How to post all the values in a List Box?

dtwconsulting

I hope that you can all bear with me because this is my first time coding in PHP. There is also some javascript (first time with that also) so I apologize in advance that some of the issues might be javascript related.

The web app that I am creating (and this is purely for me and a learning process) will read a CD's TOC from the client CD drive (using the CDDB interface) and then store this information into a MySQL database. Other parts of the app will let you modify data, query data and do some reporting. So far I have manged to code the part that reads the CD TOC and return the CD information and the CD tracks. The part that reads the CD is in javascript. I have a submit button that posts to the same form and will save the record to a MySQL database if it doesn't exist already.

Here is the part that I am struggling with. The CD tracks are passed back to a list box but these values are not being posted, and perhaps this is standard HTML. The reason that I am storing the tracks in a list box is because I also want to be able to edit a track in case of spelling mistakes, and if I can do it, to also play the selected track and, if I get very adventurous, to rip the track into MP3 format. Anyway, how can I post back all the values in a list box or is this not possible? If this is not possible then what is the advised way to do this? Put the concatenated list of tracks into a hidden text box and then de-concatenate them after the POST?

I hope that I have explained myself adequately. If there are any questions then please, fire away.

My code (please, I know that it is messy right now, this is early days so go easy on me) is as follows: -
(Was too large to cut and paste...attached as a txt file)

Weedpacket

http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.external.php

PHP also understands arrays in the context of form variables (see the related faq). You may, for example, group related variables together, or use this feature to retrieve values from a multiple select input. For example, let's post a form to itself and upon submission display the data:

But if I'm reading your question right, why do you need to put them in the form at all? You already know what they are so why do you need the client to tell you what they are in the submitted form?

dtwconsulting

Weedpacket. Thanks for the info, I will look into that.

The reason that I am displaying this info on the form is for user verification and to allow the user to correct any potential errors that are coming from the CDDB.

dtwconsulting

Weedpacket. I took a look at the link you provided and this actually highlights the problem that I have, and again, perhaps this is just the way that HTML posts list boxes. It is only the selected items in the list box that are sent back,not the entire list.

So, still struggling with how to do this.

dtwconsulting

Just wanted to bump this to the top to see if someone could help out 😃

TIA.

umrguy

The whole purpose behind a list box is not to pass all of the values back, but to only choose from ones within it. So, that is what it is doing. My suggestion is to include an if statement that if no fields were selected from the list box, all values that are contained in the list box should be used for posting purposes. You could do this a few ways, but I would probably use a hidden field to store all of the values that populate this list box, or store the values that are populating the listbox in the first place, and use that if no records were selected in the list box.

There really isn't a nice way to pull all fields from a list box, because that is not it's purpose. The other potential way is to store all of the data first, and then if anything is changed from the list box, to run an update statement on that record instead of an insert.

dtwconsulting

Umrguy,

Thanks for the info. I will probably use a hidden field to store a concatenation of the tracks and then unconcatenate that field when posted.

I can't store (if you mean to insert into the MySQL database) at the time the the listbox is populated because that is done in Javascript and I'm not even sure if Javascript can even communicate with a MySQL database that is on the server. Besides, I'd rather not do that since spelling mistakes could be corrected.

Again, thanks.