array and forms/ checkboxes need help

[Richardtagger]

im pretty new to php, though not new enough for this to go into newbie forum i guess. basically what i have is a SQL query which produces an array of results in a table. I have it generate a checkbox on each row. I want to be able to hit the submit button and an SQL query Delete the rows according to which check boxes were selected. i have this to generate my table and check boxes:

<form name="form2" method="post" action="act.php">
        <table width="544" border="0">
          <tr>
            <td width="538"><span class="style40">
              <span class="style35">
              <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Delete">
</span></span></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td><span class="style40">
              <? 
session_start(); 
include 'db.php'; 

$search = $user; 
    $query = "select * from mail WHERE touser='$search'"; 
    $result = mysql_db_query("ss", $query);

$sql_username_check = mysql_query("SELECT touser FROM mail WHERE touser='$username'");
$mails = mysql_num_rows($sql_username_check);
    if ($mails>0)
    { 
    echo "<table width=100% id='result' align=left <table border=1 cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0  class=borderTable bordercolor=#FFFFFF><tr> 
        <td align=left bgcolor=#EDEDED><p class=style35><input id='allbox' name='allbox' onclick='checkAll(this);' type='checkbox' />
</td>
        <td align=left bgcolor=#EDEDED><p class=style35>From</td> 
        <td align=left bgcolor=#EDEDED><p class=style35>Subject</td>
		<td align=left bgcolor=#EDEDED><p class=style35>Date</td>
        </tr></font>"; 

    while ($r = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {     // Begin while 

		$fromuser = $r["fromuser"]; 
         $idnumber =  mysql_query("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username='$fromuser'");// for profile display
		 $userid = mysql_result($idnumber,0,"userid");
		 $sub = $r["sub"];
		 $date = $r["date"];
		 $id = $r["id"];
        $message = $r["message"]; 
		$read = $r["beenread"];
		if ($read==1) { $colour = "#FFFFFF";} else { $colour = "#EDEDED"; }
        $Text = "<p class=style35><a href=profile.php?id=$userid; style=color:#0099FF>$fromuser</a>"; 
        $Text2 = "<p class=style35><a href=mail_readmsg.php?msg=$r[id] style=color:#0099FF>$sub</a>"; 
              echo "<p class=style35><tr> 
			  		<td align=left bgcolor=$colour><input type='checkbox' name='box$id' value='$id'></td> //not sure HERE!!!!!! each check box must be unique right!?//
                      <td align=left bgcolor=$colour>$Text</td> 
                    <td align=left bgcolor=$colour>$Text2</td>
					<td align=left bgcolor=$colour><p class=style35>$date</td>"; 

    }                  // end while 
    echo "</table>"; 
 } else { echo "<p class=style35><strong>-You have no new messages.-"; }
?>
            </span></td>
          </tr>
        </table>
      </form>

the form i gave there has the action of act.php:

//dbconnect//
$selected = $_POST['form2'];

 for($i = 0; $i < $MAXID; $i++) ///maxid ???
 if($_POST['box$i']=='on') {

mysql_query("DELETE FROM mail WHERE id='$i'") or die (mysql_error());
} else {}
include 'mail_read.php'; ?>

if you follow it you should understand my train of thought? i wasnt sure about the naming of each or how to determin a maxid for my loop?

Thanx alot guys, iv got myself in a right mess and i got a lot less sleep last night with my mind ticking over this problem. Thanx again.

[laserlight]

You can name your checkboxes in an array, e.g. name='box[$id]'
Then the $_POST['box'] array would contain the checked checkboxes.

Instead of running a for loop, you can run a foreach loop with $key => $value.

[Richardtagger]

thanx for the help, i changed the name to what you said, but im not sure about the looping thing? Im really awful at loops and i need a bit of help there please. I still dont know what to do about the min and max values in the loop? or would i not need that in the new one you proposed? thanx alot.

[laserlight]

For example:

foreach ($_POST['box'] as $key => $value) {
	if ($value == 'on') {
		mysql_query("DELETE FROM mail WHERE id='$key'");
	}
}

[Richardtagger]

ok thanx, i dont understand the $key => $value part? what should i put there? thanx

[laserlight]

Read the PHP Manual on the foreach loop.

[Richardtagger]

right, ok. erm i dont think the values are being posted through.

<input type='checkbox' name='box[$id]' value='$id'> // is that right for the form? then on act.php:

foreach ($_POST['box'] as $key => $value) { 
    if ($value == 'on') { 
        mysql_query("DELETE FROM mail WHERE id='$key'")or die (mysql_error());
echo hello; 
    }  

it isnting echoing hello, so the if value == on must be false? but i am checking some of the boxes? please help. thanx, im beginning to get the grasp of loops. 🙂