php form to database

[Darren713]

Hi i am new to php and have a pretty big question to ask. i wasent sure which category to put this in but as i am a newbie i thought this was more appropriete.

I have to do a very large form for the company i work for in php and have it sent to a mysql database, i am also using php admin, now this form they have given me is to complete is approx 100 questions long with only yes/no/na radio boxes and a small textarea to complete. but it is set into 3 categories, but all needs to be one form (rather than 3). How would i build such a big form and get good queries back from this please?

[daveyc]

It's going to be a long task unfortunately. You will first need to design the form in something like Dreamweaver and assign each input box (Whether it be text, radio button, checkbox) a unique name.

Make a note of all them unique names, along with what fields they actually are onto a sheet of paper (This will help no end!)

You'll then have to write a php script to capture the variables.. E.g

<?php

$field1 = $_POST['field1'];
$field2 = $_POST['field2'];

// And after some checks and validation (if you prefer) run the sql query

$sql = "INSERT INTO `tablename` (`field`,`field2`) VALUES ('$field1','$field2');";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or die(mysql_error());

Remember though, that this is very basic, you may want to use mysql_real_escape_string()

Take a look at this basic contact form generator. Just generate yourself a small form and see how it all works on the front end and the backend.

Good Luck,

Davey

[Darren713]

thank you davey your a star, im just wondering though if i got a load of radio buttons for yes/no/na would i just make a table called yes,a table called no and a table called n/a? also how would i match the end result to the question? sorry for the newbie questions

[suthen_cowgirl]

If I understand the question correctly, I think it'd be much easier to have it in one database.

how would i match the end result to the question?

Like Davey said, you'll have to have a whole bunch of unique names.

So if your code was something like this:

          Question Goes Here
          <input type="radio" name="short_q_desc" value="Yes"> Yes &nbsp; 
          <input type="radio" name="short_q_desc" value="No"> No &nbsp;
          <input type="radio" name="short_q_desc" value="NA"> N/A

Then the field already set up in the database with the name short_q_desc is where whichever one of those answers is selected will end up in the database. the value= segment is the answer that will show up in the database. The yes/no/n/a outside of the < > is the output a user would see in order to be able to select something.

If you have over hundred questions you'll have a lot of typing to do, but it'll be fairly repetitive as far as the structure of the code.

Hope that helps. Sorry if I didn't understand your question. I'm fairly new too, only know the basics.

[Darren713]

Yeah thats great for the html code but what would be the php code? as i have tried doing a dynamic radio group, insert record and just a basic recordset but none of the results seem to work correctly

[Darren713]

ok so would i have to write every question into the database then in fields? or can i just have the questions on the page and have the results appear next to it? because all i have at the moment is 1 table with 3 fields, which is yes, no and n/a.

[suthen_cowgirl]

your fields in the database need to be something you can understand, like i personally make it something similar to the question.

For example if the questions were on the output of the form for the users:
Are you married? Yes No N/A
Do you have siblings? Yes No N/A
Do you own any pets? Yes No N/A

In my database I would have a table called something like answers, in the table answers i would have the fields married_status, siblings, pets, etc. When they submit the form the yes, no, n/a from each question will be inserted into the database accordingly. The order of your questions on the form and the order of your fields need to be the same so that when inserting the results the correct corresponding answer will fit where its suppose to.

[Darren713]

Thats brilliant thank you i will let you know how i get on!

[Darren713]

my server behavior dont work i have this for my php

<?php require_once('../Connections/crosscheck.php'); ?>
<?php
function GetSQLValueString($theValue, $theType, $theDefinedValue = "", $theNotDefinedValue = "") 
{
  $theValue = (!get_magic_quotes_gpc()) ? addslashes($theValue) : $theValue;

  switch ($theType) {
    case "text":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;    

    case "long":
    case "int":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? intval($theValue) : "NULL";
      break;
    case "double":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . doubleval($theValue) . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "date":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "defined":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? $theDefinedValue : $theNotDefinedValue;
      break;
  }
  return $theValue;
}

$editFormAction = $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];
if (isset($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'])) {
  $editFormAction .= "?" . htmlentities($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING']);
}

if ((isset($_POST["MM_insert"])) && ($_POST["MM_insert"] == "form1")) {
  $insertSQL = sprintf("INSERT INTO results (`question 1`, `question 2`) VALUES (%s, %s)",
                       GetSQLValueString($_POST['q1'], "text"),
                       GetSQLValueString($_POST['q2'], "text"));

  mysql_select_db($database_crosscheck, $crosscheck);
  $Result1 = mysql_query($insertSQL, $crosscheck) or die(mysql_error());

  $insertGoTo = "success.php";
  if (isset($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'])) {
    $insertGoTo .= (strpos($insertGoTo, '?')) ? "&" : "?";
    $insertGoTo .= $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'];
  }
  header(sprintf("Location: %s", $insertGoTo));
}

$con = mysql_connect("localhost","myname","mypass");
if (!$con)
  {
  die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
  }

?>

and my html is

  <form action="<?php echo $editFormAction; ?>" name="form1" method="POST" >
	  <td><input  type="radio" name="q1" value="yes" id="radiobutton" />  </td>
      <td><input  type="radio" name="q1" value="no" id="radio" />         </td>
      <td><input  type="radio" name="q1" value="n/a" id="radio2" />       </td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td bgcolor="#999999">&nbsp;</td>
    <tr>
      <td bgcolor="#999999"><span class="style5">2.</span></td>
      <td bgcolor="#FFCCCC"><span class="style1">is front end destination information displayed </span></td>

  <td bgcolor="#FFCCCC"><input name="q2" type="radio" value="yes" /></td>
  <td bgcolor="#FFCCCC"><input name="q2" type="radio" value="no" /></td>
  <td bgcolor="#FFCCCC"><input name="q2" type="radio" value="n/a" /></td>
  <td bgcolor="#FFCCCC"><input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit" /></td>
  <td bg

any suggestions?