unexpect character & parse error

[DRTechie]

Hello, I am trying to write a simple script to insert contact information from an html form into my sql db. Everytime I run the script I get the following error:

Warning: Unexpected character in input: '\' (ASCII=92) state=1 in /homepages/8/d149194364/htdocs/process.php on line 2
Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_STRING in /homepages/8/d149194364/htdocs/process.php on line 2

I've included my code below...

<?php
$firstname = $_POST['firstname'];
	if ( empty($firstname) ) {
	echo 'You did not enter your name, please <a href="contact.html">go back</a> and make sure you enter it';
	die();
}
$lastname = $_POST['lastname'];
	if ( empty($lastname) ) {
	echo 'You did not enter your last name, please <a href="contact.html">go back</a> and make sure you enter it';
	die();
}
$email = $_POST['email'];
	if ( empty($email) ) {
	echo 'You did not enter your e-mail address, please <a href="contact.html">go back</a> and make sure you enter it';
	die();
}


//connect to SQL-server
$server= "xxx";
$user= "xxx";
$password="xxx";
$database= "xxx";
$table= "xxx";

//Access SQL-server
MYSQL_CONNECT($server, $user, $password) or die ("<H3>Server unreachable</H3>");
MYSQL_SELECT_DB($database) or die ("<H3>Database non existent</H3>");

//Enter Values into DB
MYSQL_QUERY ("INSERT INTO $table VALUES('firstname','lastname','email')");
MYSQL_QUERY ("INSERT INTO $table VALUES('$firstname','$lastname','$email')");

//Close connection
MYSQL_CLOSE();
header("location: www.somepage.com");
?>

After the informatoin is inserted into the db I want to redirect the user to another page. Am I doing it correctly? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks.

[Rodney_H_]

As far as I could tell, there is no parse error in the lines of code that you have posted. I copied it as is and tested it on my box for you just to be sure.

Do you have any HTML or anything prior to these lines of code at all?

How are you creating your document/file?

Also, you may want to change your sql query statement to rid it of redundancy.

MYSQL_QUERY ("INSERT INTO $table VALUES('firstname','lastname','email')");
MYSQL_QUERY ("INSERT INTO $table VALUES('$firstname','$lastname','$email')"); 

could be:

// create query statement
$query = "INSERT INTO $table ('firstname','lastname','email')";
$query .= " VALUES('$firstname','$lastname','$email')";
// Perform Query
$result = mysql_query($query);
if ($result) {
   echo 'query executed.';
}
else 
{
   echo 'Invalid query: ' . mysql_error() . "\n";
   exit;
}

[DRTechie]

Thanks Rodney.

I don't have any html anywhere in the script. I am passing the firstname, lastname and e-mail fields from an html form. could that be the source of the parsing error?

[bpat1434]

Well, I'd do this:

<?php
$firstname = stripslashes($_POST['firstname']);
    if ( empty($firstname) ) {
    die('You did not enter your name, please <a href="contact.html">go back</a> and make sure you enter it');
}
$lastname = stripslashes($_POST['lastname']);
    if ( empty($lastname) ) {
    die('You did not enter your last name, please <a href="contact.html">go back</a> and make sure you enter it');
}
$email = stripslashes($_POST['email']);
    if ( empty($email) ) {
    die('You did not enter your e-mail address, please <a href="contact.html">go back</a> and make sure you enter it');
}


//connect to SQL-server
$server= "xxx";
$user= "xxx";
$password="xxx";
$database= "xxx";
$table= "xxx";

//Access SQL-server
MYSQL_CONNECT($server, $user, $password) or die ("<H3>Server unreachable</H3>");
MYSQL_SELECT_DB($database) or die ("<H3>Database non existent</H3>");

//Enter Values into DB
$query = "INSERT INTO $table ('firstname','lastname','email')";
$query .= "VALUES('".mysql_real_escape_string($firstname)."','".
mysql_real_escape_string($lastname)."','".
mysql_real_escape_string($email)."')";

$rslt = mysql_query($query);
if(!$result)
{
  die('Error inserting into database.<br>'.mysql_error());
}

//Close connection
MYSQL_CLOSE();
header("location: www.somepage.com");
?>

~Brett

[DRTechie]

Ok I got rid of the parsing error but now I am having a problem connecting to the DB. I am using you suggestion Bret.

Error:
Error inserting into database.
Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

[bpat1434]

Hmm... seems it could be one of two problems:

1.) The mysql.sock file is missing (easy fix, just restart mySQL or the server)
2.) Permissions to the mysql folder could be wrong. Permissions should be 755 or: drwxr-xr-x

Check those out, see if that helps.

~Brett