Member Avatar for phpDave

Hello, I'm fairly new to php. I have a two page's, one where user creates account. The other one is for the user to insert other information. If user completes both pages I want to direct them to their personal page, else, direct them to the second page to insert the other data if they did not do it during the first session.

Basically, If user completed registration on 2nd page go to XXX.php
Else go to yyy.php. (to complete registration)

By the way, I'm using a parent and child table with a foreign key.
Thanx!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by vandenzergen

Dani AI

Generated

Short version: do the check on the server, immediately after you successfully authenticate and create the session. Either (A) keep a simple flag or timestamp on the user row that you set when the second form is saved, or (B) derive completion by checking the child/profile table for a row with the current user_id. Both approaches were hinted at by and ; choose whichever fits your schema but keep it deterministic (one true source of truth).

Where the logic belongs: in the login handler, after session_start() and after verifying credentials (and after calling session_regenerate_id()). Query the database for the completion check and then branch to either the user dashboard or the profile-completion page before you output any HTML. Do not rely only on client-side redirects — ’s JS trick can help UX but is not a replacement for server-side enforcement.

A compact server-side pattern (using PDO) looks like this:

$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM profiles WHERE user_id = ?)');
$stmt->execute([$userId]);
$profile_complete = (bool)$stmt->fetchColumn();

if ($profile_complete) {
  // send user to personal page
} else {
  // send user to form2 to finish profile
}

Practical tips and cautions: enforce server-side validation on the second form and only set the flag (or insert the child row) when the DB write succeeds—use transactions if you write multiple tables. Make profiles.user_id unique to avoid duplicates. Keep session data minimal (store the user id), and always stop script execution after doing a redirect. Decide what “complete” means (specific required fields or simply existence of the profile row) and document it so you avoid intermittent states. This ties together the redirect advice from / and the status/profile ideas from and others.

Recommended Answers

All 13 Replies

Member Avatar for xandermedia

evstevemd is absolutely correct,
here is the basic code for header:
if registration complete

header('Location:xxx.php');

else

header('Location:yyy.php');
Member Avatar for phpDave

Yes, thank you. But how can my site know if the user submitted the second form or not.

Member Avatar for vaultdweller123

i recommend you use javascript redirect

echo "<script>window.location='form2.php'</script>";

to avoid annoying error on php header() function, about already sent output.
regards on how you will know if the 2nd form is successfully and correctly filled up. you can add a field in your database table where you store your record. you can add a 'status' field, and set it to 1 or 0, let's say 1=complete, 0=incomplete.

Member Avatar for Member #120589

Personally, I'd stay clear of js if possible - header() if used correctly shouldn't cause an error ("headers already sent").

Am I correct in assuming your db:-

table1 (members - records created on registration):
id (PK)
username
pw
email
(etc)
table2 (profile - records created when profile form sent):
id (PK)
user_id* (FK)
avatar
hobbies
(etc)

Just check for the existence of a record in the profile table (matching user_id). If one exists - go to the personal page, else go to the profile page. However VD's status is a good solution.

Edited by Member #120589 because: n/a
Member Avatar for vaultdweller123

Personally, I'd stay clear of js if possible - header() if used correctly shouldn't cause an error ("headers already sent").

haha... sorry about that master... i always get trouble with header(), and i dont know how to fix it. thats why i user javascript to avoid the hassle.

However VD's status is a good solution.

thanks dude... but your approach is a lot better.. hehe

Member Avatar for Chosen13

Can you please explain your request more clearly.

Member Avatar for phpDave

Thnx for all answers. To explain question better:
The answers I got seem correct. My table is set just like ardav said.
Anyway, I having trouble trying to figure how to write the code to verify if form 2 was complete, if yes direct them to personal page after logging in, if no, direct them to page 2 so they can complete form 2. ardav answers sounds right, so do others but it just about going about writing the code and where. Stuck for a while.
Thax again for answers!

Member Avatar for Lsmjudoka

Assuming you have a column in your database entitled "register_status" or something like that, and that user has logged in:

1- Query database for user info.

$query = "SELECT * FROM Users WHERE id='$userid' ";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error() );
$user_data = mysql_fetch_array($result);

2- Test register status.

if($user_data['register_status'] == 2) {    // Form 2 complete
  header("Location: profile.url");
}
else {
 header("Location: form2.url");
}
Member Avatar for phpDave

Thank you! I'm just a little confused on the status column. I created one but I really not sure how to use it. Please explain how to use a status column. Nevertheless, much progress!

Member Avatar for Stefano Mtangoo

Personally, I'd stay clear of js if possible - header() if used correctly shouldn't cause an error ("headers already sent")..

JS is the best way to go but only if you are sure your users will not turn off JS in their browsers. No one in the world can guarantee that so here is what I do:
1. Create Pure XHTM/PHP site
2. Add JS to do PHP stuffs at Client.
If user's JS is on some basic things like empty field will be dealt at user level and relieve server of unnecessary queries

Cheers ;)

Member Avatar for Lsmjudoka

When you insert the contents of the second form to the database, insert the number "2" into the "status" column to indicate that the user has submitted the information.

Member Avatar for vandenzergen

Yes, thank you. But how can my site know if the user submitted the second form or not.

ANS: You could always check all the variables while your still on that same web page. All you need to do is this...

i.e.

if($_POST['data1'] == "" || $_POST['data2'] == "")
{
      echo "You can not leave this page."
}
else
{
 //You will be redirected
      echo "<script>window.location = 'http://yoursite.com/user_profile.php'</script>";	
}

I hope this would help!! :D

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