chceckboxes, php, mysql

Anon

This is a major problem of mine. I'm working on a website and I need to have people enter their own reviews of movies and I've tried to get around this problem but I need to use checkboxes. Below is the form then the php page that processes it. Also could someone tell me what datatype I need in mysql for checkboxes and how give me an example of how it should be entered?

writea.html

<form action=processa.php method=POST>
<p>What is your name or what do you want to be known as?
<input type=text name=name size=25 maxlength=25>
<p>What is your E-mail address?
<input type=text name=email size=25 maxlength=25>
<p>What is the title of the movie you are reviewing?
<input type=text name=title size=50 maxlength=100>
<p>What year did this movie come out? If you don't know please look up the title
on the <a href="http://www.imdb.com" target="_blank">Internet Movie Database</a>
to a movie's year of release.
<input type=text name=year size=4 maxlength=4>
<p>What is the MPAA rating of this movie?
<select name="rating">
<option value="G" selected>G</option>
<option value="PG">PG</option>
<option value="PG-13">PG-13</option>
<option value="R">R</option>
<option value="NC-17">NC-17</option>
<option value="Unrated">Unrated</option>
<option value="Not MPAA rated">Not MPAA rated</option>
</select>
<p>Which if any of the following does the movie contain?
<input type="checkbox" name="contains_array[]" value="Sex">
Sex
<input type="checkbox" name="contains_array[]" value="Violence">
Violence
<input type="checkbox" name="contains_array[]" value="Rape">
Rape
<input type="checkbox" name="contains_array[]" value="Drug Use">
Drug Use
<input type="checkbox" name="contains_array[]" value="Nudity">
Nudity
<input type="checkbox" name="contains_array[]" value="Cursing">
Cursing
<input type="checkbox" name="contains_array[]" value="Subtitles">
Subtitles
<input type="checkbox" name="contains_array[]" value="Black and White">
Black and White
<p>
<input type=submit>
</form>

processa.php

<body>
<?php

require ("rev.inc");

mysql_select_db("demonscars",$revcon);

$contains = implode($contains_array, ",");

$result = mysql_query("INSERT INTO reviews VALUES (NULL,'$name','$email','$title','$year','$rating','$contains')");

echo "Thank you! Information entered.\n";

?>
</body>

pnoeric

re: datatype, just use a tinyint and store a checkbox that is on as "1" and a checkbox that is off as "0".

note that when the html for is submitted to the php script, a checked box will have the value "checked" and an unchecked box will have the value "".

as for the rest of your script, what exactly is the problem? you refer to the problem you try to get around but don't actually say what the problem is ;-) does your script work or fail? if it fails, exactly where and how does it fail? have you tried to isolate the bug?

your binary pal,
eric

Anon

It goes through without error but when I go to see if everything went into the db right all everything is correct and fine except where the checkboxes should be there is just a space even though boxes have been checked.

pnoeric

ok, so change your script to echo the SQL statement to the screen. is it putting a space or sometihng else in the db?

then change the script to echo what the form is returning. are you getting a space? or the word 'checked' as you should be?

and so on, lather, rinse, repeat, keep making the variable visible and soon the bug will be obvious.

best
eric