[RESOLVED] How can I get header() to work? I can't put it before the output

**alex12345** · 02-09-2012, 10:17 AM

Hi,

My index.php is constructed in such a way that I can't figure out how to use header() before any of the included php files.
The thing is: I always stay on index.php, in the MAIN div because I use $_GET variable to define actions (such as action=login, =displaycategories, =viewpost) and I use include files, depending on which action is triggered.

So when I use the login feature, I can't use header() to redirect the browser to index.php, because output has already been generated in the header.

How can I solve this problem?
Below is my code for index.php.
Thanks a lot

Code:

<body>
<div id="wrap">
	<div id="header">
	<center>this is the header</center>
	</div>

        <div id="main">
	
// THIS is where all the PHP stuff happens. 

	</div>
	<div id="sidebar">
		<?php include ('include/leftmenu.php');?>

	</div>
	<div id="footer">
	<center>this is the footer</center>
	
	</div>
</body>

**Dasher** · 02-09-2012, 10:39 AM

Maybe something like this might work

Code:

<?php
$somevar = $_GET['somevar'];

if($somevar == "login" && !isset($_GET['notfirsttime'])){
header = ('Location:http://www.mysite.com/?somevar=login&notfirsttime=1');
}
unset($_GET['notfirsttime'];
?>
<html>
<body>
.....

</body>
</html>

**alex12345** · 02-09-2012, 01:01 PM

Hi Dasher,
Thanks for your response. I didn't understand what $somevar and $notfirsttime represent. What is your thought process?

I found a way to solve the problem, here it is:

PHP Code:


if ((isset($_POST['login'])))        
    header("refresh:0;url=index.php");

<html>
<body>
...

Regards,
Alex

**kristovaher** · 02-10-2012, 05:15 AM

You can always use header() before output, you should simply 'gather' all the output first. For example:

PHP Code:


ob_start();

echo 'test';

header('my header');

ob_end_flush();

What this will do is that it will gather everything that is output into a 'buffer' and ob_end_flush() will be the line that actually 'echoes' the output, so header() always comes before that.

Note that you can do a lot more with output buffer, read more here.