[Resolved] help with nested forums

di1

I need help with the following code. The first and second page load fine but it doesn't post the values to the database and doesn't give me any errors. It just returns to the first page. I'm using vi and all the colors seem to be right. I've had the inner if statement work, but it stopped when I added the first page 🙁.

Thanks, I've been banging my head against the wall trying to get this right.

<?php
extract($_POST);
if ($submitnum!="Submit")
 {
?>
<form action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="POST">
How many alcoholic drinks are there?
<input name="alcdrnks" type="text" size="5">
<p>
How many non-alcoholic drinks are there?
<input name="nalcdrnks" type="text" size="5">
<p/></p>
<input name="submitnum" type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

<?php
}
else
{
extract($_POST);
if ($submit!="Add")
{
?>
<h2>Insert a new cocktail</h2>
<form action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="POST">
Name:
<input name="name" type="text" size="50">
<p>
Instructions:
<textarea name="instructions" rows="6" cols="40"></textarea>
<p/></p>
<?php
for ($i=1; $i<=$nalcdrnks; $i++)
{echo'
Mixer:
<input name="mixer" type="text" size="50">
Amount:
<input name="mamnt" type="text" size="20"><br/>
<p/></p>
Flavor:
<input name="mxrflavr" type="text" size="50"> <br/><p></p>
<hr/>';
} ?>


<br/>
<br/>

<?php
for ($j=1; $j<=$alcdrnks; $j++)
{echo'
Alcohol:
<input name="alc" type="text" size="50">
Amount:
<input name="alcamnt" type="text" size="20"><br/>
<p/></p>
Flavor:
<input name="alcflavr" type="text" size="50"><br/><p></p>';
}
?>
<br/>

<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Add">
</form>
</div>

<?php
unset($i,$j);
echo "Submit is $submitnum\n";
}

else
{
echo "Form is submitted";
// form submitted
// prepare to insert data
sql code etc }}

paulnaj

Hi di1,

Yes, you've got into a bit of a tangle with your program flow.

It's best (if you can) to split the program flow from the detail by using functions. Try to get the order of execution/conditionals clear before you start. You should be able to write down in English exactly what you wish to do before you even look at any code.

You would have run into another problem later on anyway ... which was where you used a for...loop to create the second form listing all the possible mixers etc. All the mixer-input-texts would have all ended up with the same name ... see the code for the solution.

If you need anymore explanation of any of the changes I've made here, post them on this thread.

Here it is (I took the liberty of tidying up and removing unnecessary php and I might have messed up your layout)
...

<html>
<head>
<title>Untitled</title>
</head>

<body>
<?php

// Program ------------------------------------------------------------------------
switch($submit){
	case "Add": 
		do_the_mysql_query_add_the_data(); 
	break;
	case "Submit": 
		second_form(); 
	break;
	default: 
		first_form(); 
	break;
}

?>
</body>
</html>

<?php

// Functions ----------------------------------------------------------------------
// do_the_mysql_query_add_the_data
function do_the_mysql_query_add_the_data(){
	echo "Form is submitted
	<hr />
	Here are all your [POST] variables and valuables to insert data sql code etc  ...
	<br />They have to be named uniquely (using the i's and the j's) otherwise
	later occurences will overwrite earlier ones ...
	<hr />
	";
	foreach($_POST as $name => $value){
		echo "<b>".$name."</b> = ".$value."<br />";
	} 
}

// first form ----------------------------------------------------------------------
function first_form(){
	global $_SERVER;

?>
<form action="<?=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']?>" method="POST">
How many alcoholic drinks are there? <input name="alcdrnks" type="text" size="5">
<br />
How many non-alcoholic drinks are there? <input name="nalcdrnks" type="text" size="5">
<br />
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
<?php

}

// first form ----------------------------------------------------------------------
function second_form(){
	global $_SERVER, $_POST;

?>
<h2>Insert a new cocktail</h2>
<form action="<?=$SERVER['PHP_SELF']?>" method="POST">
Name: <input name="name" type="text" size="50">
<br />Instructions: <textarea name="instructions" rows="6" cols="40"></textarea>
<br />
<?php

	for ($i = 1; $i <= $_POST["nalcdrnks"]; $i++){
		echo "
	Mixer: <input name=\"mixer_".$i."\" type=\"text\" size=\"50\"> 
	<br />
	Amount: <input name=\"mamnt_".$i."\" type=\"text\" size=\"20\">
	<br />
	Flavor: <input name=\"mxrflavr_".$i."\" type=\"text\" size=\"50\">
	<br />
	<hr />
"; 
	} 
	echo "<br/><br/>";
	for ($j = 1; $j <= $_POST["alcdrnks"]; $j++){
		echo " 
	Alcohol: <input name=\"alc_".$j."\" type=\"text\" size=\"50\"> 
	<br/> 
	Amount: <input name=\"alcamnt_".$j."\" type=\"text\" size=\"20\">
	<br/> 
	Flavor: <input name=\"alcflavr_".$j."\" type=\"text\" size=\"50\">
	<br />
"; 
	}

?>
<br/>
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Add">
</form>
<?php

}
// End Functions ----------------------------------------------------------------

🙂 🙂 🙂

paulnaj

Oops!

I missed out putting ...

global $_POST;

... on the first line of the ...

 do_the_mysql_query_add_the_data()

... function

di1

Thanks alot. Its alot more involved than I thought. I'm new to php, but have had some experience with perl, c etc. I haven't yet tried it out but will soon.🙂

di1

I made the changes. I don't have php short tags enabled so I changed the following
<form action="

<?= $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>

" method="POST">
to

<form action="

<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>

" method="POST">

but it doesn't go to the second form. It just seems to reset back to the first page.

I have tried all sorts of different echo statements because I thought it might be in there but with no luck, ie echo "xxx" or echo ("xx")

Thanks

paulnaj

Hmmm, yes, can't see the problem there ... your way looks perfectly good.

It might be agood idea to post this problem as a new thread (and mark this one resolved).

It's probably something to do with the way you have PHP configured but that's not my strong suit.

Good luck!