[Resolved] Drawing table cells when value=NULL

Davidc316

Hi.

I'm just finishing up on a little program that lets a user input a few details on a common HTML form. The form then enters those details into a database and display the database on a table on a webpage.

The trouble is I don't want to have to FORCE people into filling out all the boxes (for example, a user might not want to enter their email address).

Anyway, I've got the thing working so that when values are inserted into the database, the program looks at all the database records and draws a nice neat little table cell "<td>" for each of the values stored in the database.

All in all it works pretty good, but the trouble is- if someone leaves a box blank, then it doesn't draw a table cell and the thing generally starts to look a bit messy.

What I really would like is so that if a user leaves a box blank (on the HTML form), then the program will behave as if they've just typed "not applicable".

At first I thought that this would work:

IF ($POST[emailaddress] == NULL) {
$POST[emailaddress] = "not applicable";
}

...but that doesn't work.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

barand

IF (is_null($_POST[emailaddress] )) { 
$_POST[emailaddress] = "not applicable"; 
} 

// or use 

IF (!$_POST[emailaddress]) { 
$_POST[emailaddress] = "not applicable"; 
}

hth

kevinsequeira

post your code

reg
kevin

Davidc316

Thanks, I appreciate that offer and I'll just go and get the code.

But before I post it, let me just say- unfortunately none of the first recommendations worked- it still behaved as if the person had entered nothing.

Ok here comes the code...

Davidc316

<?php
// open the connection
$conn = mysql_connect("localhost", "root", "");

// pick the database to use
mysql_select_db("dcdatabase",$conn);

if ($_POST[salewant] == "select") {
print "You didn't specify whether your ticket(s) were for sale or wanted.";
print " ";
print "Please use the back button on your browser and try again.";

} elseif ($_POST[event] == NULL) {
print "You didn't specify an event!";
print " ";
print "Please use the back button on your browser and try again.";

} elseif ($_POST[venue] == NULL) {
print "You didn't specify a gig venue!";
print " ";
print "Please use the back button on your browser and try again.";

} elseif ($_POST[location] == NULL) {
print "You didn't specify a location!";
print " ";
print "Please use the back button on your browser and try again.";

} elseif ($_POST[date] == NULL) {
print "You didn't enter any date(s) for the event!";
print " ";
print "If you are not sure of the date(s) of the event please go back and enter 'not sure'";
print " ";
print "If you want to buy gig ticket(s) and you don't care about the gig date(s), please go back and enter 'any'";
print " ";
print " ";
print "Use the back button on your browser to go back to your submission form.";

} elseif ($_POST[quant] == NULL) {
print "Could not enter your details. You did not specify how many tickets you wanted to buy or sell!";
print " ";
print "Please use the back button on your browser and try again.";

} elseif ($_POST[price] == NULL) {
print "There was no price!";

} elseif ($POST[email] == NULL and $POST[telnum] == NULL) {
print "You need to specify an email address or a telephone number!";

}else {

// create the SQL statement
$sql = "INSERT INTO testtickets values ('', '$POST[salewant]','$POST[event]','$POST[venue]','$POST[location]','$POST[date]','$POST[quant]','$POST[price]','$POST[email]','$_POST[telnum]')";

// execute the SQL statement
if (mysql_query($sql, $conn)) {
echo "";
echo "Thank you! Your details have been added.";
} else {
echo "";
echo "Unable to update database. Contact info@topgig.com if you are in need of any assistance. (please ignore the above message if it appeared after a recent page refresh!)";
}
}

//DISPLAYING THE DATABASE
print " ";
print " ";
// open the connection
$conn = mysql_connect ("localhost", "root", "");

// pick the database to use
mysql_select_db ("dcdatabase",$conn);

// create the sql command
$sql = "Select * from testtickets order by event asc";

// execute the sql command
$result = mysql_query($sql, $conn) or die (mysql_error());

echo "<table style='border: 2px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 1px; spacing: 1px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px' width='100%' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' align='center'>";
echo "<tr>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>For Sale or Wanted</th>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>Event</th>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>Venue</th>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>Location</th>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>Date(s)</th>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>No' of Tickets available or wanted</th>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>Asking Price (per ticket)</th>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>Email Address</th>";
echo "<th style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #009999; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='13'>Telephone Number</th>";
echo "</tr>";

// go through each row and display data
while ($shit = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {

// give a name to the fields
$id =$shit['id'];

$saleorwanted = $shit['saleorwanted'];

$event = $shit['event'];

$venue = $shit ['venue'];

$location = $shit ['location'];
$date =$shit['date'];
$numticks =$shit['numticks'];
$price =$shit['price'];
$email =$shit['email'];
$telnum =$shit['telnum'];

//print the results on screen
echo "<tr align=center>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='6%'>" .$saleorwanted. "</td>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='16%'>" .$event. "</td>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='11%'>" .$venue. "</td>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='10%'>" .$location. "</td>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='7%'>" .$date. "</td>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='7%'>" .$numticks. "</td>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='7%'>" .$price. "</td>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='21%'>" .$email. "</td>";
echo "<td style='border: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px' height='30' width='14%'>" .$telnum. "</td>";
echo "</tr>";
}

echo "</table>";
?>

Davidc316

Just so you know... the script takes values from a form with a view to creating a table which contains details of tickets that people want to buy or sell.

I'm hoping to eventually put in on the page http://www.topgig.com/tickets.htm

kevinsequeira

if($shit['saleorwanted']!="")
	$saleorwanted = $shit['saleorwanted'];
else
	$saleorwanted ="&nbsp;";
// do for the rest similarly	
$event = $shit['event'];
$venue = $shit ['venue'];
$location = $shit ['location'];
$date =$shit['date'];
$numticks =$shit['numticks'];
$price =$shit['price'];
$email =$shit['email'];
$telnum =$shit['telnum'];

reg
kevin

Davidc316

Hang on!

It's not copied all the code.

I'll try again

Davidc316

Ok, this is the bit that got missed out first time round... but it probably doesn't matter much now...

(the last part of the script should read🙂-

} elseif ($_POST[price] == NULL) {
print "There was no price!";

} elseif ($POST[email] == NULL and $POST[telnum] == NULL) {
print "You need to specify an email address or a telephone number!";

}else {

//DISPLAYING THE DATABASE
print " ";
print " ";
// open the connection
$conn = mysql_connect ("localhost", "root", "");

// pick the database to use
mysql_select_db ("dcdatabase",$conn);

// create the sql command
$sql = "Select * from testtickets order by event asc";

// execute the sql command
$result = mysql_query($sql, $conn) or die (mysql_error());

Davidc316

That's strange.

It keeps missing out a bit when I copy and paste.

Oh well... who cares?

I'll go and try out your suggestion.

Thanks!

stolzyboy

kevin, whats with the $s*@t['var'] thing, try and keep the swearing out as much as possible, it personally doesn't bother me, but there are younger peeps on here and their parents may not like that sort of language

Davidc316

Ach,

Unfortunately I can't get your suggestion to work.

I think part of the problem has been that I've described my problem badly and I couldn't copy and paste my entire code onto the forum for some strange reason.

Thanks anyway. I appreciate it.

kevinsequeira

while ($shit = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
// give a name to the fields
$id =$shit['id'];
$saleorwanted = $shit['saleorwanted'];
$event = $shit['event'];
$venue = $shit ['venue'];
$location = $shit ['location'];
$date =$shit['date'];
$numticks =$shit['numticks'];
$price =$shit['price'];
$email =$shit['email'];
$telnum =$shit['telnum'];

well stolzyboy, i just copied the code/ variable name that Davidc316 has used in his code....
so i guess ure post should be addressed at him

reg
kevin

Davidc316

I don't know what swearing you're talking about.

This has been a clean conversation.

stolzyboy

Originally posted by kevinsequeira
well stolzyboy, i just copied the code/ variable name that Davidc316 has used in his code....
so i guess ure post should be addressed at him

reg
kevin

ya see that david

kevinsequeira

well david, the thing i have done is simple, if the data from the db query is blank u assign the display=" " which is a blank character, so that you have <td> </td> and this doesnt mess up the html of the page

reg
kevin

stolzyboy

Originally posted by Davidc316
I don't know what swearing you're talking about.

This has been a clean conversation.

the word "s*#t" maybe

not trying to be picky here, but.....

Davidc316

Oh, you mean the variable names??????

Aaaaaaaah..

I'm sorry. I never realised that would be a problem. At the time I just wanted to give them a name that I thought I'd remember.

I never realised that the day would come when someone asked me to post my code up on the forum.

stolzyboy

generally, you will always have to post some code on the forum for us to better help you

kevinsequeira

nope, well i thought this was the issue, if the users leaves something blank in the form, then when u display the data after it goes into the db, the html messess up cause the <td>$saleorwanted</td> ends up like this <td></td>.

so to solve that, the check was done to check it was blank and if it was assing it a value

"&nbsp;"

so the tag looks like

<td>&nbsp;</td>

perhaps i misunderstood the problem

reg
kevin