PHP header(Location: ...): Force URL change in address bar

Question

I'm currently working on a mobile site with authentication using PHP sessions with a database. I have a login page with a form that goes to server_login.php on submit. The php file then creates some session data (store in $_SESSION), and redirects the user back to the index page:

header("location:../../index.php");

The new web page (index.php) loads correctly; however, when the header redirects the page, the URL at the address bar is not changed; it stays at *http://localhost/php/server/server_login.php* instead of http://localhost/index.php and thus all my other resources that makes use of relative pathing could not be loaded. It's as if the web page still thinks that it resides at /php/server instead of /.

Strangely, my other use of header("location: ...") at logout.php works and redirects the page successfully with a URL change.

I've made sure that there are no outputs in my *server_login.php* before the header redirect (above it are just mysql calls to check) and I've used ob_start() and ob_end_flush() too.

Are there any methods of forcing the URL on the address bar to change (and thus hopefully fix the relative path problem)? Or am I doing something wrong?

P/S: I am using jQuery Mobile.

EDIT: Here's my code for the redirection that doesn't change the URL:

// some other stuff not shown


$sql = "SELECT * FROM $user_table WHERE email = '$myemail' AND password = '$mypassword'";
$login_result = mysql_query($sql, $connection);

$count = mysql_num_rows($login_result);

if ($count == 1) {

    // Successfully verified login information

    session_start();

    if (!isset($_SESSION['is_logged_in'])) {
        $_SESSION['is_logged_in'] = 1;
    }

    if (!isset($_SESSION['email'])) {
        $_SESSION['email'] = $myemail;
    }
    if (!isset($_SESSION['password'])) {
        $_SESSION['password'] = $mypassword;
    }

    // Register user's name and ID
    if ((!isset($_SESSION['name'])) && (!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])))  {
        $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($login_result);
        $_SESSION['name'] = $row['name'];
        $_SESSION['user_id'] = $row['user_id'];
    }

    header("Location: http://localhost:8080/meet2eat/index.php");

} else {
    // Not logged in. Redirect back to login page
    header("Location: http://localhost:8080/meet2eat/php/login.php?err=1");

}

Solution 1

Try changing:

header("Location : blabla")
                ^
                |
           (whitespace)

To

header("Location: blabla")

Solution 2

Well, if the server sends a correct redirection header, the browser redirects and therefore "changes the url". It might be a browser issue, then. I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but you should not send a relative url in the location header ("HTTP/1.1 requires an absolute URI as argument to » Location: including the scheme, hostname and absolute path, but some clients accept relative URIs. ", http://php.net/manual/en/function.header.php), and "location" must be capitalized, like:

header('Location: http://myhost.com/mypage.php');

Solution 3

In your form element add data-ajax="false". I had the same problem using jquery mobile.

Solution 4

Do not use any white space. I had the same issue. Then I removed white space like:

header("location:index.php"); or header('location:index.php');

Then it worked.

Solution 5

you may want to put a break; after your location:

header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently");
header('Location:  '.  $YourArrayName["YourURL"]  );
break;

View more solutions

Comments

[xdazz]

can you show the code how you post the data?

[vemoxy]

I see. I've fixed the code (as shown above), but I'm still getting the same URL error. :/ I've changed to HTTP Authentication as I realised that's part of my assignment requirement, but I still am intrigued by this weird 'bug'.

[Frank Nocke]

Note the kind of 'catch-all' that is usual in WP's root .htacces: RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteRule . /index.php [L] Check (i.e. by means of logging) if you get TWO passes after the redirect, your intentional redirect (re-caught by index.php) and another subsequent one that then gets it wrong... implementing an add_filter('[pre_]option_siteurl|home'); do quadruple enforce the new place to be might help you...

[kackleyjm]

Not sure why this was down voted, he is right. Must have to do with jquery mobile. stackoverflow.com/questions/8403242/…

[dotancohen]

As per RFC 2616, HTTP headers are case-insensitive. The Location header does not have to be capitalized.

[icedwater]

The thing is, the index.php is not in the same folder.

[Andy]

Had the same issue. You just need to add data-ajax on the element that doesn't require ajax (e.g., an <a> link) so that jQuery Mobile doesn't interfere with is... even if it's not in a jQuery Mobile block/form.

[Bugdr0id]

I always forget this when using jquery mobile! Worked for me ;)

[eQ19]

I got the same issue. This data-ajax=false worked in my case.

[kurdtpage]

You can combine the first 2 lines into one: header('Location:'.$YourArrayName["YourURL"], true, 301);