Stuck In A Loop

[Sharif]

This is my first shot at creating an original script - all bymyself to let a user update a mysql field. This is what it does:

1. You select the date of the article
2. You select the title

If you did that, you get a congrats message (I will finish after I get this bug fixed - the bug is why I am posting this). Note you can only do each step at a time, meaning that's all the page displays.

Here is the code:

//Required Variables
$author = "Sharif Tanvir Karim";

//Begin Script

if (!isset($_POST['article_date']))
{
echo ("<center>Please select the date of the article you want to edit by selecting a date from the drop down menu below");
echo ("<form name=\"select_article_date\" action=\"updater.php\" method=\"post\">");
echo ("<select name=\"article_date\" onChange=\"document.select_article_date.submit();\">");

//Start SQL Query To Pull Data

$query = mysql_query ("SELECT date FROM news WHERE author='$author' ORDER BY date DESC");
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query)) 
{ 
	$date = $row["date"];

//List the options for the list field

echo "<option>"; 
echo $date;
echo "</option>";

}

//Close HTML

echo ("</select>");
echo ("</form>");
echo ("</center>");
}
elseif (!isset($_POST['article']))
{
echo ("<center>Please select an article to edit by selecting an article from the drop down menu below");
echo ("<form name=\"select_article\" action=\"updater.php\" method=\"post\">");
echo ("<select name=\"article\" onChange=\"document.select_article.submit();\">");

//Start SQL Query To Pull Data

$query = mysql_query ("SELECT title FROM news WHERE author = '$author' AND date = '$article_date' ORDER BY title ASC");
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query)) 
{ 
	$title = $row["title"];

//List the options for the list field

echo "<option>"; 
echo $title;
echo "</option>";

}

//Close HTML

echo ("</select>");
echo ("</form>");
echo ("</center>");
}
//if all succedds

elseif (isset($_POST['article']) && isset($_POST['article_date']))
{
echo ' you did it ';
}

The problem is, after you pick the date and the page refreshes to pick the article, and you pick the article, you end up having to pick the date again. Why? Please do not worry about ALL of the sql queries, I purposely put SOME screwy stuff because I am not done with all the sql stuff. But for now, please help me out.

[tomhath]

Look carefully at your if statements. The middle "elseif" cannot be reached if you get into the first. All you need to do is change both "elseif" to a plain "if".

if (!isset($_POST['article_date']))
{
...}
elseif (!isset($_POST['article']))
{
...}
elseif (isset($_POST['article']) && isset($_POST['article_date']))
...
}

[Sharif]

tomhath,

I tried what you told me, I'm still stuck in this loop. Except now, it doesn't display one thing at a time on the page...

This is what I am trying to do:

1. User enters page and only sees the "Select Date" drop down form field.
2. User selects date, page refreshes and sees only the "Select Article" drop down form field.
3. Page refreshes with a text field that has the data that was pulled from a mysql field using the date and article title selected.

I want the user to be able to edit articles in the database. I don't know where I messed up...

[nnichols]

You need to pass the "article_date" data as a hidden field in the second form (select article form) then it should work ok.

Add the following to your second form -

echo ("<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"article_date\" value=\"$_POST['article_date']\">");

Hope this helps 😉

[Sharif]

How when you have to be able to select it?

[nnichols]

Did you try what I suggested in my previous post?

[tomhath]

Put the line nnichols posted in the form where you prompt for the date, so it will be passed through for the third call. Keep the elseif statements the way you had them at first (I didn't understand your design the first time).

[Sharif]

Fellas,

I've tried what you told me to, still stuck in this loop. I select the date, and then the title - and then I end up having to select the date again.

[tsinka]

Hi,

can you post the modfied code, so we can see what might be wrong ?