ERROR Message : Undefined index and Undefined offset??

bluwulf

Whenever I load the following page :

<!DOCTYPE Doctype html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html>
 <head>
  <title></title>
 </head>






 <?php
  error_reporting(E_ALL);  //report all errors

 echo"YOU HAVE JUST ENTERED PHP...WELCOME !";


 if(isset($_POST['submit_button']))
 {

echo"YOU ARE NOW IN THE FIRST \"IF\" BLOCK";


$blankuser_submitted = $_POST['blankuser_submitted'];
$user_name_submitted = $_POST['user_name_submitted'];

$blanknode_submitted = $_POST['blanknode_submitted'];
$node_submitted = $_POST['node_submitted'];

$subject_submitted = $_POST['subject_submitted'];
$details_submitted = $_POST['details_submitted'];

$submit_button = $_POST['submit_button'];



if(isset($blankuser_submitted))
{


echo "<small>";
    echo "PLEASE SELECT A USER FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU";
    echo "IT IS A REQUIRED FEILD";
    echo"</small>";
    //exit;

}
if(isset($blanknode_submitted))
{
    echo "<small>";
    echo "PLEASE SELECT A NODE FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU";
    echo "IT IS A REQUIRED FEILD";
    echo"</small>";
    //exit;
}
if(empty($subject_submitted))
{
   echo"</small>";
   echo "THE SUBJECT FEILD IS EMPTY\n";
   echo "IT IS A REQUIRED FEILD";
   echo"</small>";
   //exit;
}
if(empty($details_submitted))
{
   echo"</small>";
   echo "THE DETAILS TEXT BOX IS EMPTY\n";
   echo "IT IS A REQUIRED THAT IT BE FILLED IN";
   echo"</small>";
   //exit;
}
else
{
    $DBhost = 
    $DBuser = 
    $DBpass = 
    $DBName = 



    $db = mysql_connect($DBhost,$DBuser,$DBpass) or die(mysql_error());


    mysql_select_db("$DBName",$db) or die(mysql_error());

    $submit_date = date("Y-m-d"); //the system's date in the following format "yyyy-mm-dd"
    $submit_time = date("G:i:s"); //the system's date in the following format "HH:MM:SS"


    $sqlquery_details = "INSERT INTO details (submit_date,submit_time,subject,details) VALUES ('$submit_date','$submit_time','$subject_submitted','$details_submitted')";
    mysql_query($sqlquery_details) or die("SELECT Error: " . mysql_error() . " in Query: $sqlquery_details");



    //split "name" into "user_fname" and "users_lname" for insertion into the "users" table
    $user_Name = explode(" ",$user_name_submitted);
    $user_fname = $user_Name[0];  //user first name
    $user_lname = $user_Name[1];  //user last name


    $sqlquery_users = "INSERT INTO users (submit_date,submit_time,user_fname,user_lname) VALUES ('$submit_date','$submit_time','$user_fname','$user_lname')";
    mysql_query($sqlquery_users) or die("SELECT Error: " . mysql_error() . " in Query: $sqlquery_users");


    //get node from the drop down menu
    $sqlquery_nodes = "INSERT INTO nodes (submit_date,submit_time,node) VALUES ('$submit_date','$submit_time','$node_submitted')";
    mysql_query($sqlquery_nodes) or die("SELECT Error: " . mysql_error() . " in Query: $sqlquery_nodes");


}



 }
 else
 {
  ?>
  <form method="post" name="submit_form" align="center" action="submit_BK.php">
   <table border="0" align="left">

<tr>
 <!--SELECT USER -->
 <th align="left">
  *
  <small>
   <acronym title="Select User from drop down menu on your right">USER</acronym>
  </small>
 </th>



 <td>
  <!-- DROP DOWN MENU FOR SELECT USER -->
  <select name="user" tabindex="1">
   <option value="blankuser_submitted" />--------- SELECT USER ----------
   <option value="user_name_submitted">JOHN DOE
   <option value="user_name_submitted">JANE DOE

  </select>
</td>

   </tr>


   <tr>

<!-- SELECT NODE -->
<th align="left">
 <br />
 *
 <small>
  <acronym title="Select Node from the drop down menu on your right">NODE</acronym>
 </small>
</th>

<td>
 <!-- DROP DOWN MENU FOR NODE -->
 <br />
 <select name="select_node" tabindex="2">

  <option value="blanknode_submitted" />--------- SELECT NODE ----------
  <option value="node_submitted" />NODE1
  <option value="node_submitted" />NODE2

 </select>
</td>


<tr>

 <th align="left">
  <!-- SUBJECT -->
  <!-- <br /> -->
  *
  <small>
   <acronym title="Enter Subject" >SUBJECT</acronym>
  </small>
 </th>


 <td> <!-- colspan="9"> -->
  <!-- SUBJECT BOX -->
  <br />
  <input type="text" name="subject_submitted" size="40" tabindex="3" />
 </td>

</tr>

<tr>

 <th align="left">
  <!-- DETAILS -->
  <br />
  *
  <small>
   <acronym title="Enter Details" >DETAILS</acronym>
  </small>
 </th>

 <td colspan="2">
  <!-- DETAILS TEXTBOX -->
  <br />
  <textarea name ="details_submitted" rows="6" cols="30" tabindex="4"></textarea>
 </td>

</tr>


<tr>

 <td>

 </td>

 <!-- SUBMIT BUTTON -->
 <td align ="left">




   <button type="submit" name="submit_button" value="submit_button" tabindex="5">
   <acronym title="Click button to SUBMIT data to Database">
    <b>
 <small>
  SUBMIT
 </small>
</b>
   </acronym>
  </button>


 </td>

</tr>

   </table>
  </form>

  <?
 }
 ?>


</html>

I get theez errors :

Notice: Undefined index: blankuser_submitted in c:\apache\htdocs\FOLDER\SUB_FOLDER\submit_bk.php on line 24

Notice: Undefined index: user_name_submitted in c:\apache\htdocs\FOLDER\SUB_FOLDER\submit_bk.php on line 25

Notice: Undefined index: blanknode_submitted in c:\apache\htdocs\FOLDER\SUB_FOLDER\submit_bk.php on line 27

Notice: Undefined index: node_submitted in c:\apache\htdocs\FOLDER\SUB_FOLDER\submit_bk.php on line 28

Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in c:\apache\htdocs\FOLDER\SUB_FOLDER\submit_bk.php on line 98

at lines 24,25,26,27 I have :

$blankuser_submitted = $_POST['blankuser_submitted'];
$user_name_submitted = $_POST['user_name_submitted'];
$blanknode_submitted = $_POST['blanknode_submitted'];
$node_submitted = $_POST['node_submitted'];

I think the "Notices" are a result of the input statements:

 <select name="user" tabindex="1">
       <option value="blankuser_submitted" />--------- SELECT USER ----------</option>
       <option value="user_name_submitted">JOHN DOE</option>
       <option value="user_name_submitted">JANE DOE</option>

  </select>

and


<select name="select_node" tabindex="2">

  <option value="blanknode_submitted" />--------- SELECT NODE ----------</option>
  <option value="node_submitted">NODE1</option>
  <option value="node_submitted">NODE2</option>

 </select>

My reasoning for doing the option tags like that (ie. letting value being equal to the same thing for all of them ) is that since it's a drop down menu the user will only have one selection example node_submitted being sent to the server....is idea wrong ? And if so how would I go about correcting it ?

With regards to the following notice:

Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in c:\apache\htdocs\FOLDER\SUB_FOLDER\submit_bk.php on line 98

I really don't understand it. I wuz trying to split user_name_submitted into a user first name and last name for insertion into the corresponding DB table !

At line 98 I have:

$sqlquery_users = "INSERT INTO users (submit_date,submit_time,user_fname,user_lname) VALUES ('$submit_date','$submit_time','$user_fname','$user_lname')";

Intrestingly though info still gets inserted into the details table (correctly 🙂 ) while for the users only submit_date and submit_time get inserted and the same for the nodes table

drawmack

it's because the form hasn't been submitted yet so those indecies do not exist in the $_POST array.

At the top of the script check if the form has been submitted. If it has not been submitted put default values into those indecies and your problems will be gone.

dnast

It's because those aren't indexes in $POST. They are values in $POST['user] and $_POST['select_node'].

So instead of:

$blankuser_submitted = $_POST['blankuser_submitted']; 
.
.
.
if(isset($blankuser_submitted))
{

It would be more like

$user = $_POST['user']; 
.
.
.
if($user == "blankuser_submitted")
{

You can place the following code after if(isset($POST['submit_button'])) so see the structure of $POST more clearly.

echo "<pre>";
print_r($_POST);
echo "</pre>";

bluwulf

I'm not so sure I follow , this is what I did :


if(isset($_POST['submit_button']))
 {





echo "<pre>";
print_r($_POST);
echo "</pre>";





echo"YOU ARE NOW IN THE FIRST \"IF\" BLOCK";

$select_user = $_POST['select_user'];
//$blankuser_submitted = $_POST['blankuser_submitted'];
//$user_name_submitted = $_POST['user_name_submitted'];

$select_node = $_POST['select_node'];
//$blanknode_submitted = $_POST['blanknode_submitted'];
//$node_submitted = $_POST['node_submitted'];

$subject_submitted = $_POST['subject_submitted'];
$details_submitted = $_POST['details_submitted'];
$submit_button = $_POST['submit_button'];



/*if(isset($blankuser_submitted))
{


echo "<small>";
    echo "PLEASE SELECT A USER FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU";
    echo "IT IS A REQUIRED FEILD";
    echo"</small>";
    //exit;

}
if(isset($blanknode_submitted))
{
    echo "<small>";
    echo "PLEASE SELECT A NODE FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU";
    echo "IT IS A REQUIRED FEILD";
    echo"</small>";
    //exit;
}*/
if(select_user == "blankuser_submitted")
{
    echo "<small>";
    echo "PLEASE SELECT A USER FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU";
    echo "IT IS A REQUIRED FEILD";
    echo"</small>";
    //exit;
}
if(select_node == "blanknode_submitted")
{
    echo "<small>";
    echo "PLEASE SELECT A NODE FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU";
    echo "IT IS A REQUIRED FEILD";
    echo"</small>";
    //exit;
}
if(empty($subject_submitted))
{
   echo"</small>";
   echo "THE SUBJECT FEILD IS EMPTY\n";
   echo "IT IS A REQUIRED FEILD";
   echo"</small>";
   //exit;
}
if(empty($details_submitted))
{
   echo"</small>";
   echo "THE DETAILS TEXT BOX IS EMPTY\n";
   echo "IT IS A REQUIRED THAT IT BE FILLED IN";
   echo"</small>";
   //exit;
}

And now get the following notices:

Notice: Use of undefined constant select_user - assumed 'select_user' in c:\apache\htdocs\dpplb\dpplbphpfiles\submit_bk.php on line 67

Notice: Use of undefined constant select_node - assumed 'select_node' in c:\apache\htdocs\dpplb\dpplbphpfiles\submit_bk.php on line 75

Notice: Undefined variable: user_name_submitted in c:\apache\htdocs\dpplb\dpplbphpfiles\submit_bk.php on line 123

Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in c:\apache\htdocs\dpplb\dpplbphpfiles\submit_bk.php on line 125

Notice: Undefined variable: node_submitted in c:\apache\htdocs\dpplb\dpplbphpfiles\submit_bk.php on line 133

At lines 67,75,123,125,133 I have :

if(select_user == "blankuser_submitted")

if(select_node == "blanknode_submitted")

$user_Name = explode(" ",$user_name_submitted);

$user_lname = $user_Name[1];  //user last name


$sqlquery_nodes = "INSERT INTO nodes (submit_date,submit_time,node) VALUES ('$submit_date','$submit_time','$node_submitted')";

for the structure of $_POST this is what wuz printed :

Array
(
[select_user] => user_name_submitted
[select_node] => node_submitted
[subject_submitted] => TEST subject
[details_submitted] => TEST details
[submit_button] => SUBMIT
)

dnast

Lines 67 and 75:
You forgot the $ for $select_user and $select_node 😉

Line 125:
That's caused by the fact that line 123 had an error.

Line 123 and 133:
The error is caused because you haven't defined those variables.
Instead of using a value of "user_name_submitted" the values in OPTION should, in this case, be the same as what's inbetween your OPTION tags.

For example:

<select name="select_user">
    <option value="blankuser_submitted" />--------- SELECT USER ----------</option>
    <option value="JOHN DOE">JOHN DOE</option>
    <option value="JANE DOE">JANE DOE</option>
</select>

Whatever is selected will be in $POST['select_user']. If nothing is selected then $POST['select_user'] will have a value of "blankuser_submitted".

(By the way, I think you changed some things in your form, so some of your variables might have slightly different names.)

bluwulf

Ok here goes....I noticed you said in this case...could you explain another case to me.

This is the "idea" (thats all it was....and to me it sounded like a greate idea) behind settig up the select statement like :

<!-- DROP DOWN MENU FOR SELECT USER --> 
      <select name="user" tabindex="1"> 
       <option value="blankuser_submitted">-SELECT USER -</option>
       <option value="user_name_submitted">JOHN DOE</option> 
       <option value="user_name_submitted">JANE DOE</option> 

  </select>

You see, I wasn't intrested in wheter John Doe or Jane Doe was selected but simply that "someone" was selected and that "someone" wasn't the blankuser_submitted. So then I thought that by simply giving the John Doe and Jane Doe the <option value="user_name_submitted"> I would then use the $user_name_submitted variable to do my other stuff.

But your explanation has certainly enlighten me......I think I now have a better understanding ! (hopefully I will be able to implement it 😃 😃 )

Thanx very much.....

dnast

Another case would be if your database was set up in a way that every user has an ID and you allow multiple users to have the same name. You could put the ID as the value to determine exactly which "JOHN DOE" or whoever was selected.

In regards to "user_name_submitted":
I thought that's what you were doing. But when I saw that you were trying to explode the name to get a first and last name, I saw that this wouldn't work. That's because "user_name_submitted" was not a variable - it was the value of "user" (i.e. $_POST['user'] == "user_name_submitted") when you select a name.

Just think of the name attribute in forms as variable names, and value as, well, values 🙂

For the part to determine if no user was selected, you only have to do something like

IF ($_POST['user'] == "blankuser_submitted") {

//display error message

} else { //Since it's not "blankuser_submitted", a name must have been selected
    $name = $_POST['user'];
    //do stuff with $name    

}