[RESOLVED] Sending Data From Form to MySQL

mrchuckles2002

I posted this on the php 5 forum, but didnt get a response. It concerns database as well so I have posted it on here.

My host has recently made the upgrade to PHP 5.0, and the forms I had used to update and edit the text on my site, dont appear to work.

The text is just big chunks that include line breaks and numerous different text characters. When I try to update rows that are already in the table it doesnt work.

I send the data through a form, using the following code. The form is at update.php?prog_id=5 (for example)

<form name="form" form action="edit_prog_do2.php" method="post"> 
<input name="prog_id" type="hidden" id="prog_id" value="<? echo $prog_id; ?>" size="50"> 
<textarea name="description" cols="75" rows="15" id="description"><textarea></form>

Then to update the database I use:

$query = "UPDATE `progs` SET `description` = '$description' WHERE `prog_id` = '$prog_id' LIMIT 1"; 
$result = mysql_query($query) or die ("Unable to update description"); 
echo("description Updated!");

I have edited different fields fine, i.e fields that are just numbers etc.

However this field, which is a text field. Doesnt seem to update. Do i need to do something before using specific characters, ie. put a / in front of any " characters in the text ?

Its weird because I used the same form method to edit my site for years until the update to php 5 and now it doesnt work.

Any help will be most appreciated, its got me stumped.

thorpe

you'll find your variables in the $_POST array. eg;

this

$prog_id

becomes...

$_POST['prog_id']

mrchuckles2002

Sorry I'm a bit confused by your reply. Please explain if you can.

obrienkev

You need to set your form variable prog_id

So since your form method is post you would set the variable in your updating page as $_POST['prog_id'];

In your code above you have not declared $prog_id

Make sense?

Kevin.

mrchuckles2002

Thanks, But i dont think what you said would help. As this code....

$query = "UPDATE `progs` SET `description` = '$description' WHERE `prog_id` = '$prog_id' LIMIT 1"; 
$result = mysql_query($query) or die ("Unable to update description"); 
echo("description Updated!");

works fine when updating small pieces of text no problem, even tho prog_id isnt defined. The problem arises when I send lots of text with mixed characters, I think the variety of characters is where the problems lie.

Also, On the updating page I can used <?php echo $prog_id ?> and <?php echo $description ?> and the details submited through the form are displayed correctly. Just can't seem to send the big lumps of text to the database.

Anyone any thoughts?

mrchuckles2002

bump

Can anyone help me on this?

rincewind456

Are you escaping any characters that need it with addslashes() if not then a stray single or double quote can cause havoc

mrchuckles2002

Brilliant, thanks loads. That solved my problem.

Since they updated mysql my host deceided to turn 'magic_quotes_gpc' off (for some unknown reason), the PHP directive that does addslashes()

So by simply turning it back on, all my woes were resolved.

Thanks a million.