PHP and passing variables from script to script
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In order to insure that the data will be passed correctly
you should use a form.  (It is also possible to use an 
encoding function provided by PHP.) Data submitted through a 
form is automatically url-encoded by the browser.  

The server-side PHP interpreter unencodes it and associates
the value entered in the browser with a variable of the
same name given to the INPUT widget (RADIO, TEXT, PASSWORD, etc.).
So if the ACTION attribute of main.php is mkDbm.php, the 
variable will be accessible to mkDbm.php, you can then send
appropriate HTML to trigger the next phase.  If you need to
maintain a variable from main.php to a third script, you 
can put it into a HIDDEN type INPUT element as follows:

<INPUT TYPE=HIDDEN VALUE=$something NAME=blob>

When the FORM containing that is submitted, the value of blob
will be available to the script designated for the ACTION of
this FORM.