Please help - probably simple - parameter not working...

EnigmaBurn

Hello all! I hope someone can help me here. I wasn't sure if this site was for general PHP problems or specific to a software package, but I need help on something that a seasoned PHP'er will probably know straight away...

I have a script that I use internally to submit my site's news to a MySQL DB, which is then obviously used publically and is quite popular; not to mention that the RSS feed (XML) produced from the database powers other bits of my site...

Now I have been using this script for more than a year. It is simpler than hell. A basic PHP if/else statement that says if (parameter) then display submit form, else display last 6 entries (with option to add, a link which essentially throws "?add=1" to the url, throwing the parameter the PHP-SELF)

For some #$@&in' reason when I migrated to a dedicated host the %@*&% stopped working?!?! Sure database information changed, and I updated it. BUT remember that if the else (no parameter) statement is run it displays the last 6 entries - and that's just it - it DOES display the last six entires so surely it is not having a problem accessing the database....

The problem is when I click the link on the default display, to throw the parameter (/submit-rss.php?add=1) the same damned view comes up...?

I have no idea why this is other legacy files in the same directory with the same permissions are reading parameters thrown in the url...? I tried a bunch of stuff and hope some one here has a 'You idiot, do this:' sort of answer for which I would be ever so grateful.

Thanks much in advance!

thorpe

ok... without seeing your code im guessing, but, there has been a few changes in php and it is no longer a default to have register globals switched to on.

what this meens is this.

if you have a link pointing to this script;

mypage.php?add=1

then in mypage.php you need to get the value of the $add variable (which is actually stored in the global $_GET array). with register globals switched to on, this would be as easy as.

$myvar = $add;

with register globals switched off (the recommended setting) you would need to use;

$myvar = $_GET['add'];

it is more secure to have register globals switched off, and i would say, this is how your new server is setup.

hope this helps. if not.... post some code!

EnigmaBurn

Oooo I think you are on to something here... I tried adding the hard definition of the variable but it didn't work, but then again I didn't know where to put the declaration...

So as asked, the code: (hope this paste looks okay)

<html>
<head>
<title> ASG Newsfeed Admin</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
$myvar = $_GET['addnews'];
if (isset($addnews)): // If the user wants to add a headline
?>
<form action="<?=$PHP_SELF?>" method="post">
<p>Headline:<br />
<input name="headline" length="100"></input><br />
<p>URL:<br />
<input name="url" length="100"></input><br />
<p>Section:<br />
<SELECT id="Select1" size="1" name="section">
<OPTION selected>
<OPTION value="Asian Health">
Asian Health<OPTION value="China">
China<OPTION value="Central Asia">
Central Asia<OPTION value="Korea">
Korea<OPTION value="Japan"> Japan<OPTION value="Middle East">
Middle East<OPTION value="South Asia">
South Asia<OPTION value="Southeast Asia">
Southeast Asia
</OPTION> </SELECT><br />
<p>Description:<br />
<textarea name="desctext" rows="10" cols="40" wrap></textarea><br />
<input type="submit" name="submitnews" value="SUBMIT" /></p>
</form>
<?php
else: // Default page display
// Connect to the database server
$dbcnx = @mysql_connect("localhost", "**", "");
if (!$dbcnx) {
echo( "<p>Unable to connect to the " .
"database server at this time.</p>" );
exit();
}
// Select the newsfeed database
if (! @mysql_select_db("***") ) {
echo( "<p>Unable to locate the newsfeed " .
"database at this time.</p>" );
exit();
}
// If a headline has been submitted,
// add it to the database.
if ($submitnews == "SUBMIT") {
$sql = "INSERT INTO RSSnews SET
f_title='$headline',
f_desc='$desctext',
f_url='$url',
f_section='$section',
f_date=NOW()";
if (@($sql)) {
echo("<p>Your headline has been added.</p>");
} else {
echo("<p>Error adding headline: " .
mysql_error() . "</p>");
}
}

 echo("<p><b> Headlines currently displaying: </b></p>");

 // Request all the headlines
$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM RSSnews ORDER BY f_id DESC, f_date DESC LIMIT 6");
if (!$result) {
  echo("<p>Error performing query: " . mysql_error() . "</p>");
  exit();
}

 // Display the text of each item in a paragraph
while ( $row = mysql_fetch_array($result) ) {
  echo("<p>" . $row["f_title"] . "</p>");
}

 // When clicked, this link will load this page
// with the headline submission form displayed.
echo("<p><a href='$PHP_SELF?addnews=1'>Add a headline</a></p>");

endif;

?>
</body>
</html></CODE>

Thanks again in advance... You're speedy too!

thorpe

alright.. there was a few places needed changing so....try this;

<html> 
<head> 
<title> ASG Newsfeed Admin</title> 
</head> 
<body> 
<?php  

if (isset($_GET['addnews'])): // If the user wants to add a headline 
?> 
<form action="<?=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']?>" method="post"> 
<p>Headline:<br /> 
<input name="headline" length="100"></input><br /> 
<p>URL:<br /> 
<input name="url" length="100"></input><br /> 
<p>Section:<br /> 
<SELECT id="Select1" size="1" name="section"> 
<OPTION selected> 
<OPTION value="Asian Health"> 
Asian Health<OPTION value="China"> 
China<OPTION value="Central Asia"> 
Central Asia<OPTION value="Korea"> 
Korea<OPTION value="Japan"> Japan<OPTION value="Middle East"> 
Middle East<OPTION value="South Asia"> 
South Asia<OPTION value="Southeast Asia"> 
Southeast Asia 
</OPTION> </SELECT><br /> 
<p>Description:<br /> 
<textarea name="desctext" rows="10" cols="40" wrap></textarea><br /> 
<input type="submit" name="submitnews" value="SUBMIT" /></p> 
</form> 
<?php 
else: // Default page display 
// Connect to the database server 
$dbcnx = @mysql_connect("localhost", "*****", "*****"); 
if (!$dbcnx) { 
echo( "<p>Unable to connect to the " . 
"database server at this time.</p>" ); 
exit(); 
} 
// Select the newsfeed database 
if (! @mysql_select_db("*****") ) { 
echo( "<p>Unable to locate the newsfeed " . 
"database at this time.</p>" ); 
exit(); 
} 
// If a headline has been submitted, 
// add it to the database. 
if ($_POST['submitnews'] == "SUBMIT") { 
$sql = "INSERT INTO RSSnews SET 
f_title='".$_POST['headline']."', 
f_desc='".$_POST['desctext']."', 
f_url='".$_POST['url']."', 
f_section='".$_POST['section']."', 
f_date=NOW()"; 
if (@mysql_query($sql)) { 
echo("<p>Your headline has been added.</p>"); 
} else { 
echo("<p>Error adding headline: " . 
mysql_error() . "</p>"); 
} 
} 

echo("<p><b> Headlines currently displaying: </b></p>"); 

// Request all the headlines 
$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM RSSnews ORDER BY f_id DESC, f_date DESC LIMIT 6"); 
if (!$result) { 
echo("<p>Error performing query: " . mysql_error() . "</p>"); 
exit(); 
} 

// Display the text of each item in a paragraph 
while ( $row = mysql_fetch_array($result) ) { 
echo("<p>" . $row["f_title"] . "</p>"); 
} 

// When clicked, this link will load this page 
// with the headline submission form displayed. 
echo("<p><a href='".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."?addnews=1'>Add a headline</a></p>"); 

endif; 

?> 
</body> 
</html>

EnigmaBurn

Dude, you are a rockstar! We're halfway there... It is displaying the submit for when the parameter is thrown, but now when news is submitted it continues to show the submit page (rather than the default, current entries page)...

This is important because obviously the SQL statement is not running when 'Submit' is - well - submitted or opted for... I have check the RSS feed, and the database manually before 'bothering' you again... But you are the first step forward I have had in days! Thank you so much!

Any thoughts on this final hurdle?

Want anything from China?

😃

EnigmaBurn

Thorpe, you've been such a great help so far, I hope that you might be able to help me solve this last problem relating to the SQL seemingly not executing and no submission being made to the database...?

Look forward to your help, thanks in advance!