Passing variables between 2 forms on same page

Palsam · September 4th, 2003, 08:31 AM

I have multiple pages based on a template (using Dreamweaver MX). This template is split in two parts (div); a menu area and an info (main) area. Each area contains a form. In the menu area form I have different form elements which determine the content of the info area (e.g. a combo box controlling which page is loaded).

Two of these elements are text fields where the user selects dates (using a JavaScript calender). I need to fill the info area with a table of N rows, where N is the numbers of days between the two dates.

As far as I know, the page has to be submitted to the server with these date, generating "new" page on the server side.

What is the best approach when I want to display result on the same page which submits the dates?

Palsam

joefawcett · September 5th, 2003, 05:24 AM

Firstly have the form's action set to the same page as it is on, this is the default if you leaver the attribute blank.
Secondly you will need to check in the first few lines of server-side code if the page is being shown for the first time or is a submiossion. The way to do theis is to use the name of one of the requset variables that you know will not be empty when the form is submitted.
For example, let's say one of the date fields is named "startDate" and the forms method is set to "post", this might be the your opening asp code:

Code:

  Dim sStartDate
  sStartDate = Request.Form("startDate)
  If Len(sStartDate) > 0 Then
    'Form has been submitted, process data and write appropriate message.
  Else
    'Page is being shown for first time. 
   End If

--

Joe

planoie · September 5th, 2003, 08:54 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by joefawcett
Firstly have the form's action set to the same page as it is on, this is the default if you leaver the attribute blank.

Be careful with this. When the "action" attribute is blank in a form tag, I.E. defaults to a postback to the same page. Other browsers may not do this. I am pretty sure older netscapes won't do anything without a value in "action". Don't know about others. To be safe when you want a page to post back to itself, do this in the form tag:

Code:

action="<%=Request.ServerVariables("SCRIPT_NAME")%>"

Peter