$_Get and arrays or different way of doing it?

zleviticus

Ok i am by no means a PHP expert but i get by real well..

here is what i am trying to do but do not know the best way to do it or if it is even possible..

I have created an interal page that accesses a SQL DB (multiple) based upon the value of a multiple select listbox. When the data is displayed i have a link that calls another page that allows for the data ot be exported into an excel workbook automatically.

in order to determine which DBs the workbook needs to include. I am using a $_POST for the main page to display the data from the first query of the DB. I am then using the base values i need to send to the other php page to do the excel file. i ahve to keep the files seperarate ( i think) in order to fake IE in to doing the excel spreadsheet instead of putting up a blank page.

Now my quesiton is if i send over the values of the multiple select listbox, how do i "get" the values of the array in the url.

i am working off a Windows machine with IIS and php5. The browser is IE6 and 7.

The code i am using to send to the second php file is:

echo "<a href=\"http://Sever//ExportToExcel.php?DateBegin=$DatetoRunFrom&DateEnd=$DatetoRunTo&LocationName=$LocationName/extraction.xls\">Excel</a>";

When i grab the item i am simply doing a

$_GET["LocationName"];

thanks for any help you can give or a different way to grab this information.

Oh I knwo how to "Get" the values of a single value but not an array.

dougal85

I don't think you can store an array in a Get variable easily and i guess its not idea for arrays of anything more than a few items...

Use [] on the end of the variable name. whatever.php?x[]=1&x[]=2&x[]=3 ... will produce a three-element array in $_GET['x']

The only other way I can think of it is pop it in a session.

zleviticus

Well i wanted to give my users flexibuility in their options.. but screw it they can get all the data abd cut out waht they do not want to see.. hahahahahahaha!

dougal85

Lol, well if its really important to store a big array, why not put in a session. Thats easy enough to do.

Installer

You could use serialize().

zleviticus

dougal85 wrote:
Lol, well if its really important to store a big array, why not put in a session. Thats easy enough to do.

have not messed with sessions.. yet.. so that is uncharted territory..

dougal85

I see, well try Installer's suggestions or seralize() then unserialize() - that'll do the job quite well. I forgot about that solution.

If not look up sessions - they are invaluable for lots of things 🙂