<Form> -> $_Post -> Insert HELP!

Cheezewiz

I am new to both HTML and PHP. I am trying to learn how to get my first simple data base going and am stumped at inserting data into MySQL from an HTML form.

I have been using the tutorial:

http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/99/21/index3a_page4.html?tw=programming

I have never gotten data to post, and got sidetracked into modularizing the scripts by putting different functions into different pages to keep things organized. The form does call the add record, but it doesn't update. Plus I am now getting a weird error and I cannot see where the syntax error is. Even when I wasn't getting the systax error, it would not add the record. I have tried about 30 different variations, none of which as worked. I have read a dozen strings on the subject here, but none have gotten me past this roadblock. I have to call for help.

I am using FoxServ 3.0. I believe I have
PHP Version 4.2.2, MySQL 1.3 on a W98-SE box.

the error I am currently getting is:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_VARIABLE, expecting ',' or ';' in C:\FoxServ\www\Input_Add_test.php on line 31

Line 31 is this line in Add_Test.php

$sql = "INSERT INTO $Dbs (first,last,address,position) VALUES ('$Post['first']','$Post['last']','$Post['address']','$Post['position']')";
$result = mysql_query($sql);

Here are the two PHP scripts:

Input_Test.php

<html>
<head>
<title>Input_Test</title>
</head>
<body>
<form ACTION="Add_Test.php" NAME="Add_Test" method="post" >
<table border="2">
<tr><td>First name:</td><td><input type="Text" name="first"></td></tr>

<tr><td>Address:</td><td><input type="Text" name="address"></td></tr>

<tr><td>Position:</td><td><input type="Text" name="position"></td></tr>

</table>
</form>
</body>
</html>

Add_Test.php

<?PHP
Echo "insert"

$sql = "INSERT INTO $Dbs (first,last,address,position) VALUES ('$Post['first']','$Post['last']','$Post['address']','$Post['position']')";
$result = mysql_query($sql);

</BODY>
</HTML>

Thanks in advance,

Mike

Mordecai

Yor problem does, indeed, lie in line 31:
$sql = "INSERT INTO $Dbs (first,last,address,position) VALUES ('$Post['first']','$Post['last']','$Post['address']','$Post['position']')";

This line has double quotes surrounding it, but single quotes surrounding the variables. You need to use something like this:
...VALUES('".$_POST['first']."',...

There is a double quote AND a single quote. The single quote just makes sure it is sent as text.

Also, on the line above that one:
Echo "insert"
you are missing a ;. That can cause an error on the next line that is parsed, as it thinks it's all one line. (A line ends at the ; in PHP.)

Cheezewiz

Remembering to put ";" at the end of echo "Insert" did clear the error in line 31. I must learn to look at the line before as well.

It is not sending the data. I have started to test a simpler case, where I just try to print $_Post. Here is one sample of the many permutations I have tried.

<?PHP

Echo "test post";
Echo $_Post['$first'];

It does display "test post", but nothing I have tried gets it to take data from the form. I have tried...

$Post[ $first ];
$Post[ first ];
$Post[ 1 ];
$Post[ 0 ];
$Post[ "$first" ];
$Post;

Is there some problem with the form?

Earlier, it worked when the data was hard coded into Value ( ), and I have three records in the DB from that method, so I know it's working. The display data script works, so PHP & MySQL has to be working. It just doesn't sem to be passing the data from the form.

Mike

stolzyboy

the post needs to be capitalized

this

Echo $_Post['$first'];

should be

echo $_POST['$first'];

keith73

Originally posted by Cheezewiz
Remembering to put ";" at the end of echo "Insert" did clear the error in line 31. I must learn to look at the line before as well.

It is not sending the data. I have started to test a simpler case, where I just try to print $_Post. Here is one sample of the many permutations I have tried.

<?PHP

Echo "test post";
Echo $_Post['$first'];

?>

It does display "test post", but nothing I have tried gets it to take data from the form. I have tried...

$Post[ $first ];
$Post[ first ];
$Post[ 1 ];
$Post[ 0 ];
$Post[ "$first" ];
$Post;

Is there some problem with the form?

Earlier, it worked when the data was hard coded into Value ( ), and I have three records in the DB from that method, so I know it's working. The display data script works, so PHP & MySQL has to be working. It just doesn't sem to be passing the data from the form.

Mike

but did you try
echo $POST['first'];
I assume first is the name of a field in your form. in that case, if register_globals is turned on then $first would be the value of that field, not the name. so if you enter John into that field, then your script will look for $POST['John'], not $POST['first'] as it should.
The name of the field is the index of $POST, placing the $ in front of first makes it try to read the value of $first.

And $Post[ first ] probably didn't work because of the spaces. If you don't use the quotes inside the brackets, then you can't use spaces. $POST[first] would probably work as well.

With register_globals turned off, $first wouldn't even exist and the only way to get the value would be using $_POST['first'];

here's some simple code to see what values are being passed from the form.

reset($_POST);
foreach($_POST as $key => $value){
 print $key . " => " . $value . "<br>\n";
}//end foreach

keith

Cheezewiz

Well, I tried everything, and still cannot get records into the DB. $_POST is working. It is passing the data. I used the syntax recommended, but no success. I started to play with things and reverted to the code that put the first three records in the DB at the start of the tutorial, doing it hard coded and even that will not put records into the DB.

INSERT INTO Employees VALUES (4,'Casey','Jones','99 Roundhouse Road','Engine Driver');

I suspect that the hundreds of unsuccessful tries with incorrect code may have screwed up the DB. I am going to start with a new one. (On Monday, I am burned out.) I have learned a lot along the way. I looked at the first files I tried and they are dated April 18, so I have been trying for 18 days without successfully writing one record. However, I have continued to do other things, learned how to make nice looking forms, modularize the code with inserts, and am slowly becoming familiar with this stuff.

Thanks for trying. And to answer the tag line, I always pass on what I know. Countless people have helped me in the last 27 years, and I pay back the system. I have little of value to offer here, but will gladly dispense advice on Data General's Business Basic and AOS/VSII OS. I run a large Tolkien writer's forum, and many of the members are artists with little computer savvy. I help those I can.

Mike

Cheezewiz

It has been an interesting few weeks. It has been 5 weeks since I loaded FoxServe on my system and began learning PHP/MySQL. As an old Cobol/Basic programmer, it has taken me a while to get used to the difference in style. I have learned a bunch. I am now writing, printing and updating a small database. The current problem is getting data into forms. The form only displays a field up to the first space. I am working that. I have reached the point where having working scripts, I can experiment and see cause and effect, something I recommend to all newbies.

Some things I learned along the way to pass along too newbies.

The biggie is, be sure you have the basics down. I spent two weeks struggling to get a DB write to work. I tried everything. Nothing worked. It turns out I was writing to "employee", where the real name of the db was "employees" I must have starred at the code for 20 hours before I caught that. If it isn't working, first double, make that triple check for errors in the simple stuff.

Be sure you put a ";" at the end of each line.

When you update the script, be sure you are testing the updated script.

Be sure you started Apache & MySQL. Your scripts don't work too well without them.

Save scripts that work and then play with them, trying new and different ways to do things.

Read lots of tutorials. You don't have to do the whole lesson, but all contain useful bits of code that works. Working from an example that is known to work is a great way to get started.

Read the official PHP manual!!!!!!! Consult it regularly. It will slowly soak into your brain. Things you read today may be useful next week.

http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/index.html

I know this sounds very basic, but these are the things that tripped me up, and I thought I'd pass them along.

Thanks for all the help, I am sure I'll be back for more.

Mike

keith73

The biggie is, be sure you have the basics down. I spent two weeks struggling to get a DB write to work. I tried everything. Nothing worked. It turns out I was writing to "employee", where the real name of the db was "employees" I must have starred at the code for 20 hours before I caught that. If it isn't working, first double, make that triple check for errors in the simple stuff.

always do error checking.

$result = mysql_query($query);
if(!$result){ print mysql_error(); exit; }

of course, on a live site, I would print mysql errors to a file, not to the browser, but it's a start. the mysql_error would have told you immediately that the database table employee did not exist, then you would have figured out that it was employees.

keith

SecretSauce

Cheesewiz,

I've been reading through this post for a while tonight, it has helped me solve a bunch of problems I was having with forms and php. It has been a few years since I have used it, and I guess somewhere along the way in the versions they turned off that register_globals deal that my example I was using used to work with. I've been racking my brain over it for a few days now trying to figure out why it wasn't working, and then saw that using $_POST['variable'] got the job done the same way. :rolleyes:

As far as your issue with only the first word and space showing up in the form, I had this issue as well...ended up I didn't have quotes around the value= statement, was doing something like this
<?
echo "input type=\"text\" name=\"subject\" value=";
echo $_POST['subject'];
echo ">";
?>

When it sould have been this...
<?
echo "input type=\"text\" name=\"subject\" value=\"" ;
echo $_POST['subject'];
echo "\">";
?>

Anyway, hope that helps, and thanks to everyone who has helped out in here...I got some benefit of it as well as cheese 😃

stolzyboy

or you could write it like this and not worry about echoing everything out and quoting

<input type="text" name="subject" value="<? echo $_POST['subject']; ?>">

Cheezewiz

Secret Sauce: It worked, Thanks. I am learning HTML, PHP & MySQL at the same time, so it is slow going since I never know where the problem is, or if I am even looking in the right place.

Stolzyboy: Thanks also, but your solution would entail changing the way I have the form coded, which might introduce other problems, so for the moment, I'll go with the smallest change that works. I will try your method somewhere as I continue to play with things.

Question, don't you have to echo the input statement to get it to be output as HTML?

A question. If I create a variable in a PHP section....

<?PHP $A=12; ?>

and then quit PHP, when I go back into PHP further down the page...

<?PHP Echo $A; ?>

Will my data still be in $A? If I call another page, will the data still be in $A?

Passing variables around is still a bit of a mystery to me. My previous experience in programming makes me want to write lots of small php files that do specific things, and then call them when needed. Is this a good model, or should a whole proect be one big page with all the code on it? In addition to learning the code, I am still kinda foggy about how to organize a project.

Mike

laserlight

HTML and PHP code can and do co-exist peacefully on the same page, though some ppl would argue for separation of functionality and design.

Your $A variable should still be around, unless you suddenly decide to declare a function and do not make it global within that function.

However, that variable will not be passed to the next page, though there are various ways of doing that, like using the query string, or a form etc.

Modular programming works in PHP too, and some ppl use the OO support in PHP.