Save data to MySQL using PHP

[Anon]

I have a form which contain 5 radio buttons representing answers to a multichoice question.

My problems are:

When moving to the next question at what point would I save the data to the MySQL database?

When moving to the previous question should I rely on the cache keeping the selected value or should I retrieve the answer to the question from the database again?

I am stuck on which point I would update/retrieve the data when moving to the previous or next questions.

Any help please?

[[deleted]]

1) never ever trust caching, always get the data yourself, and print it yourself.

2) never trust caching

3) When moving to the next question, just save the answers. so you can retreive them lateron.

4) never trust caching.

[Anon]

OK! So...

I have two graphics, one representing a Previous button and one representing a Next button.

When I click the Next button, I need to increment a counter which will indicate the next set of questions to display.

When I click the previous button, I need to decrement a counter again to show the previous questions.

Before I move the next question I want to save the current answer, then move to the next question.

When I move to the previous question i want to retrieve the answer.

I need some guidance on the best method(s) to achieve the above.

Can anyone help me or point me in the right direction.

[[deleted]]

Allmost correct.

You cannot "increase a counter" when someone clicks "next", because there is no counter to increase (unless you can get PHP to work on the client, and you can't )
So instead, when you print question X, on the same page you print the link to the next question. In that link you put the ID of the next question to be asked, which is X plus 1.

Same for the previous question, it's X minus 1.

When the user clicks these links, you read the quesion ID from the HTTP_GET_VARS or the HTTP_POST_VARS and you fetch that question.