Delayed refresh of fields defined as `[form field-name]`

It’s not logical that the display of [form ...] fields should be delayed sometimes by one Back / Next sequence, and sometimes by two, so I tested further.

If I complete page 1 and click Next, then Back, then amend some values, then WAIT 30 seconds or so before clicking Next, then the page 2 [form ...] fields immediately display the amended values. Perhaps the one or more Back / Next sequences I reported before was just sufficient to reach the relevant delay time (which may not be exactly 30 seconds, but is certainly sub-minute).

Pete

in module-session.php could you try replace lines 81 – 83 with the following code:

if ( isset( $_POST[$name] ) ) {
		$value = $_POST[$name];
	}
	else if ( !empty( $cf7msm_posted_data ) && is_array( $cf7msm_posted_data ) ) {
		$value = isset( $cf7msm_posted_data[$name] ) ? $cf7msm_posted_data[$name] : '';
	}

See if that helps. On my site, 1.4.3 shows the correct values going back and forward. The above code gets the posted value before it gets the saved cookie value.

Hello Webheadllc,

I notice that you tested a few times today on my website. Great ! Were you able to reproduce the problem there, and see for yourself what I tried to describe in my earlier posts to this topic?

I also cannot reproduce the problem on your test setup at webheadcoder.com/contact-form-7-multi-step-form.

I notice one difference between the way your site works and mine. If I supply a field value on the 2nd page and then click Back + Next, the 2nd page field value is gone. On your site the 2nd page field value remains. Could this be relevant?

Thank you for your suggestion. I commented out what I hope are lines 81-83 (it’s difficult to tell because line numbers are not displayed in WP’s plugin editor):

//	if ( !empty( $cf7msm_posted_data ) && is_array( $cf7msm_posted_data ) ) {
//		$value = isset( $cf7msm_posted_data[$name] ) ? $cf7msm_posted_data[$name] : '';
//	}

and inserted your suggested logic immediately thereafter.

The problem still appears to exist.

However, the following may provide you with some clues: using Chrome Incognito + developer tools | Network, if I tick the “Disable cache” box I can no longer reproduce the problem. And if I untick this box, the problem returns. I cycled around this several times, each time trying several times before changing the ticked|unticked setting. The results appear to be consistent: caching enabled = problems, caching disabled = no problems.

Any ideas?

Found it. My fault.

The response headers for all HTM[L] and PHP files sent to browsers from my website included:
Cache-Control: max-age=31, private, proxy-revalidate

This caused pages to be redisplayed from the browser’s cache if the cached version was less than 31 seconds old. This value dates from a while ago when my website served little or no dynamic content. But it is obviously not appropriate for (relatively) rapid use of CF7-MSM “Next” and “Back” buttons.

After removing this response header I can no longer recreate the problem at my website. Apologies for wasting your time.

… but I would still like to know how, on your own website, you repopulate the page 2 fields after Back + Next. When I provide field values on page 2 and then click Back + Next, all field values are lost.

Regards,
Pete

I’m not sure I’m understanding your problem. Your form is only 2 pages and it seems to repopulate when going back to page 1. Once the form is submitted the form should not longer remember your fields.

My page 2 is basically a page 2 of 3. The “send” button doesn’t really send an email, it’s just the second step in a 3-step form.

Thanks for your speedy response. After adjusting page 2 of my form to resemble your page 2 (i.e. to provide a textarea instead of a date), and retesting, I agree that my form works the same way yours does, and that neither form achieves what I would like to happen.

What happens (on both your form and mine):
– complete page 1 fields, and press Next
– complete page 2 fields, and press Back (to redisplay page 1)
– press Next. All field values previously entered on page 2 are gone.

It would be nice if the previously-entered page 2 values could be retained over a Back/Next sequence. Could the plugin commit these values before performing its “Back” processing (in the same way as I presume it does before performing its “Next” processing)?

Regards,
Pete

I see. The back currently does not submit the form so values on that page won’t be saved. That would be a pretty good feature to save when the back button is pressed. I currently don’t have the time to add that, but it will be the next feature to add.

I’m pleased that you understand my need, and that you agree it could be a worthwhile future enhancement. It would certainly make my “real” form (whose page 2 contains many more fields than the “test” form you have seen) much more user-friendly after a Back/Next sequence. I look forward to this becoming available in future.

Since the problem I originally reported in this topic is now addressed by me correcting my own “Cache-Control: max-age=…” definition, I’ll mark the topic as resolved. Thanks, and have a great Christmas/New Year break.

Regards,
Pete Simpson