passing creating an array from form inputs

rebelo

Can I make an html form with array keys as the input names? I thought it was possible, but it's not working for me. I mean something like the following.

<!-- The Form -- >

<form method="post" action="<? echo $PHP_SELF; ?>">
Name: <input type="text" name="userarray[name]"><br>
Email: <input type="text" name="userarray[email]"><br>
<input type="submit">
</form>

Then you could access the vars with $userarray["name"] and $userarray[email]. Yes/No? Got a solution?

The reason I want to do this is that once the processing script receives the form input, I want to step through the array with a foreach loop. I need to step through approximately 30-40 form fields with this.

If this is the wrong way to do it, please let me know what you think would be better.

Thanks a lot!

barand

No need. Just give your input fields normal names. All your posted fields go into the array $_POST ($HTTP_POST_VARS in earlier versions)

You access with $POST["name"], $POST["email"] etc

To access as an array with foreach:

foreach ($_POST as $name=>$value) {
echo "fieldname is '$name' and its value is '$value'"
}

I find a piece of code like the above useful when debugging so I can check exactly what has been sent.

HTH

rebelo

barand,

Many thanks for the advice. I will try it when I get home. Now, my webserver runs PHP 4.0.6. Is the $POST var available in that version? I seem to recall the $SESSION var not working and so I have to use $HTTP_SESSION_VARS or something, I think.

philipolson

Please read the following manual entries:
http://uk.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.predefined.php
http://uk.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.external.php

Autoglobals (superglobals) such as $POST, $SERVER, etc. became available in PHP 4.1.0 And yes, using arrays in your forms can be very useful, you'll access them like any other array, which is like:

print $_POST['userarray']['name']; // PHP 4.1.0 or greater
print $HTTP_POST_VARS['userarray']['name']; // I work too since PHP 3

Although I'd just name it 'user' instead of 'userarray' :-)

rebelo

It's working. Thanks to all.