php - Should I call exit() after calling Location: header?

Question

After calling the redirect function header, should I call exit or not?

<?php // fileA $urlFailToGoTo = '/formerror.php';  if (sth) {    header(sprintf("Location: %s", $urlFailToGoTo));    exit(); //should I call exit() here? or return? }  ?> 

Thank you

Answer 1

You definitely should. Otherwise the script execution is not terminated. Setting another header alone is not enough to redirect.

Answer 2

You should, just like @rgroli explains. If you do not want to bother with brackets, you can also call header() IN exit():

if(sth) exit(header("Location: http://example.com")); 

Location header in HTTP/1.1 always requires absolute path see the note here.

Note: This is not a hack, since the exit code is used only if the parameter is integer, while header() produces void (it exits with code=0, normal exit). Look at it as exit_header() function like it should be after Location header.