Dynamic Text Box Generation Help...

madcat

Hi:
I need to ask for some help building a function that creates dynamic text boxes. This is an example link, I'd like this function to work EXACTLY the same way...just keep clicking 'Enter More Numbers':

http://www.ups.com/WebTracking/track?loc=en_US
*Just let me know if I need to put this in my profile.

The only difference is, I will have about 10 different sections of information that I'll need this function to work for. If the UPS site creates new boxes for 'Tracking', mine needs to create them for tracking, pin numbers, part numbers, mfg numbers, etc.

My aim is to somehow (my php skills are null) build one all purpose function for this. If 'Enter More Numbers' is clicked on my site I would like the boxes to be spit out in sets of 5 to 25 (if needed by user). That means that each name value (within generated text box) will need to be dynamically generated so that they could be input to a database.

Would it be easier to build a function for each section, or one all-purpose function. Also, what would be the best way to start building this all-purpose function? Here is what 2 out of the 10 sections might look like. The first five boxes are always visible for every section:

Tracking Number

track1
track2
track3
track4

track5

Enter More Numbers Link >
Generate 5 More boxes until link is clicked again till 25

Pin Number

pin1
pin2
pin3
pin4

pin5

Enter More Numbers Link >
Generate 5 More boxes until link is clicked again till 25

Any help is greatly appreciated as I feel way in over my head.

devinemke

here is a VERY simplified example:

<?
$boxes = range (1, 5);
if (isset ($_POST['submit'])) {$boxes = range (1, $_POST['count'] + 5);}

echo '<form action="' . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '" method="POST">';

foreach ($boxes as $value) {echo sprintf ('%02s', $value) . '. <input type="text" name="" value=""><br>' . "\n";}

echo '
<input type="hidden" name="count" value="' . count ($boxes) . '">
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="enter 5 more boxes">
</form>
';
?>

lerchmo

this would work but there is probably a better way

for ($i=0; $i <= $number_of_boxes;i++)
{
echo "<input type='text' name='box$i'>";
}

echo "<a href='$PHP_SELF?number_of_boxes=10'>add more boxes</a>";