Converting From names to $variables

[phplearner]

I'm completed an html form for inputing to a MySQL DB via PHP, and have been looking at several scripts to try and learn how to put this all together. But I have a few questions:

1. It appears this must go at the top of my form:

<form action="<?=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']?>" method="post">

But I've seen variations where some type of: action=file.php is added to the tag. I really want to learn this stuff!!!

2. I've seen this at the top of the .php page (with the html form in the lower part of the page):

<?php

$dbcnx = @mysql_connect('localhost', 'user', 'pwd');
mysql_select_db('nameofdb');

if (isset($_POST['submit'])):

I know how to connect to the MySQL DB...but just not sure how to do the rest of the processing. Most of the scripts I have found will NOT work in PHP4.2 with 'register_globals off' and are not very well documented 🙁

3. The MySQL DB has 2 tables, and table1 has an ID field to match it to table2 for sync purposes. Each of these are auto-increment, but if the form inputter is already in table2 (name, e-mail, etc.), I do not want a 2nd entry even though the details/info in table1 may be different.

4. I need to do some text manipulation and validation on the form input fields and to check for empty fields. Still working on that part. I think I have to 'define' the variables, but after:

$field1 = $ ... I am on overwhelm trying to grasp all of this.

Thank you for any assistance and insights.

[WinterDragon]

First off...

the stuff at tops of pages... like.. index.php?This=That&More=This%20Spaces...

Those are query strings, you can get the raw form of them by $QUERY_STRING variable, anyways... Usually those are sent via.. a form using the GET method... or they are automatically put into a url such as:

<a href="index.php?blah=blah">Blah</a>

And then they get the data later... hrmmm

[daynah]

Pseudo code would look something like this:

<?	
	// If the form is submitted
	if (isset($_POST['submit']))
	{
		// Validate the data
		if( everything is correct )
		{
			// Connect to database
			$dbcnx = @mysql_connect('localhost', 'user', 'pwd'); 
			mysql_select_db('nameofdb'); 

		// INSERT data into the database
	}
}

else
{
 echo '<form action="' . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '" method="post">';
       // print your email form -- input, textboxes, etc here
 echo '</form>';
}
?>

And like WinterDragon said,

<form action="<?=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']?>" method="post">

would be translated to:

<form action="index.php" method="post"> if the page which you are coding on is called index.php. If it's called myform.php, the $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] variable would be myform.php.

[phplearner]

WinterDragon & daynah kindly responded.

RE:

// If the form is submitted
if (isset($_POST['submit']))
{
// Validate the data
if( everything is correct )
{

Ah ha...so this is where the matching statements & validation stuff will go. Thanks.

Now, above this ... is this where I have to define some $variables? I'm still stuck on this.

Like if I have: firstname as a text entry field, how do I handle the variable assignment?

Is it: $firstname = $_POST['firstname];

...or something else? And, I assume I must do this for all 15 or so form field names/variables?

But I still don't know how to handle the ID situation with the 2 tables. Actually, if the form submitter is already on file with info contained in table2 in the DB, hmmm...perhaps I must first Query the DB to see if maybe a combination of lastname & phone number already exist, and if so, to auto-populate the form fields which feed the MySQL table2???

RE:

else
{
echo '<form action="' . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '" method="post">';
// print your email form -- input, textboxes, etc here
echo '</form>';
}

Is there any way to utilize straight html (non-PHP/echo) for the form part? If not, I guess I need to escape all quotes, etc.???

Thank you.

BTW (daynah) ... "PHP Princess" - what a COOL name 😃

FYI, your picture is sideways...did you know this...or maybe on my end only???

[daynah]

You don't have to assign the variables, you can use $POST['firstname] the way it is. But if you want to you can. Just make sure you do it between the if (isset($POST['submit'])) {} statement.

This statement: if (isset($_POST['submit']))
means "if the user hit the submit button"

I'm not too sure what your tables are doing... I'm assuming Table 1 holds the "requests" and an id of the person who requested it... and Table 2 holds the person info? The ids in Table 1 match up with the info in Table 2?

If that's the case, here is what you should do. Check the user's input... SELECT from table 2 to see if there is any data that match. If there is a match, return the userid. If no match, INSERT a new record into Table 2.

For table 1, if there was a match in Table 2, then Insert in table 1 the id that was returned. If there was no match, get the last id inserted in Table 2 (mysql_insert_id()) and insert it in Table 1.

Did any of that make sense? hehe

Is there any way to utilize straight html (non-PHP/echo) for the form part?

yes there is. Just make sure you end all your php code... example:

<?
         echo 'this part is in the php code';
?>

this part isn't in the php code at all

<? 
        echo 'more php code';
?>

[phplearner]

Thank you again very much, daynah. I was thinking the same thing about checking table2 for an id, etc. Now to figure out exactly how to do it.

I appreciate all your assistance & replies.

[phplearner]

Hmmm...after more thought, the only thing I can see would be to have 2 form options on a separate page:

1. If a NEW user/submitter, click Here (link)

2. If an EXISTING user/submitter, click Here (link)

For #2 (since there is no Login/Pwd system), perhaps only 2 fields: lastname & phone ... and a submit button which would take them to the same NEW user/submitter page, but where the Search/Query results would auto-populate the table2 fields involved with VALUE=$variablename sections included in the form.

// Connect to database
$dbcnx = @mysql_connect('localhost', 'user', 'pwd');
mysql_select_db('nameofdb');

// database query to select the categories (from #2 form)
$result = mysql_query("SELECT ID FROM table2 WHERE lastname='lastname' AND phone='phone';

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {

$ID = $row['ID'];
$lastname = $row['lastname'];
$phone = $row['phone'];
etc., etc.

However, if a NEW user, how could this work if there was no existing $variablename data to pull in?

I assume one can do multiple Queries in the same php page, however table1 and table2 both have an 'ID' field (auto-increment in the D😎. This may present a problem, and not sure ... would it be $HTTP_POST_VARS that I would need to use to get page #2 data plugged into the main form used by both types of user/submitters?

Using your intial example, would I then also have to include an action=page1.php statement in the form? Oh...gheeez...I guess that would just keep cycling???

There must be a way to do this without screwing up the exisiting table1 & table2 'ID' field situation.

[phplearner]

OK...I decided to set up a small-scale prototype to try and figure this out, but think I will need some more assistance.

-- DATABASE = stumped
DROP DATABASE if exists stumped;
CREATE DATABASE stumped;

-- TABLE1 = table1
drop table if exists table1;
CREATE TABLE table1 (
ID int not null auto_increment primary key,
colA varchar(30) not null,
colB varchar(30) not null,
table2ID int not null
);

-- TABLE = table2
drop table if exists table2;
CREATE TABLE table2 (
ID int not null auto_increment primary key,
lastname varchar(30) not null,
phone varchar(30) not null
);

INSERT INTO table1 SET
colA='colA text here',
colB='colB text here',
table2ID='1'
--Manual entry of above for testing...
--To Match the table2 ID
;

INSERT INTO table2 SET
lastname='Smith',
phone='123-456-7890'
;

The reason for the table2ID column in table1 is that when the data is eventually viewed on a display page, it will use table1 AND table2 column/field data...and must be tied to the user/submitter name. This part I already have working with the final monster form. Indeed, a "Miracle" in and of itself :o

I'm open to any more suggestions at this point. Thanks to any/all who can help.

[phplearner]

Now I feel like I'm going around in circles, possibly trying to mix apples & oranges?

I got this far and realized I need Help 'cuz I'm not sure which comes first - the chicken or the egg or if 2 pages will be needed to do this.

<?
?>
<HTML>
<HEAD></HEAD>
<BODY>
<?php
// If the form is submitted
if (isset($_POST['submit']))
{
// Validate the data
// if( everything is correct )
{
// Connect to database
$dbcnx = @mysql_connect('localhost', 'me', '');
mysql_select_db('stumped')
or die ("Unable to connect to database at this time.");

        // RETRIEVE data from database

    $sql = "SELECT lastname, phone  
        FROM table2 WHERE lastname='smith' AND
        phone='123-456-7890';

    $result = mysql_query($sql);


    while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {

    $lastname = $row['lastname'];
    $phone=$row['phone'];



        // INSERT data into the database
    // to follow - but how?  Before the above?          

    }
}


else 
{ 

?>
<form action="' . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '" method="post">;
The next two fields are for/from table1<br>
colA data:<input type="text" name="colA" VALUE="$colA"><br>
colB data:<input type="text" name="colB" VALUE="$colB"><br>
<br>
The next two fields are for/from table2<br>
lastname:<input type="text" name="colA" VALUE="$lastname"><br>
phone:<input type="text" name="colB" VALUE="$phone"><br>
<input type="Submit"name="submit" value=" Enter information"></form>
<?
}
?>
</BODY>
</HTML>

<?
?>

[phplearner]

ARRRGGGHHH.

I am now trying something different. At least this will pull in 'Smith' and '123-456-7890' BUT I can't figure out why about 4 blank lines preceed the 2 fields in the browser and it is driving me nuts!!!

<?
?>
<HTML>
<HEAD><TITLE>stumped</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1>stumped example page to check table2</H1>
<?
// database connection
mysql_connect("localhost","me","")
or die ("Unable to connect to server at this time.");

// database selection
mysql_select_db("stumped")
or die ("Unable to connect to server at this time.");

// database query to select the categories
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM table2 WHERE table2.ID=1");

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {

$table2id = $row['ID'];
$id = $table2id;
$lastname = $row['lastname'];
$phone = $row['phone'];

echo "<TABLE>";

echo "<TR><TD width=150 align=right cellspacing=3 cellpadding=5>Last

Name:&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
<TD align=left cellspacing=3 cellpadding=5>
<input type=\"text\" name=\"lastname\" VALUE=\"$lastname\"></TD></TR><BR>";

echo "<TR><TD width=150 align=right cellspacing=3

cellpadding=5>Phone:&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
<TD align=left cellspacing=3 cellpadding=5>
<input type=\"text\" name=\"phone\" VALUE=\"$phone\"></TD></TR><BR>";

echo "<TR><TD width=150 align=right cellspacing=3 cellpadding=5>&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
<TD align=left cellspacing=3 cellpadding=5><a href=\"finalform.php?id=$id\">UPDATE

DATA</a></TD></TR><BR>";

echo "</TABLE>";

}
?>

</body>
</html>

<?
?>