Timed Redirect

[blm126]

I am trying to achieve that "timed redirect" you see on a lot of forums. They normally use it right after someones post. It says something like "Your browser should redirect you in 10 seconds,if it does not click here". Any help in figuring out how this is done would be appreciated.

[shachi]

Don't know about others but you can achieve this with javascript pretty easily. Here's the code.

function redirect(){
window.location.href = "http://somesite.somedomain/";
}
window.onload = setTimeout("redirect()", 10000);

Redirects browser after 10 seconds.

Hope that helps.

[Twey]

A meta refresh is more reliable.

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="10;url=http://www.example.com/page2.html">

[shachi]

Oh yes I forgot about that. Yes meta is more reliable than javascript because even if the user has javascript disabled meta can redirect you.

[Twey]

However, not all browsers support it. Use both to maximise the chance that one will be supported.
And that Javascript function would be better written as:

setTimeout(function(){window.location.replace("http://www.example.com/page2.html";}, 10000);

[blm126]

Thank you both, now about the meta refresh. Could that also be done with a header?

[Twey]

Apparently so. No idea what the compatibility is though.

<?php $url = 'http://www.example.com/page2.html'; $timeout = 10; ?>

<?php header('Refresh: ' . $timeout . ';url=' . $url); ?>
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="<?php echo($timeout) ?>;url=<?php echo($url); ?>">
<script type="text/javascript">
  setTimeout(function(){window.location.replace("<?php echo($url); ?>";}, <?php echo($timeout * 1000); ?>);
</script>

One of those has got to do it.

[blm126]

One of those has got to do it.

Probably not in IE, it will manage to find some way not to work...
Anyway, I'm gonna do some tests with the header and find out.

[blm126]

Ok, I did a little research and testing. Sending a Refresh header appears to work in the latest releases of IE,Firefox,and Opera. However, it is not (an official) part of HTTP and should not really be relied on. I am willing to risk just sending the header and providing a link backup. Hers's my test code if your interested.

<?php
header('Refresh: 1;url=http://www.google.com');
?>

Note: I also discovered that the counting begins once the content is fully loaded in the browser.

[Twey]

Oh, aye. I forgot about the link backup.

Well, so long as you've got that, I wouldn't worry about it too much.