Please help with what should be a simple task? 1

[BobMCT]

I'm asking in the PHP forum because its for a php program that generates a dynamic web site. What is the best way to issue a "please wait" message page/partial page after a form is submitted and the program makes a call to an external payment processing service (i.e.: paypal) which could take 20-30 seconds or more to respond then issue a subsequent page of the next in the purchase sequence. I've been trying several techniques but have been unsuccessful because either I get multiple pages on the same screen (one below another) or I can get the page to change but never regain control so the call to the external service can execute.
Ideas and/or suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[jpadie]

lots of different ways

1. iframe
2. modal dialog that, when launched, starts the payment process via a SYNCHRONOUS xhr connection to your/paypal server (and dismisses itself after completing - knowing that it can only complete after the transaction is finished)
3. use one of the paypal services that sends the browser to paypal completely and passes a linkback url for paypal to deploy once the transaction is complete.

the key thing to remember in the UI design is trust. the user must not have even a tiny hint that you might be spoofing paypal so everything must be and look completely above board. the more you go non-standard, the less trust you have.