What is wrong with this.. aaarhgggh!!

[Tezread]

Hello to one and all- this is my three hundrenth attempt at getting this code to work and it doen't insert data into our db: Can you spot any errors? Any help greatly appreciated.

<?php
//open connection to the database

$connection=mysql_connect("localhost","root", "")
or die ("Failure to communicate with the database please contact the System Administrator");
$db = mysql_select_db("courses")
or die ("Failure to connect to database");
echo "hello world";
//insert the values entered into the courseentry form into the database
if ($POST['submit'] =='Submit')
$coursename = $POST['coursename'];
$accreditingbody = ($POST['accreditingbody'];
$briefdesc = ($POST['briefdesc'];
$aimedat = $POST['aimedat'];
$level1 = $POST['level1'];
$level2 = $POST['level2'];
$level3 = $POST['level3'];
$elearning = $POST['elearning'];
$facetoface = $POST['facetoface'];
$blended = $POST['blended'];
$elearningtime = $POST['elearningtime'];
$facetofacetime = $POST['facetofacetime'];
$blendedtime = $_POST['blendedtime'];

$query = "INSERT INTO trainingtopics (coursename, accreditingbody, briefdesc, aimedat, level1, level2, level3, elearning, facetoface, blendedlearning, elearntime, facetime, blendedtime)
VALUES ($coursename, $accreditingbody, $briefdesc, $aimedat, $level1, $level2, $level3, $elearning, $facetoface, $blended, $elearningtime, $facetofacetime, $blendedtime)";
$result = mysql_query($query);
if (mysql_affected_rows() ==1){
$message ='<P>Your form entry has been submitted</p>';
} else {
error_log(mysql_error());
$message ='<P>Something has gone wrong with the form entry you made- try again and if it still doesn't work contact the administrator</P>';

?>

[obrienkev]

At what point does it return an error?

Please place your code between

Cheers.

[saraadmin]

First, try using parse_str($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING']) instead of all those assignments to get variables from your posted data.

Second, you need to give MySQL quotes around the values in your VALUES section of the INSERT query:

...VALUES (\"$coursename\", \"$accreditingbody\"...

[Tezread]

OK- my code has changed since- note im not getting an error message at all just a blank screen after entering details in my form which is presented in a seperate HTML doc (courseentry.html) Here is my PHP handling code (coursehandler.php).
By the way- im not sure what you mean about parse_str function - how do I write it out?

//open connection to the database
<?php
echo "connection to db";
$user = "root";
$host = "localhost";
$password = "westham2k5";
$connection = @mysql_connect($host, $root, $password)
or die ("Couldn't connect to server.");
$database = "courses";
$db = @mysql_select_db($database, $connection)
or die ("Couldn't select database.");
if (isset($_POST['Submit'])) {

echo "hello world";
//insert the values entered into the courseentry form into the database

$coursename = $POST['coursename'];
$accreditingbody = ($POST['accreditingbody'];
$briefdesc = ($POST['briefdesc'];
$aimedat = $POST['aimedat'];
$level1 = $POST['level1'];
$level2 = $POST['level2'];
$level3 = $POST['level3'];
$elearning = $POST['elearning'];
$facetoface = $POST['facetoface'];
$blended = $POST['blended'];
$elearningtime = $POST['elearningtime'];
$facetofacetime = $POST['facetofacetime'];
$blendedtime = $_POST['blendedtime'];

$sql = "INSERT INTO trainingtopics (coursename, accreditingbody, briefdesc, aimedat, level1, level2, level3, elearning, facetoface, blendedlearning, elearntime, facetime, blendedtime)
VALUES ($coursename, $accreditingbody, $briefdesc, $aimedat, $level1, $level2, $level3, $elearning, $facetoface, $blended, $elearningtime, $facetofacetime, $blendedtime)";

or die (mysql_error());
//execute query and store the result
$res = mysql_query($sql,$connection);

//check to make sure the query actually ran

if(!$res) {
echo mysql_errno().":".mysql_error()."";
return 0;

//$result = $db->query($sql);
echo $sql;
}
}

echo $coursename;
echo " ";
echo $acceditingbody;
?>

[obrienkev]

Did you try changin this...

VALUES ($coursename, $accreditingbody, $briefdesc, $aimedat, $level1, $level2, $level3, $elearning, $facetoface, $blended, $elearningtime, $facetofacetime, $blendedtime)"

to...

VALUES ('".$coursename."', .'"$accreditingbody."', ...)" etc... as saraadmin suggested.

[thorpe]

the or die() after you create the sql statement is doing nothing... put it after your query.

eg;

$res = mysql_query($sql,$connection) or die(mysql_error());

this will tell you you have an error in your sql statement. which as posted previously in this thread is due to the fact that your values need quotes around them.

you should also learn to debug sql statments. all you need do is echo the value of your $sql variable before calling the mysql_query() function. this will show you exactly what the sql statment will look like to the database.

[Tezread]

I have tried that but it still returns a blank courseformhandler.php!

for the record here is my form code (courseentry.html)

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<title>Course entry form</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/JavaScript">
<!--
function MM_reloadPage(init) { //reloads the window if Nav4 resized
if (init==true) with (navigator) {if ((appName=="Netscape")&&(parseInt(appVersion)==4)) {
document.MM_pgW=innerWidth; document.MM_pgH=innerHeight; onresize=MM_reloadPage; }}
else if (innerWidth!=document.MM_pgW || innerHeight!=document.MM_pgH) location.reload();
}
MM_reloadPage(true);
//-->
</script>
</head>

<body>
<div id="Layer1" style="position:absolute; width:497px; height:115px; z-index:1; left: 134px; top: 22px;">
<form name="courseentryform" method="post" action="courseformhandler.php">

<div align="left">
  <input name="coursename" type="text" id="coursename" size="50">
  <br>
  <br>
  <input name="accreditingbody" type="text" id="accreditingbody" size="50">    
  <br>
  <br>
  <textarea name="briefdesc" cols="75" id="briefdesc"></textarea>
  <br>
  <br>
  <textarea name="aimedat" cols="75" id="aimedat"></textarea>
  <br>
  <br>
  <select name="level1" size="1" id="level1">
    <option>Yes</option>
    <option>No</option>
    <option>Not selected</option>
  </select>
  <br>
  <br>
  <select name="level2" size="1" id="level2">
    <option>Yes</option>
    <option>No</option>
    <option>Not selected</option>
  </select>
  <br>
  <br>
  <select name="level3" size="1" id="select2">
    <option>Yes</option>
    <option>No</option>
    <option>Not selected</option>
  </select>
  <br>
  <br>
  <select name="elearning" size="1" id="select3">
    <option>Yes</option>
    <option>No</option>
    <option>Not selected</option>
  </select>
  <br>
  <br>
  <select name="facetoface" size="1" id="select4">
    <option>Yes</option>
    <option>No</option>
    <option>Not selected</option>
  </select>
  <br>
  <br>
  <select name="blended" size="1" id="select5">
    <option>Yes</option>
    <option>No</option>
    <option>Not selected</option>
  </select>
  <br>
  <br>
  <input name="elearningtime" type="text" id="elearningtime" value="" size="50">
  <br>
  <br>
  <input name="facetofacetime" type="text" id="facetofacetime" value="" size="50">
  <br>
  <br>
  <input name="blendedtime" type="text" id="elearningtime" value="" size="50">
  <br>
  <br>
  <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit">
  </form>
  <br>
  <br>
  <br>
  <br>
  <br>
</div>

</form>
</div>
<div id="Layer2" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:19px; z-index:2; left: 29px; top: 24px;">Course name </div>
<div id="Layer3" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:20px; z-index:3; left: 28px; top: 64px;">Accrediting body </div>
<div id="Layer4" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:23px; z-index:4; left: 28px; top: 105px;">Brief description </div>
<div id="Layer5" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:21px; z-index:5; left: 26px; top: 193px;">Aimed at </div>
<div id="Layer6" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:20px; z-index:6; left: 28px; top: 284px;">Level 1? </div>
<div id="Layer7" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:20px; z-index:7; left: 26px; top: 325px;">Level 2?</div>
<div id="Layer8" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:18px; z-index:8; left: 26px; top: 370px;">Level 3?
<div id="Layer9" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:20px; z-index:9; left: -2px; top: 44px;">E Learning? </div>
<div id="Layer10" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:22px; z-index:10; left: -2px; top: 85px;">Face to face? </div>
<div id="Layer11" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:20px; z-index:11; left: -3px; top: 129px;">Blended?</div>
<div id="Layer12" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:20px; z-index:12; left: -4px; top: 171px;">E learning time </div>
<div id="Layer13" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:21px; z-index:13; left: -4px; top: 212px;">Face to face time </div>
<div id="Layer14" style="position:absolute; width:198px; height:21px; z-index:14; left: -4px; top: 252px;">Blended time</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

[saraadmin]

The parse_str function takes a query string as an argument, parses it and creates ordinary PHP variables from its content.

So, in

$url_query_string = "?a=1&b=2&c=3";
parse_str($url_query_string);
echo "a = $a, b = $b, c = $c";

the variables $a, $b and $c are set by the parse_str function to 1, 2 and 3.

The most common use of parse_str is with the predefined variable $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'] which is the query string portion of the URL of the current page.

So being your script:

<?php
parse_str($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING']);
...

and you won't have to assign all those variables from the $_POST array, i.e.:

$coursename = $_POST['coursename']; 
$accreditingbody = ($_POST['accreditingbody'];

becomes unnecessary.

The other thing, like I said before, is that in your SQL INSERT query you must have quotes around the actual values you give for the fields:

$sql = "INSERT INTO trainingtopics (coursename, accreditingbody, briefdesc, aimedat, level1, level2, level3, elearning, facetoface, blendedlearning, elearntime, facetime, blendedtime) 
 VALUES (\"$coursename\", \"$accreditingbody\", \"$briefdesc\", \"$aimedat\", \"$level1\", \"$level2\", \"$level3\", \"$elearning\", \"$facetoface\", \"$blended\", \"$elearningtime\", \"$facetofacetime\", \"$blendedtime\")";

[Tezread]

$url_query_string = "?$coursename=1&$accreditingbody=2&$briefdesc=3";
parse_str($url_query_string);
echo "a = $a, b = $b, c = $c";

how is that? any better?

[paddycallaghan]

I take it that this line:
$briefdesc = ($_POST['briefdesc'];
is a typo with the ( bracket

[saraadmin]

All I meant was that you could save yourself 13 lines of repetitive, ugly code by using:

parse_str($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING']);

rather than:

$coursename = $_POST['coursename']; 
 $accreditingbody = ($_POST['accreditingbody']; 
 $briefdesc = ($_POST['briefdesc']; 
 $aimedat = $_POST['aimedat']; 
 $level1 = $_POST['level1']; 
 $level2 = $_POST['level2']; 
 $level3 = $_POST['level3']; 
 $elearning = $_POST['elearning']; 
 $facetoface = $_POST['facetoface']; 
 $blended = $_POST['blended']; 
 $elearningtime = $_POST['elearningtime']; 
 $facetofacetime = $_POST['facetofacetime']; 
 $blendedtime = $_POST['blendedtime'];

Your original code works, its just that there's a simpler way of doing it.

(PS. have you sorted out those quote marks in your SQL yet ;-)

[Tezread]

Yes- the quote marks on on the sql string now

[Tezread]

This is code so far and still the blank page with no error messages

//open connection to the database
<?php
echo "connection to db";
$user = "root";
$host = "localhost";
$password = "westham2k5";
$connection = @mysql_connect($host, $root, $password)
or die ("Couldn't connect to server.");
$database = "courses";
$db = @mysql_select_db($database, $connection)
or die ("Couldn't select database.");
if (isset($_POST['Submit'])) {

echo "hello world";
//insert the values entered into the courseentry form into the database
$url_query_string = "?$coursename=1&$accreditingbody=2&$briefdesc=3&$aimedat=4&$level1=5&$level2=6&$level3=7&$elearning=8&$facetoface=9&$blended=10&$elearningtime=11&$facetofacetime=12&$elearningtime=13&$blendedtime=14";
parse_str($url_query_string);
echo "a = $coursename, b = $accreditingbody, c = $briefdesc, d =$aimedat, e =$level1, f=$level2, g=$level3, h=$elearning, i=$facetoface, j=$blended, k=$elearningtime, m=$facetofacetime, n=$blendedtime, o=$elearningtime;

$sql = "INSERT INTO trainingtopics (coursename, accreditingbody, briefdesc, aimedat, level1, level2, level3, elearning, facetoface, blendedlearning, elearntime, facetime, blendedtime)
VALUES ("'$coursename."', "'$accreditingbody"', "'$briefdesc"', "'$aimedat"', "'$level1"', "'$level2"', "'$level3"', "'$elearning"', "'$facetoface"', "'$blended"', "'$elearningtime"', "'$facetofacetime"', "'$blendedtime"');

$res = mysql_query($sql,$connection) or die(mysql_error());

//check to make sure the query actually ran

if(!$res) {
echo mysql_errno().":".mysql_error()."";
return 0;

//$result = $db->query($sql);
echo $sql;
}
}

echo $coursename;
echo " ";
echo $acceditingbody;
?>

[saraadmin]

Oh no! I'm really sorry! I've realised your using POST not GET, so your values won't be available in the query string!! Opps. Sorry.

You'll have to go back to this:

$sql = "INSERT INTO trainingtopics (coursename, accreditingbody, briefdesc, aimedat, level1, level2, level3, elearning, facetoface, blendedlearning, elearntime, facetime, blendedtime) 
 VALUES ('".$_POST['coursename']."', '".$_POST['accreditingbody']."', '".$_POST['briefdesc']."', '".$_POST['aimedat']."', '".$_POST['level1']."', '".$_POST['level2']."', '".$_POST['level3']."', '".$_POST['elearning']."', '".$_POST['facetoface']."', '".$_POST['blended']."', '".$_POST['elearningtime']."', '".$_POST['facetofacetime']."', '".$_POST['blendedtime']."');

Sorry.

[Weedpacket]

Two debugging suggestions. The first is to set error_reporting to E_ALL when developing. Then even bits of code that just look a bit suspicious to PHP (even if they're valid) will trigger messages.
The second is to not use @ until you're sure you won't be missing anything by supressing error messages.

One posting suggestion: use &#91;php] ... [/code] around your PHP code to make it readable for others (as others are doing in this thread.)

Oh, and do you really want to publish your db account username and password for the world to see?

You could use extract($POST) to do something similar to parse_str, i.e., instead of a lot of $foo=$POST['foo']; statements.

You're getting a blank page? You're not even getting

connection to db

?

[Tezread]

I am still getting a blank screen. How would I use set error_reporting to E_ALL for debugging? Could you demonstrate