[Resolved] problem passing array

[ethos]

I'm creating a form that allows a user to make something like a list. Its a two dimensional array that i'm trying to pass. The form's action goes back to the page itself.

to give an example:

textbox1 textbox2 addbutton

1. listoftext1 listoftext2
2. listoftext1 listoftext2
   ...

enter text in textbox1 and textbox2 and it shows up underneath... add another... shows up.. and so on.. can anyone give me some sample code that I can adapt? I don't want to use a db to store it because it will get stored in a table later on (this is part of a "wizard" like add inventory module i'm working on)

[ethos]

Here's some excerps of code..

<? 
if(isset($_GET['Add']))
	{

if(!is_array($specarray))
	{
	$specarray = array();
	}
if(isset($_GET['serial']))
	{
	$specarray = base64_decode(unserialize($_GET['serial']));
	}
#add form data to array		
$specarray = array(array(testing,$_GET['spect'],$_GET['specdetails']));


	$html_message = "Specification Added";	

#debugging use
echo sizeof($specarray);	
	}

?>

then here's the hidden field i'm using..

<input name="serial" type="hidden" id="serial" value="<? echo base64_encode(serialize($specarray)); ?>">

Does this look correct or am I just adding to the array wrong and over writting the stuff already there?

[ybinds]

What is the problem that you are finding? Is it displaying only the last element? Are you trying to submit an array (Javascript/HTML/PHP)?

Say for example I have a form with in which I name two fields with the same name, which automatically forms an array. When I submit such form I will not be able to retrieve all the values of those fields, where I have to concatenate them into one single string by delimiting them with some character and then submit it as a hidden field. Are you also trying to do something of this sort?

[ethos]

Its only showing the last entered info. Just to give some more detail... the first item in the form is a drop down box populated by mySql a Specification Type field... the second item in the form is a text box to let you put your own comments on it.

to picture it ...

Entity Inventroy has many entities specifications

The purpose of the particular coding is to let the user add several specifications and details for a particular inventory item.

From the debugging i've done I think its a problem that instead of appending to the array.. i'm over writing it.

[ybinds]

If it works then I would also be interested to know something new. But when I tried once earlier, I was not able to pass an array to the next page. Hence I had to concatenate the values into one single variable and pass it as a hidden field.

[ethos]

my problem is i really don't want to do that since it'll be rather messy since its a 2D array and has potentially alot of elements..

I think its passing the array... i just need to verify the code to append to the array which i can't seem to figure out..

[ybinds]

$specarray = array(array(testing,$GET['spect'],$GET['specdeta
ils']));

What is the "testing" there? If it is a constant it should be in quotes, if it is a variable it should precede with $ symbol. What is it exactly?

[Weedpacket]

Consider using [man]session[/man]s to store intermediate results; you won't need to keep passing arrays back and forth through the form then (and hence giving people the chance to mangle them).

[ethos]

No luck with the session... here's the code i'm using.. What am I doing wrong here?

<?
if(isset($_GET['Add']))
	{
session_start();
	if(!is_array($specarray))
		{
		$specarray = array();
		}

if(isset($_SESSION['sar']))
	{	
	#if session exists create array and set it to equal serialized array in session
          $specarray = array();
	$specarray = base64_decode(unserialize($_SESSION['sar']));

	}

	$specarray[] = array(array("testing",$_GET['spect'],$_GET['specdetails']));
	#store array back into session..
	$_SESSION['sar'] = base64_encode(serialize($specarray));

	$html_message = "Specification Added";	

for($y=0;$y<sizeof($specarray);$y++)
	{
	echo $specarray[$y][0]."-a-".$specarray[$y][1]."-b-".$specarray[$y][2]."<br>";
	}
echo sizeof($specarray);	
	}
?>

Here's the code being used to spit out the array.. I'm still using $specarray since in the code above.. $specarray is supposed to be holding all the data...

  <?
  #begin repeat area
  if(is_array($specarray))
  {
  for($n=0;$n<sizeof($specarray);$n++)
  {
  $z = $specarray[$n][1]-1;
  ?>
  <tr>
    <td>&nbsp;</td>
    <td><div align="right"></div></td>
    <td><? echo $spectype[$z][1]; #echo $z; ?></td>
    <td colspan="2"><? echo $specarray[$n][2]; ?></td>
    <td>&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
  <?
  }
  }
  #end repeat area
  ?>

[Weedpacket]

I should have mentioned; you wouldn't need to encode them or serialise them either. $_SESSION[] works just like an ordinary array apart from the automagical ability to retain values from one request to the next.

<?
if(isset($_GET['Add']))
    {
session_start();
    if(!isset($_SESSION['specarray']))
        $_SESSION['specarray'] = array();

$_SESSION['specarray'][] = array(array("testing",$_GET['spect'],$_GET['specdetails']));

$html_message = "Specification Added";    

for($y=0;$y<sizeof($_SESSION['specarray']);$y++)
    {
    echo $_SESSION['specarray'][$y][0]."-a-".$_SESSION['specarray'][$y][1]."-b-".$_SESSION['specarray'][$y][2]."<br>";
    }
echo sizeof($_SESSION['specarray']);
    }
?>

If you're not keen on saying $_SESSION['specarray'] all the time, make a reference
$specarray =& $SESSION['specarray'];
after ensuring that $SESSION['specarray'] is set, and then you can use $specarray as an alias.

I'm not guaranteeing that this will work any better, but you have to admit that it gets a bit easier to see what's going on.

[ethos]

IT'S ADDING TO THE ARRAY! 🙂

Now i just have one problem...

here's the output of my debug:

Array-a--b-
Array-a--b-
2

I know my problem is here:

 $_SESSION['specarray'][] = array(array("testing",$_GET['spect'],$_GET['specdetails'])); 

What's I'm supposed to be getting is an array that outputs...

Testing-a-1-b-Test detail
Testing-a-1-b-Sun Blade 6800
2

Any ideas on this? and Weedpacket... thanks dude... session wored like a charm..

[Weedpacket]

Ups, yep; an extra array() on that line; didn't notice that. With it there you're adding an array containing one element that is an array with two elements - not just an array with two elements.

[ethos]

You mean like this?

$_SESSION['specarray'][] = array(array(array("testing",$_GET['spect'],$_GET['specdetails'])));

Tired the code above and still getting the same result...

[Weedpacket]

Nonononononono 🙂 there was an extra array() that should have been taken off.

[ethos]

Much thanks!