concatenate string

[cadams]

I have an html form that is writing data to a PHP script. In that script, I have declared a variable to hold the data. An example of the string is:

$writetofile = $oclc . "\t" . "" . "\t" . $main . "\t" . "" . "\t" . $libtype;

This results in a blank screen when I submit the form and the next steps are not performed, which includes actually writing the data to a file and then uploading it to the table. I think the last 2 steps work okay, but I can't seem to get the data to concatenate correctly. I am wondering if there is a problem with the syntax, possibly with the null "" values.

Any suggestions for a modification?

[laserlight]

You can simplify it to:

$writetofile = $oclc . "\t\t" . $main . "\t\t" . $libtype;

Of course, $oclc, $main and $libtype must exist.

[cadams]

Thanks for your reply. I have made the change you suggested. However, I still can't get this to work. I only get a blank screen. What is supposed to happen when the form is submitted is that the data is written to file and then input into the database from a system call. At one time, I had it writing to file and the database, but with many edits, I am now stuck again. Here is the code:

<?php

$mysql_user="dummy";
$mysql_password="dummy";
$database="dummy";
$host="dummy";

$oclc = $POST['oclc'];
$fscskey = $POST['FSCSKEY'];
$main = $POST['main'];
$libtype = $POST['libtype'];
$acadtype = $POST['acadtype'];
$acadpubpriv = $POST['acadpubpriv'];
$instname = $POST['instname'];
$libname = $POST['LIBNAME'];
$address = $POST['ADDRESS'];
$mailadd = $POST['mailadd'];
$city = $POST['CITY'];
$state = $POST['state'];
$zip = $POST['ZIP'];
$zip4 = $POST['ZIP4'];
$studentbody = $POST['pop'];
$libphone = $POST['PHONE'];
$extension = $POST['extension'];
$fax = $POST['FAX'];
$email = $POST['email'];
$web = $POST['web'];
$autocoop = $POST['autocoop'];
$othercoop = $POST['coop'];
$libdirfirst = $POST['libdirfirst'];
$libdirlast = $POST['libdirlast'];
$libdirphone = $POST['libdirphone'];
$libdirext = $POST['libdirext'];
$libdiremail = $POST['libdiremail'];
$dirjobtitle = $POST['dirjobtitle'];
$alamlsfte = $POST['alamlsfte'];
$otherlibfte = $POST['otherlibfte'];
$totlibfte = $POST['totlibfte'];
$totopexp = $POST['totopexp'];
$totvolumes = $POST['totvolumes'];
$mondayopen = $POST['mondayopen'];
$mondayclosed = $POST['mondayclosed'];
$tuesopen = $POST['tuesopen'];
$tuesclosed = $POST['tuesclosed'];
$wedopen = $POST['wedopen'];
$wedclosed = $POST['wedclosed'];
$thursopen = $POST['thursopen'];
$thursclosed = $POST['thursclosed'];
$friopen = $POST['friopen'];
$friclosed = $POST['friclosed'];
$satopen = $POST['satopen'];
$satclosed = $POST['satclosed'];
$sunopen = $POST['sunopen'];
$sunclosed = $POST['sunclosed'];
$illtoown = $POST['illtoown'];
$illtoinspec = $POST['illtoinspec'];
$illtoinstother = $POST['illtoinstother'];
$illtoout = $POST['illtoout'];
$illtototal = $POST['illtototal'];
$illfromown = $POST['illfromown'];
$illfrominspec = $POST['illfrominspec'];
$illfrominother = $POST['illfrominother'];
$illfromout = $POST['illfromout'];
$illfromtotother = $_POST['illfromtotother'];

// Establish connection and select database

mysql_connect($host,$username,$password);
mysql_select_db($database) or die( "Unable to select database");

// Write form values to file - prepare for loading to table

     $writetofile = $oclc . "\t\t" . $main . "\t\t" . $libtype . "\t" . $acadtype . "\t" . "$acadpubpriv . "\t" . $instname . "\t" . $libname . "\t" . $address . "\t" . $mailadd . "\t\t\t\t" . $city . "\t" . $state . "\t" . $zip . "\t" . $zip4 . "\t" . $studentbody . "\t" . $phone . "\t" . $extension . "\t" . $fax . "\t" . $email . "\t" . $web . "\t" . $autocoop . "\t" . $othercoop . "\t" . $libdirfirst . "\t" . $libdirlast . "\t" . $libdirphone . "\t" . $libdirext . "\t" . $libdiremail . "\t" . $dirjobtitle . "\t" . $alamlsfte . "\t" . $otherlibfte . "\t" . $totlibfte . "\t" . $totopexp . "\t" . $totvolumes . "\t" . $mondayopen . "\t" . $mondayclosed . "\t" . $tuesopen . "\t" . $tuesclosed . "\t" . $wedopen . "\t" . $wedclosed . "\t" . $thursopen . "\t" . $thursclosed . "\t" . $friopen . "\t" . $friclosed . "\t" . $satopen . "\t" . $satclosed . "\t" . $sunopen . "\t" . $sunclosed . "\t" . $illtoown . "\t" . $illtoinspec . "\t" . $illtoinstother . "\t" . $illtoout . "\t" . $illtototal . "\t" . $illfromown . "\t" . $illfrominspec . "\t" . $illfrominother . "\t" . $illfromout . "\t" . $illfromtotother . "\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t;

    $filename = '/tmp/acad.txt';

    $fp = fopen($filename, "w");

    fwrite($fp,$writetofile);

    fclose($fp);



 // Load data from file to table

    $mysqlcommand = '"load data infile \'/tmp/acad.txt\' into table libdev.alllibdir"';

    $syscommand = "echo $mysqlcommand | mysql --user=$mysql_user --password=$mysql_password";


    system($syscommand, $retval);

// execute SQL query and get result

	 $result=mysql_query($query) or die ("Couldn't execute query");


          if (!$result) {  

              echo "<P>Couldn't add record!";  

          } else {  

echo "You're record has been added";

          // finished with the echo statement  

      }  

?>

[wazo00]

Forgot the quote at the end of \t\t\t\t\t

You must have errors turned off.

[LordShryku]

Yikes....

You could probably lose a few hundred lines of code by setting variables to post variables if you just used [man]extract/man;

[yelvington]

More importantly, reread the section of the manual that explains how variables embedded in double-quoted strings are handled. It will help you avoid writing code that you can't read and can't debug.

All of that string concatenation is just not necessary.