$_GET variables from a url string

[danielwarner]

im using a set of GET's form a url string that is generated from a search form. The problem is that none of the variables are showing up when echoed. The variables are obviously there because they are held in the url.

The problem i think i may have broken it down to is that the string looks a little something like this:

www.domain.com/search/?keywords=keywords..etc...

do i need to include the file name in order for the $_GET to work? I did a test with this and worked better than without the file name but that may have been because it was a different file. Is there a way of doing this using $_GET variables?


I flicked through the idea of sessions but i decided that i much prefer the idea of the url changing per search, this way the user can copy the search result url into an email etc...

Thanks for your help.

[MRMAN]

Do you have a sample of your code that you have. It would make it easier to see what the problem is

[danielwarner]

ok well this is a very bad example. I know the query doesnt work or anything yet and the code is scrappy but thats because im only trying to build the query at the moment...

PHP Code:

<?php

    //Return Query Builder
    $manufacture_query = $_GET['manufacture'];
    $berth_query = $_GET['berth'];
    $location_query = $_GET['location'];
    $keywords_query = $_GET['keywords'];
    $from_query = $_GET['from'];
    $to_query = $_GET['to'];
    $private_query = $_GET['private'];
    $trade_query = $_GET['trade'];
    $year_query = $_GET['year'];
    $man_id2 = $manufacture_query;

        if($from_query != ""){$search_returned = 1;}

        if($_GET["manufacture"] == "0"){$manufacture_query = "";}
        if($_GET["location"] == "0"){$location_query = "";}
        if($_GET["year"] == "0"){$year_query = "";}
        if($_GET["berth"] == "0"){$berth_query = "";}

//Attempting to echo results
echo $manufacture_query . "<br>" .
     $berth_query . "<br>" .
     $location_query . "<br>" .
     $keywords_query . "<br>" .
     $from_query . "<br>" .
     $to_query . "<br>" .
     $private_query . "<br>" .
     $trade_query . "<br>" .
     $year_query . "<br>";

    if($search_returned = 1){
    $result = "SELECT * FROM `adverts` WHERE `manufacture_id` ='$manufacture_query' && location_id ='$location_query' ORDER BY `timestamp` DESC";
    echo $result;
    }
    else { $result = "SELECT * FROM `adverts` ORDER BY `timestamp` DESC"; }

Im pretty sure there is nothing wrong with the way i attempt to echo the variables...i did a var_dump and the result came back NULL so the $_GET doesnt want to collect the data from the url.

Heres a (not) working example. http://www.caravansandtrailertents.co.uk/search/ The page should show the query trying to be built for development purposes and it should try to echo the variable...thats why the code shows a series of <br>'s with no information.

The reason i dont want to use search/index.php is because caravansandtrailertents.co.uk/search/ is a mod_rewrite in my .htdocs for the url ...co.uk/index.php?pageref=search

[MRMAN]

I think this may be a problem with the mod rewrite. but i have never done mod rewrite so i can't say for sure.

Sorry

[Brandoe85]

What version of php are you using?

[danielwarner]

www.caravansandtrailertents.co.uk/phpinfo.php

[MRMAN]

like i said i think its a problem with your mod rewrite. if you do this

http://www.caravansandtrailertents.co.uk/index.php?pageref=search&manufacture=13

then "13" is shown on the screen on its own and in the mysql_query

[danielwarner]

do you have any suggestions in this case for how i can hide the url string containing the index.php?pageref....etc?

[MRMAN]

why do you need to pass the search details in the url. can't you make the form a post form (method="post") and change $_GET[" to $_POST["

if you can't then this link http://www.phpfreaks.com/tutorials/23/1.php might help with the mod_rewrite

[danielwarner]

Wow thanks for that tutorial, im working on converting it but by reading it i have realised that i have made a huge mistake in my .htaccess file and can improve the effeciency LOADS!

Thanks again!