Input values into an array

[gausland]

I'm trying to make a form that will allow me to display and change a variable number of records that meet a certain condition. (I'm used to programming in database applications, but I'm new to php and HTML). I would appreciate some help to get me started on the correct attack-angle, and have listed some code (just using a one dimensional array) that I can't get working the way I'd like to:

// mytest1.php

<?php

$items=5
// This is where i have read the data from my db
// have left that out in this example

$myar=array();
for($counter = 1; $counter<$items; $counter++) {

echo "<form action=\"mytest2.php\" method=\"post\">"
."<input type=\"text\" name=\"myar[$counter]\" value=\"$myar[$counter]\" size=\"8\">"
."</form>";
}

echo "<form action=\"mytest2.php\" method=\"post\">";
for($counter = 1; $counter<5; $counter++) {
echo "<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"myar[$counter]\" value=\"$myar[$counter]\">";
}

?>

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

// mytest2.php

<?php

print_r($myar);

?>

mytest2.php will only print the key and the value of the last field that I changed. I have searched through so many forums, and looked at so many solutions, that I believe I'm missing the obvious. I would really appreciate if someone could tell me what to add or change to get my example code working. Thanks in advance.

gaus

[codeDV]

I've looked at your code. This code will produce the following output in the web browser.

<form action="mytest2.php" method="post">
 <input type="text" name="myar[1]" value=""size="8">
</form>

<form action="mytest2.php" method="post">
  <input type="text" name="myar[2]" value="" size="8">
</form>

<form action="mytest2.php" method="post">
  <input type="text" name="myar[3]" value="" size="8">
</form>

<form action="mytest2.php" method="post">
  <input type="text" name="myar[4]" value="" size="8">
</form>


<form action="mytest2.php" method="post">
  <input type="hidden" name="myar[1]" value="">
  <input type="hidden" name="myar[2]" value="">
  <input type="hidden" name="myar[3]" value="">
  <input type="hidden" name="myar[4]" value="">

As you can see there are several forms. When a form is submitted only the input conatined inside that form tag will be sent to you script.

All you need to do is move all your input variables into the same form tag. I have corrected the code for you and also inserted a submit button:

<?php
$items = 5;
// This is where i have read the data from my db
// have left that out in this example

$myar = array("item1", "item2", "item3", "item4", "item5");

// open the form tag
echo ("<form action=\"mytest2.php\" method=\"post\">\n");

for($counter = 1; $counter<$items; $counter++): ?>
  <input type="text" name="<?php echo($myar[$counter])?>" value="<?php echo ($myar[$counter])?>" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="<?php echo ($myar[$counter]) ?>" value="<?php echo($myar[$counter])?>">
<?php endfor;

// close the insert a submit button and close the form tag
echo ("  <input type=\"submit\">\n</form>");
?>

This code produces the following output when viewed in the web browser:

<form action="mytest2.php" method="post">
  <input type="text" name="item2" value="item2" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="item2" value="item2">
  <input type="text" name="item3" value="item3" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="item3" value="item3">
  <input type="text" name="item4" value="item4" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="item4" value="item4">
  <input type="text" name="item5" value="item5" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="item5" value="item5">
  <input type="submit">
</form>

Noticed I escaped PHP in the for loop. I think this looks neater and more readable. But it is optional.

Hope this is of some help. Adam

[gausland]

Thanks for the help Adam. Your answer is certainly helping me in the right direction. I'm still not able to update the data stored in the array (item1, item2, etc is posted to the second script), after having tried your code. Since you where so fast in answering, I was hoping you'll have the opportunity to have another look, to save me from another sleepless night. 😉 Thanks in advance.

Gaus

[codeDV]

What exactly is it you are having problems with. Updating the database or getting the input from the previous page ?

[gausland]

This is what I need to do:

I'm reading a variable number of records from a database, and putting the value of one of the fields into an array. I do this because I need one page where each record is listed, and one of the fields can be changed. After changes has been made, I need to send the updated array to another script for processing and saving to the database. The script you helped me with allows me to pick up a value, and display it in an input field, but any changes made to this field is not POSTED. (and I thereby post the old data that I had in the first place).

My database is a table of household articles, with some reference key fields and description fields. And then there is the price field, the one I'm needing to change. I'm collecting the records based on user input (that will typically give around 150 records), and the user should have the possibility to change the price on any of the articles he chooses.

I hope, with the above that you'll be able to help me further.

Thanks,

Gaus

[codeDV]

<form action="mytest2.php" method="post">
  <input type="text" name="item2" value="item2" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="item2" value="item2">
  <input type="text" name="item3" value="item3" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="item3" value="item3">
  <input type="text" name="item4" value="item4" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="item4" value="item4">
  <input type="text" name="item5" value="item5" size="8">
  <input type="hidden" name="item5" value="item5">
  <input type="submit">
</form>

As you can see from the above HTML each of the input fields shares its name with another. The means that only the later data of the two input fields inserted in to the corresponding PHP post variable e.g. $_POST['item1']. What is suggest I the following.

You insert the data originally from an array so why not submit it as an array. As far as I can see, you don't need the original data for anything other than setting the values of the input elements, so we can get rid of the hidden elements. So your code will look like this:

<?php
$items = 5;
// This is where i have read the data from my db
// have left that out in this example

$myar = array("item1", "item2", "item3", "item4", "item5");

// open the form tag
echo ("<form action=\"mytest2.php\" method=\"post\">\n");

for($counter = 1; $counter<$items; $counter++): ?>
  <input type="text" name="items[]" value="<?php echo ($myar[$counter])?>" size="8">
<?php endfor;

// close the insert a submit button and close the form tag
echo ("  <input type=\"submit\">\n</form>");
?>

You can see from this scripts output all the variables have the same name. However they are all have square brackets "[]" appended. This tells PHP that it should construct an array with the name "items" and insert the input elements data into each array element.

This makes it easier to insert into a mysql database via a INSERT query. The following PHP will access the items array and print its data:

<?php
$items = $_POST['items'];

print_r ($items);
?>

[gausland]

Thanks a lot. I'll be able to get my code together now.

Appreciate it.