[RESOLVED] changing data in an autopopulating form

matthewst

I have a form which is autopopulated. I need my users to be able to make changes to it when necessary. The problem is my users can change whatever needs to be changed but when they hit submit it doesn't change anything in the database.

<form name="FormName" action="<?=$PHP_SELF;?>" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post">

$query="SELECT * FROM abc_tables WHERE table_id=$table_id";
$result=mysql_query($query);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
$rest_name = $row['rest_name'];

<input type="text" class="formTextbox" name="rest_name" size="24" value="<?="$rest_name"?>">

<input type="submit" name="submit" class="formTextbox" value="Submit">

NogDog

Well, based on the code you've shown us, there is nothing there that even tries to update the database when the form is submitted. Is this the problem, or have you not shown us the relevant code?

matthewst

Heres what I have now:
At the top:

function update_db()
{
if ($_POST['submit']){
$contact_fname = $_POST['contact_fname'];
mysql_query("UPDATE abc_tables SET contact_fname='$contact_fname'");
}}

Then:

<input type="text" class="formTextbox" name="contact_fname" size="24" value="<?="$contact_fname"?>">

At the bottom:

<input type="submit" name="submit" class="formTextbox" value="Submit" onsubmit="<?=update_db();?>">

But it still dosen't update the database.

Weedpacket

You're trying to run PHP functions on the client? Won't work. PHP isn't running on the client, it's running on the server.

The effect of

<input type="submit" name="submit" class="formTextbox" value="Submit" onsubmit="<?=update_db();?>">

is to run update_db() and insert the value it outputs (there isn't one, so an empty string is used) between the "" of the input tag's onsubmit attribute, before the page is sent to the browser.

Your code to update the database needs to be in the script that is indicated by the form's action attribute.

matthewst

How do I do that?

Here is the form tag as it is now:

<form name="FormName" action="<?=$_server['PHP_SELF'];?>" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post">

Kudose

Simple form to so something when submit is pressed:

<?php
  $default = 'value';
  if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
    $name = $_POST['name'];
    // run mysql queries
  }
?>
<form action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="post">
  Name: <input type="text" name="name" value="<?php echo $default; ?>" />
  <br />
  <input type="submit name="submit />
</form>

<?= is bad mmmkay?

Not all servers have short_tags enabled. Plus, stuff like that will turn you into a lazy programmer.

Kudose

Also, as Weedpacket was getting to ...

<input type="submit" name="submit" class="formTextbox" value="Submit" onsubmit="<?=update_db();?>">

Will not work, since the onsubmit will end up empty as Weedpacket said.

But my point is, onsubmit works with JavaScript, not PHP. PHP can not interact with the browser ... all the dynamic stuff you see happen on web sites is done via JavaScript (usually), or some form of DHTML (HTML, JS, XML (Ajax)).

matthewst

I don't have to use java. I just thought it might be easier. Here is all the relevent code:

$update_query="UPDATE abc_tables SET contact_fname=$contact_fname WHERE tabel_id=$table_id";
<form name="FormName" action="<?=$_server['PHP_SELF'];?>" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post">
<?php
$query="SELECT * FROM abc_tables WHERE table_id=$table_id";
$result=mysql_query($query);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
$contact_fname = $row['contact_fname'];
}
?>
<table>
<tr>
<td>Contact First Name</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<input type="text" class="formTextbox" name="contact_fname" size="24" value="<?="$contact_fname"?>"></td>
</tr>
//////////////////////
<tr>
<td>
<input type="submit" name="submit" class="formTextbox" value="Submit">
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<?
mysql_close();
?>

Kudose

Who said anything about Java?

matthewst

sorry about that. i meant I also tried onsubmit="update_query"

kansas city! I'm in sedalia

Kudose

Replace

$update_query="UPDATE abc_tables SET contact_fname=$contact_fname WHERE tabel_id=$table_id";

With

<?php
  if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
    $update_query="UPDATE abc_tables SET contact_fname=$contact_fname WHERE tabel_id=$table_id"; 
  }
?>

matthewst

OK so I changed this:

<form name="FormName" action="<?=$_server['PHP_SELF'];?>" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post">

to this:

<form name="FormName" action="table_order_handler.php" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post">

and added this:
table_order_handler.php

<?php
error_reporting(0); 
include('include/user_check.php'); 
include('include/db_con.php');

$query="SELECT * FROM abc_tables WHERE table_id=$table_id";
$result=mysql_query($query);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
$rest_name = $row['rest_name'];
}

$query_update="UPDATE abc_tables SET contact_fname=$contact_fname WHERE tabel_id=$table_id";
mysql_query($query_update);

echo "The Table Order Form for $rest_name has been updated.";
?>

but still nothing

Kudose

I don't think you are actually reading what we post.

You only needed to change what I posted about.

matthewst

I did try all of that. As it turns out I needed to add a hidden field to my form

<input type="hidden" name="table_id" value="<?="$table_id"?>">

that way $table_id gets posted to the handler page

thanks for all your help!

Kudose

Glad you got it working.

Two things ... <?= is bad. It assumes short tags is enabled and will prevent your code from being cross server compatible. Take the time to type <?php echo instead.

Second, you are assuming register_globals is on. Don't get your variables from thin air, declare them.

i.e.

echo $table_id; // bad!!!!
//--------
$table_id = $_POST['table_id'];
echo $table_id; // good!!!!

edit

One last thing, you dont need the quotes around $table_id ... only when using it in a string will you need those.

<?="$table_id";?>

should be

<?php echo $table_id; ?>

Kudose

And another thing ... you might want to read up on SQL Injection ... I could easily drop your entire database just by changing a few variables in the URL I access your page with.