[Pmwiki-users] passing variables between php programs

Crisses crisses
Sat May 15 19:58:23 CDT 2004


> In php you have access to the super global variable $_GET and $_POST
> that contain all the get and post variables available in the scope the
> script is running.

Yes, but they're in the scope that the script is running.  I can access 
those.  But how do I pass them to pmwiki.php when I'm ready to call it? 
  GET implies via URL...how do you supply a URL and POST to send with 
it?

>  The website www.php.net is invaluable for command
> reference in PHP there is so many billions of commands available and
> even programmers who have been working for many years programming php
> can't remember everything.

Well, that's true, and I've been pouring over the documentation there, 
and unfortunately that doesn't mean it's a good tutorial: it's a 
reference.  it's like *reading* an O'reilly Reference guide [a great 
thing to have on hand but I wouldn't want to start there!] and 
attempting to learn from it (Yipes!).  --Even with a search feature it 
doesn't mean that the functions and code reference equate to a real 
example of what you're trying to do.  So instead of spending more than 
the several hours I've already done trying to figure this out (between 
that and failed attempts to Google the issue), I figured I'd ask.  None 
of the examples on any of the pages I went through applied -- no user 
comments were helpful -- the documentation was unhelpful.  If someone 
pointed out which functions/methods/whatever would be the right ones 
(or some of the right ones to choose from) in this case, I could look 
them up and see if I could figure it out.  Otherwise, I'm stuck pouring 
through extensive function lists wondering if there's a module I need 
to load, if it's in the basic documentation, or if I'm simply clueless 
and overlooking something.

> This type of application isn't a very hard project, you will have a
> small form that the user types in whatever they want into a text field
> then they hit submit, this calls a php script that parses that form 
> data
> forms a new url to the Pmwiki (would need modified to accept GET
> variables to propagate the edit page form), and then just redirects the
> user to the new url with get variables. I highly suggest encoding any
> user inputted text with base64 before you pass it via a GET variable.

I can't tell if what you said is helpful to me where I stand.  I have a 
working program.  It spits output to a browser in the form of a single 
(imploded array->)string at the end (because it gives me the fun of not 
having to write a loop, and auto-inserts <br /> breaks between lines).  
I want to know how to pass that array to PmWiki.  I don't think it 
should be via GET; it's possibly going to get too big.  I need to know 
how to send a POST to another url without using a hidden field on a 
form with a button that necessitates user interaction.  I also want to 
incur the lowest amount of PmWiki being rewritten.  I'm not sure I need 
more theory: I actually need someone to point out the command set I 
should study, to hand me a simple line of code (like: "Oh, that's easy, 
it's blah, I could have told you that; you shouldn't have been banging 
your head against that silly document for 3 hours!"), or to explain to 
me that what I am trying to do isn't possible.  And why, so I can 
reformulate my theories and future plans for this project.

I don't think base64 is going to help (I assume that's for purposes of 
data compression?).  Are you implying the only way to pass variables 
from PHP->PHP is via GET?  Or is it just the easiest way?  You never 
actually said POST is not possible.  What if the text field is so large 
it's too large for GET even after being encoded in base64?  And what 
library do I find that command (to encode a string in base64) in?

> You will proably have to use a piece of compiled software on the
> machine, here is a link to some solutions for unix to convert a word
> document into plain text:

I already have one: Antiword.  I appreciate it though.

> The php script can call the conversion program and convert the file as
> text then read in the text file in then do whatever you want with it.
> I'm not sure if Pmwiki will accept page content via a GET variable,
> proably not. So you proably will need to code a mod for Pmwiki to take 
> a
> variable.

Again: are you saying it's not possible?  Or is it so hard it's not 
worthwhile?

> I suggest encoding the text version of the word document with base64 
> and
> pass it via a GET variable to Pmwiki which after you modify it will
> propagate the edit page form with the content.

My parsing program would play with the converted word document first, 
but yes, that's the *general* idea.  I was wondering how to send via 
POST, however. If it's possible.

> To send GET variables you would form your url containing the variables

That part I know.

> and use the php command:
>
> header("Location: ".$url);

Thank you; that part I didn't know.  I can write php but it doesn't 
make me a rocket scientist.  This is the first time (ever) that I'm 
writing a program and want it to interact with another one via the web 
-- although in this case it will reside on the same server (in case 
that changes anything).

Crisses




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