Run two headers in php?

Question

Is there a solution for executing two headers in php? The first header is to execute a php script and the second header is to reload the current php page. If not, is there another way? With a button press, the submitGen function is called. Is there a delay that can be added between two header functions so they can run from same script?

<?php
if (isset($_POST['submitGen'])) {
    header('Location:Page2.php');
    header('Refresh: 0');
}
?>

...
<tr>
    <form action="" method="post" role="form">
        <td>
            <input type="submit" name="submitGen" class="btn btn-primary" value = "Gen">
        </td>
    </form>
</tr>

Answer 1

Not possible, the header function sends an HTTP response. You can only send 1 response per 1 request, that's how the HTTP protocol works (for the most part). A client requests 1 asset/document/something and the server provides 1 response for that call.

If you want to refresh the current page after the client triggers an event, consider using Javascript to perform the current page's refresh with something like location.reload() on the form submission event.

Answer 2

I would recommend a two-step workaround.

The idea is to send the redirect during the first request, and then set a session variable, so the refresh is sent during the second request.

<?php
session_start();
if(isset($_POST['submitGen']))
    {
        $_SESSION['do'] = 'refresh';
        header('Location:Page2.php');
    }
if($_SESSION['do'] == 'refresh')
    {
        unset($_SESSION['do']);
        header("Refresh: 0");
    }

?>

Answer 3

It's not really clear what Page2.php does, but consider:

1) Page2.php is server-code only - nothing to output to client:

<?php
if(isset($_POST['submitGen']))
    {
        //header('Location:Page2.php');
        //header("Refresh: 0");
        require 'Page2.php';
    }

?>

...

2) Page2.php has output that needs to be sent to client (cookies, javascript etc)

<?php
if(isset($_POST['submitGen']))
    {
        header('Location:Page2.php?autoreturn=true');
        //Catch the autoreturn argument in Page2.php
        //die die die always after a header location..
        die();
    }

?>

Answer 4

When the form is submitted, run a Javascript function that fetches Page2.php and reloads when it's done.

Here's a proof-of-concept that I just tested on my server and works exactly as you asked for. When the user clicks the submit button, Javascript loads Page2.php in the background and then reloads Page1.php:

Page1.php:

<script>
function do_submit() {
        fetch('Page2.php')
        .then(function() {
                console.log('Got Page2.php! Reloading...');
                location.reload()
        })
        .catch(function() {
                console.log('Page2.php failed')
        });

        return false;
}
</script>

<table>
<tr>
<form action="" method="post" role="form" onsubmit="return do_submit()">
<td>
    <input type="submit" name="submitGen" class="btn btn-primary" value = "Gen">
</td>
</form>
</tr>
</table>

Page2.php:

$fp = fopen( 'log.txt', 'a' );
if ( $fp ) {
        fwrite( $fp, date("Y-m-d h:i:si\n") );
        fclose($fp);
        echo "Done!\n";
} else {
        echo "Error opening file\n";
}

Note that log.txt must be writable by the web server, otherwise the script won't be able to open it for writing.

I tested this on my web server and it does exactly what you asked for: it executes Page2.php (as evidenced by the date/time written to log.txt, and then reloads Page1.php in the browser.

Answer 5

Probably no way to send two headers as mentioned above, but.

If you need to reload after Page2.php shown and there is no Javascript/user input on Page2.php, you can just add

echo "<script>location.reload()</script>";

at the end of the Page2.php - it's a js code which will reload the page when reached. Works even in IE, but needs JS to be enabled.

Answer 6

Have the form load its contents into an <iframe>. Use JS to detect when the <iframe> has loaded, and then reload the main page:

<form action="" method="post" role="form" onsubmit="return doIt()">
  <input type="submit" name="submitGen" class="btn btn-primary" value = "Gen">
</form>

<iframe id="dest" src=""></iframe>

The script to handle form submit:

function doId() {
  var iframe = document.getElementById('dest')
  iframe.addEventListener('load', function() {
    location.reload(); // reload current page
  })
  iframe.src = 'Page2.php'
  return false; // Prevent form from submitting
}

Answer 7

There's one way you can send that you can do two task in a single header as

header("Refresh:0;url=Page2.php");

Here what happens is the page that you are currently on gets refreshed first and then the second part of the header is been done which redirects you to the another webpage as mentioned.

Note: It is not a good idea to send multiple header() to the webpage because if they are are of the same type only the last mentioned header will be executed.

Answer 8

This IS the correct way to set multiple headers for 1 request:

<?php
    if(isset($_GET['submit'])) {
        header("Location:Page2.php");
        header("Refresh:0");
    }
?>           

Note: In this sample we are redirecting to Page2.php due to that the Refresh:0 is useless!

Saying useless does not mean that Page1.php will not output the header: Refresh:0.

NEVER USE: Location + Refresh for same request unless you know what you are doing.

---

Page1 will output both headers but you will not notice any difference from a regular web browser.

If you debug in Chrome you will see this code sets both Headers for Page1:

---

Is there a solution for executing two headers in php?

Yes, as shown below you can set as many header as you like:

<?php
    if(isset($_GET['submit'])) {

        if(isset($_GET['count'])) {
            if($_GET['count'] === '5') {
                header("Location:Page2.php");
            } else {
                sleep(1); // HERE Instead of SLEEP run your magic code!
                $count = $_GET['count'] + 1;
                header("Location:Page1.php?submit=1&count=$count");
            }
        } else {
            header("Location:Page1.php?submit=1&count=1");
        }
    }

    header("Connection:Close");
    header("Content-Type:Unknown Cyborg Coding");
    header("Keep-Alive:timeout=60, max=300");
    header("X-Powered-By:Cyborg-Powered MAGIC Servers");
    header("Language:Chineeeeese");
    header("Bots:Are my Friends!");
    header("Hacks:Are COOL!");
    header("Knowledge:Is GOOD!");
    header("StackOverflow:Is GOOD");
    header("Refresh:5"); // This header will be SET but will not make any difference since we use Location Redirect!
    // Refresh Header AND Location Header SHOULD NOT be set for same request unless you KNOW what you are doing. 

    echo "This lines will never been seen UNLESS you use cURL or other approch to DISABLE FOLLOW-REDIRECTS!<br/>\n";
    echo "Enjoy Coding!";
?>

Again, Header Refresh here will not make any difference. But after 5 Reloads of Page1 it will redirect to Page2!

See this headers and requests:

---

The first header is to execute a php script and the second header is to reload the current php page.

For that you dont need to set 2 header, but if you want to reload Page1 multiple times till you get some results from other script, and thereafter go to Page2 when results are success from script then just change the if conditions in code above.

Code Sample:

<?php
    if(isset($_GET['submit'])) {
        $results = shell_exec("curl -k 'https://api4.eu'"); // here set the script you want.
        if (strpos($results, 'Realtime API Exchange') !== false) { header("Location:Page2.php"); }
        else { sleep(3); header("Location:Page1.php?submit=1"); }
    }
?>

Or better avoid sleep and use:

<?php
    if(isset($_GET['submit'])) {
        $results = shell_exec("curl -k 'https://api4.eu'"); // here set the script you want.
        if (strpos($results, 'Realtime API Exchange') !== false) { header("Location:Page2.php"); }
        else { header("Refresh:3"); }
    }
?>