Updating multiple records using checkboxes

ttnyc3

Hi,

I am printing out a list of records specific to the user and trying to allow them to check (using a checkbox) the records they would like updated. How do you check to see if an item has been checked or not? Currently, I am checking to see if $_POST['var_name'] is checked but evidently as long as it is included in the form it's value is the value of the field whether it has been checked or not.

Thanks,

Todd

tsinka

Hi,

please post some code.

In general any checkbox that isn't checked will not be submitted so if you have a checkbox named thename and the user submits the form without checking that checkbox the variable $POST['thename'] (or $GET['thename'] if you chose to use method GET in the form) will not be set in the script called by the form.

isset($_POST['thename']) would return false.

Thomas

PallaviDalvi

if u want to check in PHP... only those checkboxes are posted, that have been checked. so if i have chk1 and chk2 checkboxes, and i select chk1... $POST['chk1'] will be valid but $POST['chk2'] will not be. if a value attribute is specified...then the posted value is that or else $_POST['chk1'] = on.
hopefully this solves ur prob a bit. get back if i'm not clear.

ttnyc3

Okee dokee, here is some code. I am passing "total_rows" as the value of a hidden input field. I just can't figure out how to check to see if the checkbox has been checked or not. Thanks in advance for any help.

if (isset($POST['total_rows']))
{
for ($counter=0;$counter<$POST['total_rows'] ;$counter++)
{
if (isset($POST['pay']) && $POST['pay'] == 'on')
{
Perform query

		}
	}
}

PallaviDalvi

wud have been nice of u if u'd explained what the checkbox control is named!
however... if i assume that the value of the checkbox control is available via $_POST['pay'].... PLEEEASE read the posts by tsinka and myself... we have both said that if the control is checked then the value is available in the post else it is not! pretty much solves ur prob.
if ur prob is some thing else... please get back with a bit more of explaination.

ttnyc3

I have a form, the checkbox is named "pay" there is no value assigned to the checkbox. The form has x number of checkboxes depending on the users number of subscribers. If the user places a check in the "pay" checkbox a subscriber specific query is performed. The problem I am having with the method used above is that the query is performed for all checkboxes whether they are check or not. If I add a value to the checkbox the queries are not performed at all. I have tried many variations of this method as well as a few other methods (i.e. sizeof($_POST['pay'] and a couple of others). I read both replies to my original post and appreciate the help but I am still having problems with it. I turn to this forum as a last resort when I absolutely cannot figure it out myself, no offense but I would rather not recieve any help than to be chastised for not fully understanding a reply.

Thanks,

Todd

PallaviDalvi

ok... i'll simulate ur prob a bit...
i have say 10 checkboxes....each named as
pay1, pay2...pay10. i have no value assigned to either. now when i check say checkbox pay3... in my $POST array-.... $POST['pay3'] will be available. try accessing $POST['pay1'] or $POST['pay2'] ... $POST['pay10'] will result in a error. this is what happens at my end atleast. so to check what has been posted i check something like

if (isset($_POST['pay1']))
{
         //do some thing 
}
if (isset($_POST['pay2']))
{
         //do some thing 
}
:
:

in this case i dont think it shud execute for all checkboxes whether checked or not .... my understanding and experience says it will be executed only for those checkboxes checked.
my intention was not to show u down in any way... am sorry for hurting u!

ttnyc3

Aha! now I see. I was only checking if "pay" was set which they were all "pay" vs. "pay1", "pay2", etc. This is why the query was being performd x number of times. Sorry if I was a little overly sensitive. When I can't figure something out I become very frustrated and fixated on the problem, thus I get very little sleep as I think about it in bed, blah blah blah. The site I am building is very large and pretty complex and to have something this small not work is very frustrating.

Thank you so much!

Todd

PallaviDalvi

i did guess that u were doign some thing like that! or else there is absolutely no way things dont work like u want to! i can understand ur state! all the best with ur site.
no hard feelings i hope... 🙂

ttnyc3

No, definitely no hard feelings. Like I said, sleep_deprivation + frustration = cranky_todd :queasy:

Just one more question. I am naming the checkboxes appropriately, is this the correct method for looping through checking to see if the checkboxes have been checked?

for ($c=1;$c <= $POST['total_rows']; $c++)
{
$npay = "'pay".$c."'";
if (isset($POST[$npay]))
{
Do something
}
}

$npay matches the checkbox name.

PallaviDalvi

shud do the trick.... dont see any reason for it to fail...
however... just to save on no of code lines...
$npay = "'pay".$c."'";
if (isset($_POST[$npay]))

can also be written as

if (isset($_POST['pay'.$c]))

tsinka

Hi,

another way to do this without a hidden field containing the number of checkboxes is to give the checkboxes names like

pay[0]
pay[1]
pay[2]
.....

When the user submits the form the checked boxes will be submitted as array which can be used like this:

<?PHP
  if (isset($_POST['pay']) && is_array($_POST['pay'])) {
    foreach ($_POST['pay'] as $key => $value) {
      // do something with $key and $value
    }
  }
?>

The submitted array only contains the data of checked boxes.

Thomas

ttnyc3

beautiful, thank you both so much it's working perfectly. This is the first time I have tried this with PHP, it's a little easier with ColdFusion and Java. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of PHP.

Todd

tsinka

Don't forget to mark this thread resolved 🙂

Thomas