An Insert Form

Nicolas_T

Hi, i am going to create an insert form and insert script used with form, but the browser show "something went wrong". Here are the code:

insert_form.html
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Insert Form</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<FORM ACTION="insert.php" METHOD=POST>
<P>Text to add:<br>
<input type=text name="testField" size=30>
<p><input type=submit name="submit" value="Insert Record"></p>
</FORM>
</BODY>
</HTML>

insert.php
<?php
$conn = mysql_connect("localhost", "username", "password");
mysql_select_db("testDB",$conn);
$sql = "INSERT INTO testTable values ('', '$_POST[testField]')";
if (mysql_query($sql, $conn)) {
echo "record added!";
}
else {
echo "something went wrong";
}
?>

i am using php5. i can create database in mySQL. Anyone know the reason? Thanks in advance. 🙂

thorpe

instead of this...

echo "something went wrong";

try

echo mysql_error();

this will give you pointer as to where the problem might be. also, try echoing your $sql variable to the screen, this will help you debug.

Nicolas_T

Hi, thanks, thorpe. i already get pointer to the problem, but i am not sure about the meaning of the message.

The browser shows "Out of range value adjusted for column 'id' at row 1".
About echoing $sql, do you mean adding the script like below?

else {
echo mysql_error();
echo $sql;
}

The browser will show "Out of range value adjusted for column 'id' at row 1INSERT INTO testtable values ('', 'testing')"

i am thinking if there is any problem with the script that i created the table? but i can describe the testTable.

i create a table using the script below:
<?php
$conn = mysql_connect("localhost", "username","password");
mysql_select_db("testDB",$conn);
$sql="create table testTable (id int not null primary key auto_increment,testField varchar (75))";
$result=mysql_query($sql,$conn);
echo $result;
?>

So, anyone know the reason? Thanks. 🙂

thorpe

try chenging your query to...

$sql = "INSERT INTO testTable (testField) VALUES ('".$_POST['testField']."')";

Nicolas_T

It's works!! Thanks, thorpe. May i know why we should put {} and change the query like you mentioned just now? When we should use it?
May i know which php editor is good?Which book or website that you recommend in learning php?or anyone got any suggestion?
I am very happy with your reply just now.
Thanks. 🙂

thorpe

ok... well i edited my post so the curlies {} aren't there anymore (didnt want to confuse you). basicaly, if your referening an associative array element you should have quotes around the element.

so...

$_POST[blah];

should be...

$_POST['blah'];

the curlies where there because i was trying to use this inside a string.

eg;

$sql = "INSERT INTO testTable (testField) VALUES ('{$_POST['testField']}')";

it just helps php parse the array.

now, none of this was really relevent to your problem however. your problem stemed from not explicitly telling mysql which fields you wanted to insert into, and then trying to insert an empty string '' into an auto_incrimenting field.

anyway, glad its all working. theres a nice online book here that might be of interest. if you follow that from start to finish you should be well on your way. as for editors, i dont really use one as such. im running linux machines and use vi for all my text editing (you dont want to get into that, its like another language itself).

Nicolas_T

Thanks, i have tried both statement can function well. Hm, but i still got question that i can not understand well. When we should use " " and ' ' ?

This is because i saw some example like below(it's just one of the example):
1. $my_anon = create_function( '$a, $b', 'return $a+$b;' );
print $my_anon(3, 9 );

$my_anon = create_function( "\$a, \$b", "return \$a+\$b;" );
print $my_anon(3, 9 );

i am not sure the different between these 2 statements.

Besides that, may i know when should we put . . between a word?
eg. ('".$_POST['testField']."')"

or anyone can explain it? Thanks. 🙂