Multi-line form processing

[mmaru]

I have a form that captures more than one record on a form e.g.

Firsname LastName

Joan Smith
Tamra Frank

a submit button.

What I want to do is to put the above two records in an array and then read the array to insert it in a database (MySQL).

Your help is very much appreciated.

[devinemke]

<?
if (!isset($_POST['submit']))
{
	echo '
	<form action="" method="POST">
	enter names:<br>
	<textarea name="names" cols=30 rows=8></textarea><br>
	<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit">
	</form>
	';
}
else
{
	$names = explode("\n", $_POST['names']);
	foreach ($names as $value)
	{
		$value = trim($value);
		echo "INSERT INTO table SET name = '$value'<br>";
	}
}
?>

[mmaru]

Thank you devinemke. I am new to PHP and appreciate very much you help. The firstname and lastname are two separate text fields on the form and a corresponding field for firstname and lastname exists in the database table called users.

else 
{ 
    $names = explode("\n", $_POST['names']); 
    foreach ($names as $value) 
    { 
        $value = trim($value); 
        echo "INSERT INTO table SET name = '$value'<br>"; 
    } 
} 

Can you help to modify the above code to capture firstname and lastname as separate fields to enter in the database, please. Would this work:

else 
{ 
    $names = explode("\n", $_POST['names']); 
    foreach ($firstname as $firstnamevalue, $lastname as $lastnamevalue) 
    { 
        $firstnamevalue = trim($firstnamevalue); 
         $lastnamevalue = trim($lastnamevalue);
        echo "INSERT INTO table SET firstname = '$firstnamevalue', lastname = '$lastnamevalue'<br>"; 
    } 
} 

I am not clear how the code is going to identify each row on the form when the submit button is clicked. Is the name of each field firstname and lastname is going to be the same for each row on the form?

Thank you.

[devinemke]

post the html that renders out your form (jsut the form, not the entire page).

[mmaru]

I must say thank you for helping me. The html code for the form is as follows:

<table border="0" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5">
<form action="users.php" method="post">
<tr>
<td>First Name</td>
<td>Last Name</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input type="text" name="firstname" size="15"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="lastname" size="15"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input type="text" name="firstname" size="15"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="lastname" size="15"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input type="text" name="firstname" size="15"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="lastname" size="15"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Save"></td>
</tr>
</form>
</table>
</PHP]

Regards.

[devinemke]

<?
if (!isset($_POST['submit'])) 
{ 
	echo ' 
	<table border="0" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5"> 
	<form action="" method="post"> 
	<tr> 
	<td>First Name</td> 
	<td>Last Name</td> 
	</tr> 
	<tr> 
	<td>1. <input type="text" name="names[1][first]" size="15"></td> 
	<td><input type="text" name="names[1][last]" size="15"></td> 
	</tr> 
	<tr> 
	<td>2. <input type="text" name="names[2][first]" size="15"></td> 
	<td><input type="text" name="names[2][last]" size="15"></td> 
	</tr> 
	<tr> 
	<td>3. <input type="text" name="names[3][first]" size="15"></td> 
	<td><input type="text" name="names[3][last]" size="15"></td> 
	</tr> 
	<tr> 
	<td><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Save"></td> 
	</tr> 
	</form> 
	</table>
	'; 
} 
else 
{ 
    foreach ($_POST['names'] as $value) 
    { 
        echo "INSERT INTO table SET first = '" . $value['first'] . "', last = '" . $value['last'] . "'<br>"; 
    } 
}
?>

[mmaru]

I am not sure whether I am suppose to use one or two forms. I used the form below and it does not work. I may not doing it right and sorry for taking your time.

<?php
// Set up connection to MySQL
$host = "localhost";
$user = "root";
$pwd = "";
$dbConn = mysql_connect($host,$user,$pwd);
// Connect to newland_tours database
$database = "test";
mysql_select_db($database);
?>
<?php
if (!isset($_POST['submit']))
{
    echo '
    <table border="0" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5">
    <form action="" method="post">
    <tr>
    <td>First Name</td>
    <td>Last Name</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>1. <input type="text" name="names[1][first]" size="15"></td>
    <td><input type="text" name="names[1][last]" size="15"></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>2. <input type="text" name="names[2][first]" size="15"></td>
    <td><input type="text" name="names[2][last]" size="15"></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>3. <input type="text" name="names[3][first]" size="15"></td>
    <td><input type="text" name="names[3][last]" size="15"></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Save"></td>
    </tr>
    </form>
    </table>
    ';
}
else
{
    foreach ($_POST['names'] as $value)
    {
        echo "INSERT INTO users SET first = '" . $value['first'] . "', last = '" . $value['last'] . "'<br>";
    }
}
?>

Regards.

[devinemke]

in my example i was simply echoing the SQL statements to browser (just for testing). you will have to feed the sql statements to [man]mysql_query[/man] to actually update the db.

[mmaru]

Thank you. As you can see in my code to connect to mysql server and the database. After the connection if the user clicks submit I have included a sql insert statment.

I am not sure why it does not work. If you have a moment, have a look at my code.

Regards.