Session & Forms

[fire_cracker]

Alright. I am writting a simple form that will update user information in a database. I can get everything to change aside from the e-mail address. It allways returns the same value that is already in there. I can't see an error anywhere, so hopefully somone has an idea.

Here is the script:

if($submit) {
//echo back entered info to try and find the error
echo $fname;
echo "<br>";
echo $lname;
echo "<br>";
echo $email2;
echo "<br>";
  //connect to the database
  mysql_connect(localhost,$user,$pass);
  mysql_select_db($db);

  $query4 = mysql_query("UPDATE imn_admin SET fname='$fname', lname='$lname', email='$email2' WHERE username='$username'");
  if($query4) {
    echo "Your Personal information has been updated.";
    }
  else {
    echo "We could not update your personal info for the following reason:<br>";
    echo "<tt>";
    echo mysql_error();
    echo "</tt>";
    }

And here is the form:

//pull info from database
$username = $_SESSION['username'];
$query1 = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM imn_admin WHERE username='$username'");
if($query1) {
  $row = mysql_fetch_array($query1);
  $fname = $row[fname];
  $lname = $row[lname];
  $email = $row[email];
  }
else {
  echo "<center><h1>Error!</h1></center>";
  echo "<br><br>";
  echo "The following error occured while trying to process your request:<br>";
  echo "<tt>";
  echo mysql_error();
  echo "</tt>";
  exit();
  }
?>
<center><h1>Update Info</h1></center>
<br>
<form action="<? PHP_SELF ?>" method="post">
<center>
<table border="0" width="60%">
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="middle" style="background:gray" colspan="2"><b>Personal Information:</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="middle">First Name:</td>
<td align="right" valign="middle"><input type="text" name="fname" value="<? echo $fname ?>"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="middle">Last Name:</td>
<td align="right" valign="middle"><input type="text" name="lname" value="<? echo $lname ?>"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="middle">E-mail Address:</td>
<td align="right" valign="middle"><input type="text" name="email2" value="<? echo $email ?>"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</form>

Thanks for the help everyone.

[swr]

One thing I notice is that you are putting form variables and query results into variables of the same name, except for email address which is $email and $email2. That shouldn't be a problem if everything is working right, but things aren't working right and that may be a clue.

When you display the form, you're assuming that $lname and $fname came from the SQL query, but is it possible that they are coming from the form submit instead, and the database isn't actually being updated for them either?

In general it is a bad idea to re-use variable names.

[fire_cracker]

I changed the variable names for the e-mail address to see if that was the problem; however, it did not correct anything. The other two fields update properly, so I am asuming that something is not being processed correctly in the mySQL statement.

I haven't done a lot of work of this type in the past, normaly it is only creating rows, not updating them.

When I echo out the results of the form, it will allways return the variable that is stored in the SQL database, regarudless of what I call the second variable. I was thinking that maybe the "value" attribute on the form field is somehow sticking with the page while it is submited. This is pretty confusing for a newbie like me lol

[swr]

Could you attach the whole script for download? Hit "reply" and there is an "attach file" thing.

[fire_cracker]

Here is a copy of the full code. Hopefully this helps....

[swr]

Your code looks okay.

However... after some guessing and a couple of tests, there is one thing I can think of that would cause your form field to be ignored...

If you have a session variable with the same name as the form field, you'll get that instead of the form field, because with register_globals the session variables override the form submit variables.

print_r($_SESSION) right after session_start() and I think you'll find that is the source of your unchangable value.

If that is the case, use $_POST['email'] instead of $email. Better yet, turn register_globals off and code your site that way.

Yet another reason to not use register_globals.

[Edit]
If print_r($SESSION) doesn't reveal anything, try print_r($COOKIE) for the same reasons.

[fire_cracker]

I hadn't thought of that. I will take a look at my session vars. I don't know if I registered the e-mail address as one or not.

I would like register globals turned off; however, the server is under another admin's controll, and he has deemend me just a lowly web programmer, so his vote counts higher then mine 🙂

Thanks for the help, and I will let you guys know if that works.