Accessing variables passed from html

[Racer5]

Here is a question, not sure if this is possible or not. I will try to explain what I want to do with out confusing myself haha.

I am playing with a shopping cart program. Original written in Javascript, I want to make a similar one in php.

In the html I have a form named CartForm

In the form it will have the items.

item1_desc
item1_qty
item1_price

item2_desc (you get the idea)

Each item will have an Add to Cart button.

Now my question, is it possible to pass just the 'item1' name to the php script, but be able to set up variables for the desc, qty parts. Now I know all the variables are available by posting to the php, but I would need to manually program the names in.

What I am trying to do is send just 1 name like 'item1' and then the php would know it can use item1_desc, etc. or if I pass it item2, it would know to use item2_desc without changing any of the code.

I hope I made that clear. I am confused after writing it haha.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Jeff

[sfullman]

OK, you're entering into the biggest part of programming -- translation between PHP, HTML, and mySQL.

If you HARD-CODE it:

Add to Cart<BR>
<form ....>
Item 193: Widget
Enter Quantity:
<input type = text name="qty[193]">
<input type = hidden name="desc[193]" value="widget">
<input type = hidden name="price[193]" value="34.95">
<input type=submit name=n value="Add to Cart">
</form>

a better way in my estimation:

Add to Cart<BR>
<form ....>
Item 193: Widget
Enter Quantity:
<input type = text name="item[193][qty]">
<input type = hidden name="item[193][desc]" value="widget">
<input type = hidden name="item[193][price]" value="34.95">
<input type=submit name=n value="Add to Cart">
</form>

When your receive the post of the latter you can go:
<?php
foreach($item as $n=>$v){
echo "You chose " . $v['qty'] . " of item #" . $n . " for $v['price'] . "<BR>";
echo "(" . $v['desc'] . ")<BR>";

}
?>

You might as well get used to using arrays.

Also, if you're passing #193 as a unique identifier, and #193 is in a database, you really don't need the description and name and the like, since you can get this from the database.

Trust me, designing a good shopping cart is not easy, I did one for www.tanshop.com, you might try that out.

Sam Fullman,
Compasspoint Media