Dynamic names for text fields

noeffred

I need to know if it is possible to get the values of texfields with dynamic names. (the size of the database varies from day to day that's the reason for this thing!)

They will later on be send via email to somebody.

This is a little sketch of my code:

<?
$link = mysql_connect ("localhost", "admin", "admin")
or die ("Could not connect\n");
$result=mysql_query("select * from message.nachrichten");
$number = mysql_numrows($result);

print "<form name=form1 method=post action=>";

$j=0;
while ($j<$number):
print mysql_result($result,$j,"name");
echo "<input type=text name=textfield$j>";
print "<br>";
$j++;
endwhile;
print "<input type=submit name=Abschicken value=Abschicken>";
print "</form>";

I need this construct for a customer and it's rather urgent, so if somebody could give me a hint... thanks folks... and by the way I'm rather at beginners skill with PHP, please be gentle ;-)

[deleted]

Sure, you can give your fields variable names.

Read the manual about the $HTTP_POST_VARS
and $HTTP_GET_VARS.
These are arrays containing all variables that were submitted through GET or POST operations, they should let you find all vars including thos with dynamic names.

jcleary

You can loop through the global variable $HTTP_POST_VARS like this

$array = HTTP_POST_VARS;
if (count($array)) {
while (list($key, $val) = each($array)) {
echo "$key - $val";
}
}

Also, have a look at formmail.php which allows you to send entire forms as e-mails - http://lumbroso.com/scripts/formmail.php

kparker

If you need to know the order of the field, use mysql_field_name(), which uses a relative column number as one of the arguments.

Otherwise, use mysql_fetch_array() and just iterate through the resulting array.

Anon

Your code could be much simpler

Try using array as a means to assign names...

This is a sample

echo "<form method=post action=...>";
for($i=0; $i<$number; $i++)
{
echo "<input type=text name=textfield[]><br>";
}

So when this dynamically generated form is processed - you retrieve varialbes from textfield array by looping through it...

Anon

Dmitriy,

this method rocks! 🙂

Anon

Yes,

It is extremely convenient when it comes to lots of data. One variable array can take care of 10s of entries.

I wrote a billing system, and very often it is neccessary to have over hundred pieces of data submitted to a server. Writing variable for each of them is possible, but not a wise thing to do!!! Keeping track of them is a big headache, and it will become a problem when amount of data needed to be submitted varies. Array variable - takes care of that all.