get data from POPUP window back to Parent(SMARTY)

Question

my popup gets data from Database where the user can chose from. now can somone explain me how i can get submitted data(array) from my popup window back to my PARENT Form and after that back to "PARENT PHP" ?:X

i already found a way using

window.opener.document.forms.form_id.inputname.value

or

window.opener.document.getElementById('inputname').value

but i dont really know what to do with it and how to make it work for me.

Parent form:

<form method="POST" name="big_form">

popupcode in PARENT:

function popup(Location,w,h) //opens new window
{
  var options = "width=" + w + ",height=" + h;
  options += ",menubar=no,location=no,resizable=0,scrollbars,top=500,left=500";

  var newwin = window.open(Location,'newWin',options);

  if (newwin == null)
  {
    // The popup got blocked, notify the user
    return false;
  }

  newwin.focus();

}

<input class="myButton" onclick="popup('?n=popup_arbeitsplatz','800','800');" style='font: bold 10px Arial;height:25px;
        padding: 2px 6px 2px 6px;
        width:25px;' value="A"  type="button" />

after chosing data he is then supposed to save(submit) and close the popup. now the data is not supposed to show up in the PARENT directly in some way. i only need it stored somewhere and be able to manipulate the data in my PARENTS PHP. i tried many things like saving in session or including in my PARENTS PHP and tried to get the data with $_POST whatsoever.. nothing worked.

maybe something else then window.opener i dont really care i just want my data somehow :D.

Answer 1

use the $_SESSION['yourVarName'] to save your submit

Answer 2

Put an input type="hidden" in the parent form and before closing the popup, populate with javascript that input with the values you selected in the popup