Simple Question

[Lovebev1]

I am a newbie to PHP and I have a very basic question. When trying to post data to a datbase, exactly what code goes into form action? I understand the method, but I am not using another page to have my data posted to, I would like the data to enter the database...

Any suggestions?

😕

[harmor]

Try this code out

if (empty($_GET['act']))
{
   echo "<form action='?act=post' method='post'>
  //the rest of the form
}

elseif ($_GET['act'] == "post")
{
   //the code to insert your code into the database
}

[justsomeone]

The form action needs to specify what page will process the form.

In your case, it needs to specify what page will take the form data, parse it, make sure it's safe, connect to the database and insert it. This is all server side work, and needs to be coded in a server side language.

Since you don't want the the form to call another page, you can just leave the "action" tag in the HTML form blank. The page will then call itself. This requires that the page contains the necessary code to take the form data, parse it, make sure it's safe, connect to the database and insert it.

As you're posting this in a PHP forum, I guess you're hoping to develop the server side code in PHP which is perfectly sound thinking.

Does that help answer your question? If it doesn't, I'm afraid you may need to re-evaluate your understanding of "the method".

[Lovebev1]

Okay, this make sense, but exactly where is this code placed? Here is my code:

<form action="" method="post" name="child1" id="child1">
<table width="385" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td width="98" class="style3"><label>First Name</label>
&nbsp;</td>
<td colspan="5"> <input name="FirstName1" type="text" id="FirstName1" size="25" maxlength="25"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><label><span class="style3">Last Name</span></label>
&nbsp;</td>
<td colspan="5"><input name="LastName1" type="text" id="LastName1" size="25" maxlength="25"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="style3"><div align="center">
<label>Age</label>
&nbsp;</div></td>
<td width="49"><div align="left">
<input name="Age1" type="text" id="Age1" size="5" maxlength="2">
</div></td>
<td colspan="4"><div align="left"><strong><span class="style5">
<label><span class="style3">Male</span></label>
</span></strong>
<input name="Male1" type="radio" value="Y">

<strong><span class="style5">Female</span></strong><strong>
<input name="Female" type="radio" value="Y">
</strong></div> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="style3"><div align="center">
<label><strong><span class="style5">DOB:</span></strong></label>
</div></td>
<td colspan="5"><div align="left"><strong><span class="style5">
<label>
<input name="DOB1" type="text" id="DOB1" size="15" maxlength="12">
<strong> (mm/dd/yy)</strong></label>
<label> </label>
</span></strong></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="style3">Shirt Size: </span></td>
<td colspan="5"><strong><span class="style5">
<label>S</label>
<input name="Small1" type="radio" value="Y">
</span></strong><strong><span class="style5">
<label>M</label>
<input name="Male1" type="radio" value="Y">
</span></strong><strong><span class="style5">
<label>L</label>
<input name="Large1" type="radio" value="Y">
</span></strong><strong><span class="style5">
<label>XL</label>
<input name="XL1" type="radio" value="Y">
</span></strong></td>
</tr>
</table></form>

[Lovebev1]

Here is the website, maybe someone can tell me what I am doing wrong with my coding.

www.hoopstart.com/registration.php

[justsomeone]

Lovebev1 wrote:

Okay, this make sense, but exactly where is this code placed?

You can put it at the very top

[rincewind456]

This may help

<?php
if (isset($_POST['submit'])){
   //Do form field processing here you need to do more than is here i.e htmlspecialchars() trim() to process the data as well as validating what has been entered this is just BASIC and should not be considered secure

   $FirstName1 = $_POST['FirstName1'];
   $LastName1 = $_POST['LastName1'];
   $Age1 = $_POST['Age1'];
   $Male1 = $_POST['Male1'];
   $Female = $_POST['Female'];
   $DOB1 = $_POST['DOB1'];
   $Small1 = $_POST['Small1'];
   $Medium1= $_POST['Medium1'];
   $Large1 = $_POST['Large1'];
   $XL1 = $_POST['XL1'];

// open the database connection
$conn = mysql_connect("localhost", "MYSQL_USER", "MYSQL_PASS");
// pick the database to use
mysql_select_db("MYSQL_DB_NAME",$conn);

$query = "INSERT INTO
table_name
VALUES(
'$FirstName1'
,'$LastName1'
,'$Age1'
,'$Male1'
,'$Female'
,'$DOB1'
,'$Small1'
,'$Medium1'
,'$Large1'
,'$XL1')";

 // execute the SQL statement
 if (mysql_query($query, $conn)) {
echo "<p>The Data has been added to the database";
 } else {
  echo mysql_error(mysql_errno()); 
 }
} else{
    ?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
   "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<html>
<head>
    <title></title>
    <meta name="Generator"
          content="TextPad 4.7">
    <meta name="Author"
          content="Rincewind">
    <meta name="Keywords"
          content="?">
    <meta name="Description"
          content="?">
    <meta http-equiv="content-type"
          content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
</head>

<body>
    <form action="<?php print $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>"
          method="post"
          name="child1"
          id="child1">
        <table width="385"
               border="0"
               cellpadding="2"
               cellspacing="0">
            <tr>
                <td width="98"
                    class="style3"><label>First Name</label>
                    &nbsp;</td>

            <td colspan="5"><input name="FirstName1"
                   type="text"
                   id="FirstName1"
                   size="25"
                   maxlength="25"></td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td><label><span class="style3">Last
            Name</span></label> &nbsp;</td>

            <td colspan="5"><input name="LastName1"
                   type="text"
                   id="LastName1"
                   size="25"
                   maxlength="25"></td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td class="style3">
                <div align="center">
                    <label>Age</label> &nbsp;
                </div>
            </td>

            <td width="49">
                <div align="left">
                    <input name="Age1"
                         type="text"
                         id="Age1"
                         size="5"
                         maxlength="2">
                </div>
            </td>

            <td colspan="4">
                <div align="left">
                    <strong><span class=
                    "style5"><label><span class=
                    "style3">Male</span></label></span></strong>
                    <input name="Male1"
                         type="radio"
                         value="Y"> <strong><span class=
                         "style5">Female</span></strong><strong><input name="Female"
                           type="radio"
                           value="Y"></strong>
                </div>
            </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td class="style3">
                <div align="center">
                    <label><strong><span class=
                    "style5">DOB:</span></strong></label>
                </div>
            </td>

            <td colspan="5">
                <div align="left">
                    <strong><span class=
                    "style5"><label><input name="DOB1"
                           type="text"
                           id="DOB1"
                           size="15"
                           maxlength="12">
                           <strong>(mm/dd/yy)</strong></label></span></strong>
                </div>
            </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td><span class="style3">Shirt Size:</span></td>

            <td colspan="5"><strong><span class=
            "style5"><label>S</label> <input name="Small1"
                   type="radio"
                   value="Y"></span></strong>
                   <strong><span class=
                   "style5"><label>M</label> <input name=
                   "Medium1"
                   type="radio"
                   value="Y"></span></strong>
                   <strong><span class=
                   "style5"><label>L</label> <input name=
                   "Large1"
                   type="radio"
                   value="Y"></span></strong>
                   <strong><span class=
                   "style5"><label>XL</label> <input name="XL1"
                   type="radio"
                   value="Y"></span></strong></td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
        <td><input type="submit" value="Submit"></td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</form>
</body>
</html>
<?php
}
?>

You have to have some action it can't be blank , otherwise how is the browser to know what to do?

There's nothing wrong with your page Except there is no processing of the form.

[Lovebev1]

Okay, I believed I added in the code but now I am receiving a parsing error.

[harmor]

Well we can't walk you through every little problem.

Just do some research and learn the hard way and the better way.
Because if you take the easy road then you'll forget it.

[rincewind456]

harmor wrote:

Well we can't walk you through every little problem.

Just do some research and learn the hard way and the better way.
Because if you take the easy road then you'll forget it.

Jeez could you be any more helpful? :p

[Lovebev1]

Please help me....I have a very frustrated person who is depending upon me to launch this site.....I have this error code now

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_ELSEIF in /home/hoopstar/public_html/registration.php on line 82

I have been searching for 3 hours now.

[Rodney_H_]

I would try something like this:

<?php 
//  NOTE: You will have to add your database connection and table info 
?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<title>Title</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
</head>

<body>
<?php
if (isset($_POST['submit'])){

   // loop through posted values
	foreach($_POST as $var => $val) { 
		if (!empty($val)){
			$$var = trim($val);
		}
		// else empty field
		else {
			echo '<p>You did not fill out the form completely.</p>
				<ul>
				<li>' . ucwords(str_replace('_', ' ', $var)) . ' required</li>
				</ul>
				<p>Please go back.</p>';
			exit;
		}
	}

// make sure sex and size are set
$required = array('sex', 'size');
foreach($required as $value){
	if(!isset($_POST[$value]) || empty($_POST[$value])){
		echo '<p>You did not fill out the form completely.</p>
			<ul>
			<li>Your ' . $value . ' is required</li>
			</ul>
			<p>Please go back.</p>';
		exit;
	}
}	

// CONNECT AND INSERT INTO DATABASE HERE!

// confirm insertion
echo '<p>The Data has been added to the database.</p>';
}

// else the form was not submitted, display form
else {
?>
<form action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="post">
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
  <td cass="style3"><label>First Name</label></td>
  <td><input name="first_name" type="text" size="25" maxlength="25"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
  <td><label><span class="style3">Last Name</span></label></td>
  <td><input name="last_name" type="text" size="25" maxlength="25"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
  <td class="style3"><label>Age</label></td>
  <td>
  <input name="age" type="text" size="5" maxlength="2">
  </td>
</tr>
<tr>
  <td class="style3"><label>Sex</label></td>
  <td>
  <label>Male</label>
  <input name="sex" type="radio" value="male">
 <label>Female</label>
 <input name="sex" type="radio" value="female">
 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
  <td class="style3">
  <label>DOB:</label>
  </td>
  <td>
  <input name="birth_date" type="text" size="25" maxlength="12">
  <label>(mm/dd/yy)</label>
  </td>
</tr>
<tr>
  <td><label>Shirt Size:</label></td>
  <td>
  <label>S</label> <input name="size" type="radio" value="small">
  <label>M</label> <input name="size" type="radio" value="medium">
  <label>L</label> <input name="size" type="radio" value="large">
  <label>XL</label> <input name="size" type="radio" value="xlrge">
	</td>
</tr>
<tr>
  <td colspan="2"><input name="submit" type="submit" value="Submit"></td>  

</tr>
</table>
</form>
<?php
}
?> 
</body>
</html>

[Lovebev1]

Okay, thank you for the very last posting. I believe that everything is okay in terms of the posting of the code. Now I was having trouble connecting to mysql database, but I worked on it and I believe it connects now. I guess now what I would like to do is to have a page that displays that says "Thank you for registering, your registration was successful."

Also, when I enter data into the fields, will they enter directly into the database or do I have to retrieve it?

I am really a newbie to PHP and I have been researching since the beginning of this project so I understand alot, but still need the community to help me out.

Thanks,

website: www.hoopstart.com/registration.html

[Rodney_H_]

Well, I would suggest reading some of these tutorials http://www.php-mysql-tutorial.com/mysql-tutorial/index.php Make sure you are connecting to the correct database and table within that specified database. THEN, I would make sure that you are inserting (saving) the posted values to the correct table.

After the functionality is working, you can echo out any message you want. "Thank you for registering...." and you don't need a separate page. It can be done after processing the form to confirm the registration is complete (if you want)...

[Lovebev1]

Okay I am reviewing the pages that have been sent and it appears that my code is correct, I am getting no error messages on my page and the data can be entered, but it is still not entering my sql database. Can you look at my code and tell me what I have wrong?

[harmor]

I see what's wrong

When you set up your table to send the data to from the form you have fields
If you don't have these and do not know how to create them then I'll do it.
If you do then create them in the order listed

id
firstname
lastname
age
sex
dob
size

Now change your input query to

$query = "INSERT INTO
table_name
(firstname,
lastname,
age,
sex,
dob,
size)
VALUES
( '$FirstName1',
'$LastName1',
'$Age1',
'$sex',
'$DOB1',
'$size'
')";

[Rodney_H_]

Post what you have so far, Lovebev1.

[Lovebev1]

harmor, are these not fields?

$RegNo = "";
$First_1 = "";
$Last_1 = "";
$Age1 = "";
$Sex1 = "'Y'";
$DOB = "0000-00-00";
$ShirtSize1 = "'Y'";
$First2 = "";
$Last2 = "";
$Age2 = "";
$DOB2 = "00-00-00";
$SEX2 = "'Y'";
$ShirtSize2 = "";
$FirstName = "";
$LastName = "";
$Address = "";
$City = "";
$State = "";
$ZIP = "";
$DayPhone = "";
$EvePhone = "";
$CellPhone = "";
$Other = "";
$Email = "";
$NameCard = "";
$CARDNO = "";
$EXPDATE = "00-00-00";
$CardType = "'Y'";
$School = "'Y'";
$COST = "0";
?>

[harmor]

Those are values that you are putting into fields.
The fields have to be in the same order as the values or you'll have the age going into the name for example.

[Lovebev1]

So what are these?

$RegNo = @$POST['RegNo'];
$First_1 = @$POST['First_1'];
$Last_1 = @$POST['Last_1'];
$Age1 = @$POST['Age1'];
$Sex1 = @$POST['Sex1'];
$DOB = @$POST['DOB'];
$ShirtSize1 = @$POST['ShirtSize1'];
$First2 = @$POST['First2'];
$Last2 = @$POST['Last2'];
$Age2 = @$POST['Age2'];
$DOB2 = @$POST['DOB2'];
$SEX2 = @$POST['SEX2'];
$ShirtSize2 = @$POST['ShirtSize2'];
$FirstName = @$POST['FirstName'];
$LastName = @$POST['LastName'];
$Address = @$POST['Address'];
$City = @$POST['City'];
$State = @$POST['State'];
$ZIP = @$POST['ZIP'];
$DayPhone = @$POST['DayPhone'];
$EvePhone = @$POST['EvePhone'];
$CellPhone = @$POST['CellPhone'];
$Other = @$POST['Other'];
$Email = @$POST['Email'];
$NameCard = @$POST['NameCard'];
$CARDNO = @$POST['CARDNO'];
$EXPDATE = @$POST['EXPDATE'];
$CardType = @$POST['CardType'];
$School = @$POST['School'];
$COST = @$POST['COST'];