multiple select using CHECK BOXES

LordRogaine

This probably isn't very difficult, but I can't seem to get it right. I want a user of my site that I am creating to be able to pick more than one selection from a topic using check boxes. Whenever I check off more than one box from a group I only get the results from one of the checked selections. Here's an example of the form I am using.

<form method="POST" action="Http://mysite.com/1.php">
<p><b>ANIMALS</b></p>
<p><input type="checkbox" name="animals[]" value="cats">Cats</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" name="animals[]" value="dogs">Dogs</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" name="animals[]" value="birds">Birds</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" name="animals[]" value="turtles">Turtles</p>
<p><input type="submit" value="Submit" name="submit"><input type="reset" value="Reset" name="reset"></p>
</form>

I put brackets [] after the name of the group in the form, and my select statement looks something like this.

....."select * from table_name where animals = '$animals'";

where am I going wrong?

diego25

You can't just stuff an array into a string...you'll need a for (or foreach) loop to create a string from the array, and then append that string to the SQL statement.

Your SQL can be one of 2 ways:
SELECT FROM table WHERE animal = 'cats' OR animal = 'dogs'
or
SELECT FROM table WHERE animal IN ('cats', 'dogs')

I'd do the second one, coz it's easier to code the loop for that.

Diego

LordRogaine

thanks for helping me. I'm a newbie, can you show me how the code would look? Thanks

diego25

Something like this:

if (count($animals) > 0) {
$strAnimals = "'$animals[0]'";
for ($i=1; $i<count($animals); $i++) {
$strAnimals .= ",'$animals[$i]'";
}
}

$sql = "SELECT * FROM table WHERE animal IN ($strAnimals)";

Diego

LordRogaine

Thanks for getting back to me with an answer. Have you actually tried the script and it works? I ask this only because it doesn't work for me. If I know you have it working then I know it's a problem on my end, which is probably the case lol. Are you putting brackets [] in your html form next to the group name "animals[]"? Thanks for the help.

diego25

No, I haven't tried it...I just typed that code off the top of my head...

Could you try debugging a bit more and then telling me what exactly is not working?

Diego

LordRogaine

I get blank results when I try it. Am I supposed to be using the brackets [ ] in my html form? I copied the code exactly and made the appropritate table name change but when I try to echo the results they are blank.

diego25

Yes, you're supposed to have the [] in your HTML form.

Do you have register_globals on?

Try printing out $sql and tell me what it is.

Diego

LordRogaine

yes, I do have register_globals on.