[RESOLVED] Mass Delete Checkboxes from list??

fuzzy1

Hey All,
The following form/list (sans checkboxes)
opens a second forms page (contact_detail.php)
from which to edit an individual contact record.

I'm trying to see a way in which to mass delete
(or SET deleted='1') for each record in the list
where the mass_delete checkbox is checked.

Simply Check desired boxes and press "Delete All Checked"
button, without having to open each contact_detail page.

while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($result)) { 
$contactID = $row["id"];
$fullName = $row["full_name"];
$contacts = "
<form name='update_contact' method='post' action='contact_detail.php'>
<input type = 'checkbox' name='mass_delete' id='$contactID'>
<a href='#$contactID'onclick='submit();'> $fullName </a>
</form>
";
echo $contacts;
}

Please, Is something like this possible? Am I on the right path here?

laserlight

Yes, it definitely is possible. One idea is to use name="mass_delete[]". That way you can process the $_POST['mass_delete'] array and get the ids of those items to be deleted.

By concatencating the ids, you could even just use one DELETE FROM statement with an IN (id1, id2, id3, ..., idN)

fuzzy1

Thanks laserlight,

Sounds simple, sadly I'm confused (big surprise right).
If I understand my own code, I'm effectively getting a
seperate "update_contacts" form for each "$row_id" right?
30 $row_id's beget's 30 forms named "update_contacts"?

If so, not clear on how to submit each form where mass_delete[].checked,
so resulting in array $_POST[mass_delete]?

I would assume I would want to set

<input type = 'checkbox' name='mass_delete[]' value='$contactID'>

instead of

<input type = 'checkbox' name='mass_delete' id='$contactID'>

but still struggling to see it.

laserlight

Yes. So each checkbox would have the same name, but different values.

fuzzy1

So it seems,
But how to submit all where mass_delete[].checked remains a mystery to me.

laserlight

But how to submit all where mass_delete[].checked remains a mystery to me.

Just process the form as usual. Only the checked boxes will correspond to some incoming variable in your script.

fuzzy1

Just process the form as usual. Only the checked boxes will correspond to some incoming variable in your script.

Thanks once again laserlight,

I do apprecieate your input, and certainly intend NO disrespect, but I do NOT think we are having the same conversation. To reiterate, here is the latest incarnation of the originally posted code in it's entirety.

    $result=mysql_query($select_contacts)or die ("Failed Selecting Contacts ".mysql_error()); 		
	$numrows = mysql_num_rows($result);
				while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($result)) { 
					$contactID = $row["id"];
					$fullName = $row["full_name"];
					$contacts = "
						<form name='update_contact' method='post' action='contact_detail.php'>
						<input type='hidden' name='select_account' value='$select_account'>
						<input type='hidden' name='user' value='$user'>
						<input type='hidden' name='select_contact' value='$contactID'>
						<input type='hidden' name='phone_office' value='$phone_work'>
						<input type = 'checkbox' id='mass_delete[]' name='mass_delete[]' value='$contactID'>
						<a href='#'onclick='submit();'> $fullName </a>
						</form>
						";
				echo $contacts;
				}

Which will return any number of forms to comprise the list "$contacts" -- one for each id/name pair returned from the query $result.

Now, say $numrows = 20, FIVE of which I wish to delete. The 5 corrisponding "mass_delete[]" checkboxes I might check, will exist in five seperate forms on the page, so In this context, to say "Just process the form" appears utterly meaningless. Which form? To "process" any one of the twenty, is in effect a call to a forms page(contact_detail.php) in which to EDIT that one-of-twenty, when the goal is that this ONE, along with FOUR OTHERS, should be deleted altogether (or marked deleted=1).

Please, no offense intended, but I am really strugggling with this -- STILL!!!

laserlight

The 5 corrisponding "mass_delete[]" checkboxes I might check, will exist in five seperate forms on the page, so In this context, to say "Just process the form" appears utterly meaningless.

You have to combine them into one form. If you insist on 5 different forms, then the only way is to rely on clientside scripting to submit the forms simultaneously.

fuzzy1

So the short answer to my original post is NO.

There is NO way in which to mass delete
(or SET deleted='1') for each record in this list
where the mass_delete checkbox is checked.

No fuzzy1, something like this is NOT possible because
each name/id pair in YOUR list -- as coded -- is an individual
form of it's own and would require simultaneous submission of
each list/form for which a mass delete box was checked.

No, fuzzy1, you are NOT on the right path.
You would want to distill your lists into ONE
SINGLE form to then be submitted for update.

Many Thanks and Warm Regards To laserlight for her generous efforts.