Go back w/o loading the form?

[Rolf Rosenquist]

From a page with a form I collect the fields in the next page. The fields
are compared with a database and if a certain condition does not fit, I want
to go back to the first page with the form, and still keep all the other
fields as they were written.

If I use Response.Redirect the form will be loaded empty again. The same if
I use a button on page 2 with onClick="history.Back". Isn't there a way to
go back and keep the already written fields in the form on the first page,
as if the user just had hit the Back icon in IE?

/ Rolf

 

[Mike Brind]

From a page with a form I collect the fields in the next page. The fields
are compared with a database and if a certain condition does not fit, I
want
to go back to the first page with the form, and still keep all the other
fields as they were written.

If I use Response.Redirect the form will be loaded empty again. The same
if
I use a button on page 2 with onClick="history.Back". Isn't there a way to
go back and keep the already written fields in the form on the first page,
as if the user just had hit the Back icon in IE?

There are a number of ways to do this. Here's one that will cope with the
fact that one page posts to another.

ExampleForm.asp

<form method="post" action="Action.asp">
<p>Enter First name: <input type="text" name="FirstName"
value="<%=Session("FirstName")%>"></p>
<p>Enter Second name: <input type="text" name="SecondName"
value="<%=Session("SecondName")%>"></p>
<p><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Click Me"></p>

Action.asp

<%
Dim x, boolValid

For Each x in Request.Form
Session(x) = Request.Form(x)
Next

boolValid = True
'Validate form values
If 'any test fails Then
boolValid=false
End If
If boolValid = false Then Response.Redirect("ExampleForm.asp")
%>

 

[Rolf Rosenquist]

Mike, do you mean that I should then repopulate the form from the Session(x)
if I come back to the first page?
Isn't it too much waste of server memory to use session variables for normal
data between pages?

If someone uses the back button in the browser, all the fields are still
there. Couldn't I do the same thing with asp code?

/ Rolf

 

[Mike Brind]

You can't rely on the back button maintaining form state. The back button
belongs to the browser, and as such is outside of the control of an asp
developer.

Personally, I get pages to post to themselves in the vast majority of cases.
I usually do this kind of thing:

<%
Sub ShowForm
%>
<form method="post" action="">
<p>Enter First name: <input type="text" name="FirstName"
value="<%=Request.form("FirstName")%>"></p>
<p>Enter Second name: <input type="text" name="SecondName"
value="<%=Request.Fom("SecondName")%>"></p>
<p><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Click Me"></p>
<%
End Sub

If Not IsEmpty(Request.Form("submit")) Then
'Form posted
'validate values
'if validation fails, show form
Call ShowForm
Else
Success
Else
Call ShowForm
End If
%>

But of course, some forms need more than one page. If you think that using
session variables will be too much for your environment, you can use a
database, text files, hidden fields etc.

--
Mike Brind

--
Mike Brind

Mike, do you mean that I should then repopulate the form from the
Session(x)
if I come back to the first page?
Isn't it too much waste of server memory to use session variables for
normal
data between pages?

If someone uses the back button in the browser, all the fields are still
there. Couldn't I do the same thing with asp code?

/ Rolf

 

[Rolf Rosenquist]

Yes it works now with hidden fields, but I have found it is necessary to use
a submit button to get them back to page1. They do not appear, when I try to
do it in the background with Response.Redirect "page1,asp"

Is there a way to catch the hidden fields without a button?
/ Rolf

You can't rely on the back button maintaining form state. The back button
belongs to the browser, and as such is outside of the control of an asp
developer.

Personally, I get pages to post to themselves in the vast majority of cases.
I usually do this kind of thing:

<%
Sub ShowForm
%>
<form method="post" action="">
<p>Enter First name: <input type="text" name="FirstName"
value="<%=Request.form("FirstName")%>"></p>
<p>Enter Second name: <input type="text" name="SecondName"
value="<%=Request.Fom("SecondName")%>"></p>
<p><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Click Me"></p>
<%
End Sub

If Not IsEmpty(Request.Form("submit")) Then
'Form posted
'validate values
'if validation fails, show form
Call ShowForm
Else
Success
Else
Call ShowForm
End If
%>

But of course, some forms need more than one page. If you think that using
session variables will be too much for your environment, you can use a
database, text files, hidden fields etc.

--
Mike Brind

--
Mike Brind