Every time I try and do some web application programming that involves
forms (i.e. getting data from a user) it ends up being far more
complicated than I expect (and more complicated than it should be I
feel).
Anywhere else that one programs something to get some data from a user
it's fairly direct and simple:-
Output something to ask a question
Wait for user to enter response
Get return with the response
OK, it's a bit more complex/messier when using a GUI because there isn't
necessarily a simple single thread but it still comes down to the
program waiting for an event and, when the event happens, it gets handed
some data.
However when web programming it's nothing like this, one can't simply
ask a question and get the answer. Say one has a PHP script running
server side, it creates a form which is then displayed when the client
requests it and the client fills in the form. The trouble is that
there's no direct way for the PHP script that created the form to get
the result - at least there isn't in any of the environment/frameworks
that I've used.
What happens is that there is *another* script which gets run (server
side) when the client submits the form duly filled in. This other
script has no direct connection with the script that created the form,
no common environment, nothing.
It's thus very difficult to write simple form driven applications as one
can't simply display a form and get the data from the form in 'one
place' as it were.
Am I missing something obvious here?
--
Chris Green