference is in the PHP verison & the Linux verison
The one that works runs PHP4 on Redhat Linux.
The one that doesn't runs PHP5 on SUSE Linux.
Not sure if this is where the issue lies or not. I do know that in one case I see an adrress in searchable and in the other case it is null.


PHP Code:

 if ($HTTP_POST_VARS[addr]) { 	$searchable = $HTTP_POST_VARS[addr]; 	echo "searchable = ".var_dump($searchable)."</br>"; 	$stack=array(); ...extra code } else { 	print("<form method=\"POST\" action=\"ifinfo-single.php\"><table><tr><td><b>Enter IP/range/list: </td><td><input type=\"text\" name=\"addr\"></td><td><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\"></td></tr></table>"); 	print("<table><tr><td valign=top><b>Valid values: </td><td><font size=\"-1\"><ul><li>Single IP (172.16.32.152)</li><li>Range (172.16.32.140-144)</li><li>Semicolon seperated (172.16.32.140;172.16.32.151;172.16.32.152)</li></ul></td></tr></table>"); }  

Any ideas?

[Spectre 0]

I would suggest you use $_POST instead of $HTTP_POST_VARS. The former has superceded the latter - to the extent that I think some newer versions of PHP have alltogether dropped support for the previously used variable.

 

Also, I think it would probably a good idea to change the equivalent code above to:

 

if (isset($HTTP_POST_VARS['addr']) && $HTTP_POST_VARS['addr'] != '' ) { 	$searchable = $HTTP_POST_VARS['addr']; 	echo 'searchable = '.var_dump($searchable).'</br>'; 	$stack=array(); ...extra code }...

Remember to always enclose variable indexes (unless they are numeric) in quotes. $variable[index] may work on some systems, but $variable['index'] will work on all, and is a better standard of coding. Note that you should still replace $HTTP_POST_VARS with $_POST in the above block of code; I've just left it as is to make it easy to read.

 

Also, in the last section of your script, don't you think it would be easier to enclose the string in single quotes, and not have to escape every double quote you encounter?

 

print('<form method="POST" action="ifinfo-single.php"><table><tr><td><b>Enter IP/range/list: </td><td><input type="text" name="addr"></td><td><input type="submit" value="Submit"></td></tr></table>'); 	print('<table><tr><td valign=top><b>Valid values: </td><td><font size="-1"><ul><li>Single IP (172.16.32.152)</li><li>Range (172.16.32.140-144)</li><li>Semicolon seperated (172.16.32.140;172.16.32.151;172.16.32.152)</li></ul></td></tr></table>');

[OpaQue 15]

This piece of information might prove helpful..

The deprecation of the old $HTTP_*_VARS arrays (which need to be indicated as global when used inside a function or method). The following autoglobal arrays were introduced in PHP ? 4.1.0. They are: $_GET, $_POST, $_COOKIE, $_SERVER, $_FILES, $_ENV, $_REQUEST, and $_SESSION. The older $HTTP_*_VARS arrays, such as $HTTP_POST_VARS, still exist and have since PHP 3. As of PHP 5.0.0, the long PHP predefined variable arrays may be disabled with the register_long_arrays directive.

 

Also, external variables are no longer registered in the global scope by default. In other words, as of PHP ? 4.2.0 the PHP directive register_globals is off by default in php.ini

 

[adly3000 0]

i agree with OpaQue:

The deprecation of the old $HTTP_*_VARS arrays (which need to be indicated as global when used inside a function or method). The following autoglobal arrays were introduced in PHP ť 4.1.0. They are: $_GET, $_POST, $_COOKIE, $_SERVER, $_FILES, $_ENV, $_REQUEST, and $_SESSION. The older $HTTP_*_VARS arrays, such as $HTTP_POST_VARS, still exist and have since PHP 3. As of PHP 5.0.0, the long PHP predefined variable arrays may be disabled with the register_long_arrays directive.

 

Also, external variables are no longer registered in the global scope by default. In other words, as of PHP ť 4.2.0 the PHP directive register_globals is off by default in php.ini

 

 

just cahnge the ($HTTP_*_VARS arrays i.e. $HTTP_POST_VARS) to ($_* i.e. $_POST)

 

i also agree with Spectre:

using isset in trhe if statement is better than just if:

if (isset($_POST['addr']) && $_POST['addr'] != '' ) { 	$searchable = $_POST['addr']; 	echo 'searchable = '.var_dump($searchable).'</br>'; 	$stack=array(); ...extra code }...

the above code better than the following one:

if ($_POST['addr']) { 	$searchable = $_POST['addr']; 	echo "searchable = ".var_dump($searchable)."</br>"; 	$stack=array(); ...extra code }

Edited February 22, 2006 by adly3000 (see edit history)