"batch" processing form data

[jmack159]

hello there,

the project I'm working on involves users filling out a form to apply for a staff position for an event. the current feature I'm trying to tackle is a page for the admin/chairman of the event to approve pending staff members. so i have a table of pending staff members, and next to each row is a check box that corresponds to the row. there are three buttons for three actions: accept, deny, mark as SPAM. also, if the pending staff that are checked are to be accepted, a select box must be completed to assign the pending staff to a committee. here is my code:

//from process.php
function procManagePending(){
		global $database, $session, $form;

	$pendingStaff = $database->getPendingStaff();

	$selectedIDs = array();
	$selAssignments = array();
	foreach($pendingStaff as $key => $value){
		if(isset($_POST['pendingStaff_$key'])){
			$selectedIDs[$key] = $_POST['pendingStaff_$key'];
		}
		if(isset($_POST['assign_$key']) && isset($selectedIDs[$key])){
			$selAssignments[$key] = $_POST['assign_$key'];
		}
	}
	//echo($selectedIds.$selAssignments);
	if(isset($_POST['accept'])){
		$retval = $session->acceptPendingStaff(array_combine($selectedIds, $selAssignments), 
											   $pendingStaff);
		$sesKey = 'acceptPending';
	}elseif(isset($_POST['deny'])){
		$retval = $session->denyPendingStaff($selectedIds, $pendingStaff);
		$sesKey = 'denyPending';
	}elseif(isset($_POST['spam'])){
		$retval = $session->markPendingStaffSpam($selectedIds, $pendingStaff);
		$sesKey = 'spamPending';
	}

	if($retval){
		//sucess
		$_SESSION['$seskey'] = true;
		header("Location: ".INSTALL."/staff/pending.php");
	}else{
		$_SESSION['value_array'] = $_POST;
		$_SESSION['error_array'] = $form->getErrorArray();
		header("Location: ".INSTALL."/staff/pending.php");
	}
}

//from session.php
function acceptPendingStaff($assignments, $pendingStaff){
		global $form, $database, $staff;

	$retval = array();
	foreach($pendingStaff as $key => $staff){
		if(array_key_exists($staff->id, $assignments)){
			$staff->setCommitteeAssignment($assignments[$staff->id]);
			$retval[] = $staff->acceptStaffMember();
		}
	}
	return !in_array(false, $retval);
}

//from staff.php
function acceptStaffMember(){
		global $mailer, $database;

	$this->setMetaStatus(STATUS_UNCONFIRMED);
	$this->setConfirmationTime();

	$q = "UPDATE ".TBL_STAFF
		." 	SET `com_assignment` = '$this->committee[\'assign\']', `status` = '$status', 
				`confirmed` = '$confirmed' "
		."	WHERE `id` = '$id' LIMIT 1";
	if($database->query($q)){

		$mailer->sendNewlyAcceptedStaff($this->contact->name, $this->contact->email,
									   	$this->committee['assign'], $this->rndKey);
		return true;  //staff member accepted succesfully
     }else{
       	return false;  //staff member acception attempt failed
     }
}

i know that the $database->getPendingStaff() (which returns an array of staff objects) works, as i use the, method to display the table data. this is the first time i am attempting a form that involves "batch" processing (for lack of a better term). my current code is not working! i just get returned to pending.php page. any help or pointing to a tutorial would be helpful. i have tried searching, but no useful results! thanks for any help!

take care,

--Josh

[ednark]

remember that print_r is your friend when trying to see what php thinks is in a variable.

Also it seems that no matter what happens the below chunk of code will ALWAYS return you to pending.php, which is the behavior you seem confused about

        if($retval){
            //sucess
            $_SESSION['$seskey'] = true;
            header("Location: ".INSTALL."/staff/pending.php");
        }else{
            $_SESSION['value_array'] = $_POST;
            $_SESSION['error_array'] = $form->getErrorArray();
            header("Location: ".INSTALL."/staff/pending.php");
        } 

you might want to investigate pending.php and see how it is handling session data

[jmack159]

Hello there,
thanks for your reply!

Also it seems that no matter what happens the below chunk of code will ALWAYS return you to pending.php, which is the behavior you seem confused about

that is actually the desired effect. the user should always be brought back to pending.php. on that page, it checks to see that $SESSION['$seskey'] ($seskey varies by the action performed) isset(), and if so (true -> meaning it was successful) show a message that says so, and unset($SESSION['$seskey']). then go on to display any remaining pending staff records. (because not all may have been accepted. if !isset($_SESSION['$seskey']) then display any errors.

the problem is that when i get returned to pending.php, i get both: no errors returned, and no success message. another odd thing is that if i use print_r() or var_dump inside process.php or session.php, i get no output from those pages, but get returned to pending.php. any ideas what is causing this?

thanks for your help, and any information you supply!

Take care,