asked on

Cookie to auto update form

Hello, I am not a programmer, but I need a way to do the following:
User inputs data into form (selection windows and text boxes) and saves the form data (to a cookie?).
Another user opens the form, and it is automatically updated to show the last user's input.
Second user updates and saves the form.

Is this possible? Thanks for any help.

mastallama

if this is going to happen on the same computer then you could use a cookie but if user 1 uses a different computer than user 2 you would have to use a database to populate the form with the last persons entries.

what programming language are you going to use?

COBOLdinosaur

You cannot use a cookie to transfer information unless both users are using the same computer. You need to keep the information in a database on teh server.

Cd&

mastallama

uh, that's what i said dude...hee hee

COBOLdinosaur

Then you must be right. ;^)

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.

Cd&

bandicoot3141

ASKER

Thanks, folks. I am using HTML, and figured if I put the form plus the cookie it writes on our intranet server, all networked users would have access to it. I can set this up with our administrator, just looking for the code to get the form working.

COBOLdinosaur

The cookie gets written on the local user's computer. It is not sent to the server. However if the data is already in the form, then when the form is sent, the server side script that processes it will be able to save it to the database. So when the form is requested by a user, the script that generates the page must get the data from the database to populate the form.

Cd&

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mastallama

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bandicoot3141

ASKER

The form can't write the cookie to the server even if both are on the server, and the users have access to the server?

COBOLdinosaur

A cookie is a text file on the user's computer, stored in the temporary internet files. The web page can read the cookie and move the contents to form fields to send to the server, but it cannot send the cookie.

On the server side, the processing script for the page will need to know how to process the information sent across. Each user's computer has its own cookie, it is not a shared resource.

Cd&

bandicoot3141

ASKER

Well, there goes that idea, then! How would I go about using the database then...is Excel OK for this?

evedder

access it would be better

mastallama

"unsubscribing"

COBOLdinosaur

This question has been abandoned. I will make a recommendation to the
moderators on its resolution in a week or two. I appreciate any comments
that would help me to make a recommendation.
<note>
In the absence of responses, I may recommend DELETE unless it is clear
to me that it has value as a PAQ. Silence = you don't care
</note>

Cd&

COBOLdinosaur

It is time to clean this abandoned question up.

I am putting it on a clean up list for CS.

<recommendation>
split mastallama and COBOLdinosaur

</recommendation>

If anyone participating in the Q disagrees with the recommendation,
please leave a comment for the mods.

Cd&

SpideyMod

per recommendation

SpideyMod
Community Support Moderator @Experts Exchange

COBOLdinosaur points for you at:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20541209/points-for-COBOLdinosaur-20398530.html