[Resolved] DB query with a PHP variable

[paulfp]

Hi there

I have a string which I have retrieved from a MySQL database which contains some variables like username, password etc (the string makes up an email to be sent to new users).

When I hardcode the string into the PHP script, the variables are happily parsed and turned into the actual username/password for that execution of the script, however when I am retrieving the string from the db this does not happen. Instead I get something like:

Hello $username, your password is $password.

I've tried various different things to get this to work, but with no luck.

If anyone could offer me some help I would be very grateful.

If you would like me to post some code to make my problem clearer then I can do so.

Thanks. 😃

[TheDefender]

Yeah, post some code... That would be very handy in helping you find any problems you have in said code.

[paulfp]

Hi, thanks for your reply. This is the code:

function send_password($userid, $generatedpassword, $emailaddress, $personsname) {

$emailtext = @ mysql_query("SELECT content FROM cms WHERE page = 'signup'");

$content = mysql_fetch_object($emailtext);

$messagebody = $content->content;
//this is the variable in which the problem lies

$from = "From: [email][e-mail][/email] \r\n";
$subject = "Password for $userid on XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.";

if (@mail($emailaddress, $subject, $messagebody, $from)) //KILL ERRORS!
   return true;
else
   return false;

}

I could go through replacing the variables in the code with the name/username etc., but obviously I want to get it to work with a much more generic and reusable approach 🙂

Thanks again for your help

[TheDefender]

So, is this the part that's giving you fits?

$from = "From: [e-mail] \r\n";
$subject = "Password for $userid on XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.";

If not, then repost with the part of the code where the username and password variables are not properly being parsed.

[paulfp]

no, those bits are fine.

the bit i'm having problems with is the bit that i commented pointing out the problem.

i hope that's clear enough 🙂

[TheDefender]

The reason I ask is because I didn't see anything that read anything where you are trying to echo the variables back out to the user similar to this:

Hello $username, your password is $password.

Post the actual code you are having troubles with.

[paulfp]

sorry... maybe i'm not being clear enough. that IS the code, in its entirety.... and the string is being retrieved from a database, hence the database query and subsequent manipulation of it.

this is what is stored in the database table:

Hello $personsname,

Someone (supposedly you) has just signed up to Des Gershon's photo web site and requested that a password be emailed to this address.

Your details are as follows:

Username: $userid
Password: $generatedpassword

For security reasons, please change your password when you log in. If you've no idea what this email is about then please disregard it and accept our apologies

This password is generated randomly and is not intended to have any meaning other than for security verification purposes.

if i put that simply in a variable in PHP before sending the email, it works fine, but since it must come from the database (as part of the content management system) it isn't replacing the variables for their actual values.

thanks.

[TheDefender]

Ah, now I get what you are doing... It wasn't clear at first, but it's coming into focus now... Look at the PHP Manual at the eval() function. That should help you accomplish what you are trying to do.

[paulfp]

many thanks 😃 eval was the first thing I tried using, but it didnt work because I wasn't doing the right thing with it 🙂 so thanks for causing me to investigate that further.

and sorry for not being clear to begin with, i'm sure you'll appreciate it's hard to explain something well if you understand it fully yourself, cos others wont, hehe.

again, cheers 🙂

[For anyone reading this thread, this is the solution:]
// tell it to treat the string as code, to parse the variables properly
eval("\$messagebody = \"$messagebody\";");

[TheDefender]

Originally posted by paulfp
many thanks 😃 eval was the first thing I tried using, but it didnt work because I wasn't doing the right thing with it 🙂 so thanks for causing me to investigate that further.

and sorry for not being clear to begin with, i'm sure you'll appreciate it's hard to explain something well if you understand it fully yourself, cos others wont, hehe.

again, cheers 🙂

OK, so since you marked it resolved, I assume then, that you got it working OK using eval()... And don't sweat the clarity thing... Sometimes it takes a few posts, but it all comes together in the end. Have a nice day!