Update form needs to show existing MySQL data

jasonyoung

Say I have a form which offers blank textboxes which when populated and subitted runs an "INSERTS INTO..." statement into the database. Works like it should. Now I want to update the same entry. My database is keyed on a customer number (ex. "123456"). I can open a form which prompts for the customer number to update, and it offers a list of fields I can update. It works fine, but the catch is I want to populate the update form with the existing values stored in the database, so the updater can see which values need to be updated.

Can this be done? I can update just fine, but I can't figure out how to show the current fields before updating.

I thought this would require a two step process, like a simple query page where you enter the customer number to update. Once submitted MySQL would reply and you would be shown an UPDATE form containing all of the values related to the customer number (query). Then you could make your updates and resubmit the changes.

Any help will be very appreciated.

Thanks.

msk_1980

yeap you need to query the DB for data and then you can display the data in the form using the value attribute of the text box. so it would look something like:

where uname would be the value which you have already assigned with the value you got from the DB.

Once the values has been updated in the form, you can then submit the data back to the data base.

Hope that helps.

jasonyoung

Thank you for replying! I can use as much help as I can get.

I think what you offered makes sense, but don't I need to have my query reply to an array? (like I know what that is) That's where I'm still confused. I really appreciate your help. Do you have any other examples of how my query should look.

I currently have my query replying to a read-only form so I think I can build on the existing code.

Roger_Ramjet

OK. This is a general purpose update script that will display a record from any table. You will get each field name listed with a text box beside it containing the current data. To protect the id field and any others that should not be edited this script disables all except those that you name in an array that you post to this script along with the table name, id field name and id number

<?php // edit.php
// establish your connection to the db
// assuming you posted the table name, id and an array of editable fields to this script
$table = $_POST['table'];
$field=$_POST['id_field'];
$id = $_POST['id'];
$allow=$_POST['editable'];
$query = "SELECT * FROM $table WHERE $field=$id";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die($query . '<br />' . mysql_error());
if (!$result) {
	echo 'Sorry, query failed';
	exit;
}
$count=mysql_num_rows($result);
if ($count<>1) {
	echo 'Something wrong here, '.$count.' records returned';
	exit;
}
echo '<form name="update" action="update.php" method="post">
     <input type="hidden" name="table" value="'.$table.'" />
     <input type="hidden" name="id" value="'.$id.'" />';
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);
foreach ($row as $key=>$val) {
     echo $key . '<input type="text" name="'.$key.'" value="'.$val.'"';
     if (!in_array($key, $allow)) {
        echo ' disabled="disabled" ';
    }
    echo ' />';
}
echo '<input type="submit" name="update" value="Update" />
      <input type="reset" name="cancel" value="Cancel" />
      </form>';
?>

Roger_Ramjet

OK, so you don't know what an array is. Do it like this in the page where you enter the customer number, or any other page for any other table you want to update.

$fields = 'name, adr1, adr2, adr3, adr4, adr5, phone, email';
// then include it in the form you are going to post

echo '<form name="cust_edit" action="edit.php" method="post" target="_self">
     <input type="hidden" name="table" value="customers" />
     <input type="hidden" name="id_field" value="customer_id" />
     <input type="hidden" name="editable" value="'.$fields.'" />
     <input type="text" name="id" />
     <input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit" />
     </form>';

// now in my first script it should read

$allow= explode(',' , $_POST['editable']);

// that creates an array from the field list string we posted

jasonyoung

I guess I'm still missing something guys. I've beat my head into this one for so long, my woman hates me. Please don't kill me, but hopefully if you see the code it'll help. (hope i posted it properly)

Attached is a copy of the code which the initial entry is created from. All I want to do is use the same format (html layout) to update from, but just have the fields show the current DB values. The friggin data is there! I'm just too lame to figure this one out I guess. Am I beyond help?

Thanks a million!

StevenJ

as msk_1980 said, you first need to query the database for the record you wish the form to display. You Need the data available in order to display it.

from the results of this query, you can then assign values to the form input fields like so.

<form>
<input  name="accountnumber" value="<?php echo  $accountnumber_VALUE_FROM_DATABSE ; ?> " />
</form>

jasonyoung

Got it. Thanks so much guys. It's working now!