multiple values, same variable

[cp_kennedy]

Does anyone have any experience passing multiple values to the same variable in a form?

I need to pass an undetermined amount of values to a variable in a form and then explode them to create different rows in a database.

I am thinking I need to be able to create a variable array of somekind in the form that will hold the values temporarily until I am able to explode them after the user has submited the form. But I am not sure how to go about this.

Thanks if you're able to help with this!

[Anon]

It depends on what you intend to do exactly
but let's say you've to create records
for "157","165" and "265" whatever it figures

you can ask the user to type
"157,165,265" in the input (without the ")
and then in your PHP code, you can use
explode() :

$pieces = explode(",", $html_form);

or for instance :

HTML input = "John Doe"

and then in PHP :

list ($firstname,name) = explode (" ",$html);

[cp_kennedy]

Thank you Herve for you reply.

The problem is that the form is being created by results of a search.

The user is able to select items they have searched for, and would like to purchase. "Yes" I would like to purchase this and "No" I would not like to purchase this item. Each item has a unique number.

Here is what the page lookes like:

<form>
<?
while (database finds results from search) {
echo "Item Number $item_number:";
?>

<input type="hidden" name="item_id" value="<?echo $item_id ?>">

<input type="radio" name="purchase" value="Yes"> Yes
<input type="radio" name="purchase" value="No"> No

<? } ?>
</form>

And what the page looks like on the screen:

Your Search Results:

Item Number 1: (X) Yes ( ) No

Item Number 2: ( ) Yes (X) No

Item Number 3: (X) Yes ( ) No

    Submit

But the last radio button on the list, in this case Item #3, is the only one being saved to the database on submit because as it goes through the loop (while loop) of items. I am thinking that I somehow need to be saving an array of hidden values for the item id and it's associated purchase value...

Does that make sense?

Thank You!!!!

[Anon]

You need to have a variable name for each
answer, for instance :

<input type="radio" name="purchase1" value="Yes"> Yes
<input type="radio" name="purchase1" value="No"> No

for the second item :

<input type="radio" name="purchase2" value="Yes"> Yes
<input type="radio" name="purchase2" value="No"> No

you just need to add a small counter
in the while loop.

or (other solution)

you can replace

name = "purchase"

by :

name ="$item_id"

But it suppose you can figure what are
$item_id in the array of response; with
the first solution it is easier because
you know by advance that the variable
is beginning with "purchase" something

[Anon]

You can create form names that are array elements.

<input type="hidden" name="purchase[<? print $item_id ?>][price]" value="600">
<input type="radio" name="purchase[<? print $item_id ?>][which]" value="yes">
<input type="radio" name="purchase[<? print $item_id ?>][which]" value="no">

Now in your code you are posting to you can

foreach ($purchase as $key => $value){
if($purchase[$key][which] == "yes"){
// whats nice is that you will have
// your values in the below hash
// and you can do you db stuff

$purchase[$key][price];

}

I think this is kinda what you are looking for

[cp_kennedy]

It worked!! Thank you very much for your help!!

[Anon]

No problem