[RESOLVED] PHP code to Update database

[chinclub]

I am new to PHP and I just can't get this script to work. I am trying to update my SQL database using the script:

 <?
include("header.php");

$a = $_GET['action'];
	if($a == 'giveaway')  {

$sql = mysql_query("UPDATE pets SET user='pound' WHERE `id`='$id'");

		if($sql) {
		 	print "How sad!";
		}
} 		
include("footer.php");
?>

It writes the "How Sad" with no errors but it is not updating the database. I am calling the script by:

?action=giveaway&id=156

All of the database info is held in the header.php and I know that works because I am successfully accessing the database using another .php script.

What am I doing wrong.

[NogDog]

Unless register_globals is on (which it really shoul NOT be), you need to set the variable $id = $GET['id];. Also, to get a better idea of what's happening, try this pattern for now to get some debug info:

$id = (int) $_GET['id'];  // for security, force user-supplied value to be integer
$sql = "UPDATE pets SET user='pound' WHERE `id`=$id";
$result = mysql_query($sql);
if(!$result)
{
   die("Query failed ($sql): " . mysql_error());
}
if(mysql_affected_rows() == 0)
{
   user_error("No rows updated ($sql)", E_USER_WARNING);
}

For the production version, you'll want to change those die()/user_error() commands to something else so that database queries are not output to the user, but for debugging it may help you find any problems.

[chinclub]

Thank_You!!!! I have been so frustrated with this! That was the code I was missing. I added the:

$id = (int) $_GET['id'];

and it is working like a charm!!

[bradgrafelman]

Don't forget to mark this thread resolved.

[chinclub]

Thanks for letting me know how to mark it. I'll do it now. 🙂