[RESOLVED] Nested loop irregularity

[spookztar]

Hi Guys,

I have a nested loop that just won't behave the way I want it to.

I use a nested for to dynamically create a form with x number of category title textfields for people to fill out and x number of category items pr. category for people to fill out. It looks like this:

//
//picking up the integers where the user origuinally types them in
//
$optionsets = (isset($_POST['nr_of_option_sets']) AND ctype_digit($_POST['nr_of_option_sets']) AND $_POST['nr_of_option_sets'] < 11) ? trim($_POST['nr_of_option_sets']) : 0;

$options = (isset($_POST['nr_of_options']) AND ctype_digit($_POST['nr_of_options']) AND $_POST['nr_of_options'] < 21) ? trim($_POST['nr_of_options']) : 0;
//
// Saving the two picked up parameters to also be used by the processing script
//
<p><input name='optioncounter' value='$options' type='hidden' size='2' maxlength='2' /></p>;
<p><input name='optionsetcounter' value='$optionsets' type='hidden' size='2' maxlength='2' /></p>;
for ($os = 1; $os <= $optionsets; ++$os) {
                         echo "<p><label class='dynamic_label'>Set Title:</label><input class='dynamic_input' name='option_title$os' type='text' size='20' maxlength='80' /></p><br /><br />";
                     for ($o = 1; $o <= $options; ++$o) {
                          echo "<label class='dynamic_label'>Option:</label><input class='dynamic_input' name='option_name$o' type='text' size='5' maxlength='80' />
                          <label class='dynamic_label'>Stock:</label><input class='dynamic_input' name='stock$o' type='text' size='5' maxlength='10' />
                          <label class='dynamic_label'>Price:</label><input class='dynamic_input' name='price$o' type='text' size='5' maxlength='10' /><br />";
                          }
                         echo "<br />";
                         }
                        }

I then try to pick them up in a processing scrip using the same parameters ($optionsets and $options)

//
// Pulling the two parameters from the previous page, to be used to pick up and process the fields.
//
$option_set_counter = $_POST['optionsetcounter'];
$option_counter = $_POST['optioncounter'];
//
//picking up the category titles and their respective rows named with the loop integer attached to the fieldnames.
//
for ($osc = 1; $osc <= $option_set_counter; ++$osc)
    {
    $getoptiontitles = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["option_title$osc"]));
    echo $getoptiontitles;
    echo "<br />";
for ($oc = 1; $oc <= $option_counter; ++$oc)
    {
    // echo $option_counter;
    echo $getoptionname = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["option_name$oc"]));
    echo $getoptionstock = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["stock$oc"]));
    echo $getoptionprice = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["price$oc"]));
    echo "<br /><br />";
    }
   }
  }

- and for some reason, the inner loop in code chunk two fails to pick up anthing but the fields connected to it's last iteration. So when I am expecting: Alpha xxx Beta yyy Gamma zzz, I get: Alpha zzz Beta zzz Gamma zzz.

Why doesn't it pull the fields with the x'es and the y's?

The answer may be obvious, but I've stared myself blind at this long ago.:glare:

Hope you can help.

[spookztar]

Forget it, I got it.

It was as simple as attaching the $osc FOR counter behind the fieldname, instead of the $oc FOR counter, and making the similar adjustment in the form from where the data is pulled.

Thanx for reading anyway.

[Weedpacket]

You might want to consider putting your form fields into an array - something like:

for ($os = 1; $os <= $optionsets; ++$os) {
	echo "<p><label class='dynamic_label'>Set Title:</label><input class='dynamic_input' name='option_title[$os]' type='text' size='20' maxlength='80' /></p><br /><br />";
	for ($o = 1; $o <= $options; ++$o) {
		echo "<label class='dynamic_label'>Option:</label><input class='dynamic_input' name='option_name[$os][$o]' type='text' size='5' maxlength='80' />";
	}
	echo "<br />";
} 

Which makes it clear which option_names go with which option_titles; the $POST array would contain elements like $POST['option_title'][$os] and $_POST['option_name'][$os][$o].

There are other possibilities for organising the data structure, but whatever is most convenient.

[spookztar]

I tried doing it that way too, but it came up with a NOTICE:... "undefined index" - message for each "option_name" field.

[spookztar]

Well, it appears that I'm not quite out of the woods yet on this one.

When I try to pick up the values of the fields of each row, it only picks up the last row in each block and does so repeatedly...

The loop I'm trying to pick up with is:

for ($nr = 1; $nr <= $_SESSION['optionsets']; ++$nr)
    {
    $getoptiontitles[$nr] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST["option_title$nr"])));
    echo '<br /><br />';
    print_r($getoptiontitles);
    echo '<br />';
for ($nr1 = 1; $nr1 <= $_SESSION['options']; ++$nr1)
    {
    $getoptionname[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST["option_name$nr1"])));
    $getoptionstock[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST["stock$nr1"])));
    $getoptionprice[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST["price$nr1"])));
    echo "<br />";
    print_r($getoptionname);
    echo '<br />';
    print_r($getoptionstock);
    echo '<br />';
    print_r($getoptionprice);
    }
    }

as you can see, the formgenerating loop works by exactly the same criteria. Why doens't the "pick-up loop" match the form loop?

[spookztar]

If it's any good $SESSION['options'] and $SESSION['optionsets'] both set to two, the optionset-fields then set to AA and BB and all option fields numbered from 1-12 gives the following result:

Array ( [1] => AA )

Array ( [1] => 4 )
Array ( [1] => 5 )
Array ( [1] => 6 )

Array ( [1] => 4 [2] => 4 )
Array ( [1] => 5 [2] => 5 )
Array ( [1] => 6 [2] => 6 )


Array ( [1] => AA [2] => BB )

Array ( [1] => 10 [2] => 4 )
Array ( [1] => 11 [2] => 5 )
Array ( [1] => 12 [2] => 6 )

Array ( [1] => 10 [2] => 10 )
Array ( [1] => 11 [2] => 11 )
Array ( [1] => 12 [2] => 12 )

What happened to 1-2-3 and 7-8-9?

[spookztar]

No suggestions as to why the loop only picks up the last row in each set/block and doing so repeatedly, instead of picking up each option/stock/price row once, proceeding to the next row, as I want it to?

[leatherback]

Hm.. You have marked the thread resolved.. It results in people not reading the thread anymore.

maybe you should do this:

$getoptionname[$nr][$nr1] = ...

[spookztar]

Thanx for responding, Leatherback, much apprciated. I tried looking for at place to "unsolve" it, but no.

I'm not experienced enough to avoid ambushing myself when it comes to using nested loops. It just confuses me, that it works fine when writing out the form, but fails when picking up the values.😕

I'll get to it, as soon as I get home from work.

[leatherback]

The idea behind my post is that when you are in the inner loop, your variables currently are not aware of the fact that another loop is happening too. So you need to pass the new veriable that information, so to speak. Adding the extra dimension to the array, anmd filling the key with $nr will give you a new sub array for each loop of $nr.

Nested loops are reasonably easy to grasp. Just be carefull and use pen and paper to get started 😃

You are aware f the print_r($array); function right?
J.

[spookztar]

Yeah I'm aware. Perhaps you missed the use of it in the post of 05:40 PM? 😉

OK, to your point. But why did it work fine when writing out the form then? Logically, the two loopstructures are completely similar, right?😕

[leatherback]

In the form you are not trying to store the information, but you spit it out to screen. As a result the data does not get reset. When you store it, you need to store information for both loops in the array, as with every time the outer loop runs, you fill array position 1 of the inner-loop arrays.

[spookztar]

Didn't work

Doing as you suggsted, got me:

Array ( [1] => AA )

Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 4 ) )
Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 5 ) )
Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 6 ) )

Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 4 [2] => 4 ) )
Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 5 [2] => 5 ) )
Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 6 [2] => 6 ) )


Array ( [1] => AA [2] => BB )

Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 4 [2] => 4 ) [2] => Array ( [1] => 10 ) )
Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 5 [2] => 5 ) [2] => Array ( [1] => 11 ) )
Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 6 [2] => 6 ) [2] => Array ( [1] => 12 ) )

Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 4 [2] => 4 ) [2] => Array ( [1] => 10 [2] => 10 ) )
Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 5 [2] => 5 ) [2] => Array ( [1] => 11 [2] => 11 ) )
Array ( [1] => Array ( [1] => 6 [2] => 6 ) [2] => Array ( [1] => 12 [2] => 12 ) ) 

1-2-3 and 7-8-9 still doesn't get picked up.

[leatherback]

What is the code that you use?

[spookztar]

for ($nr = 1; $nr <= $_SESSION['optionsets']; ++$nr)
    {
    $getoptiontitles[$nr] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["option_title$nr"]));
    print_r($getoptiontitles);
for ($nr1 = 1; $nr1 <= $_SESSION['options']; ++$nr1)
    {
    $getoptionname[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["option_name$nr"]));
    $getoptionstock[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["stock$nr"]));
    $getoptionprice[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["price$nr"]));
    } 
    }

[spookztar]

No further suggestions?

[leatherback]

Hm.. Not sure.

Could it be that there are no values in the other subarrays? Have you tried something like:

for ($nr = 1; $nr <= $_SESSION['optionsets']; ++$nr)
    {
    $getoptiontitles[$nr] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["option_title$nr"]));
echo '<br />'.$nr.'results in:';
    print_r($getoptiontitles);
echo '---<br />';
for ($nr1 = 1; $nr1 <= $_SESSION['options']; ++$nr1)
    {

echo 'Innerloop:'.$nr1;

$getoptionname[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["option_name$nr"]));
$getoptionstock[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["stock$nr"]));
$getoptionprice[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["price$nr"]));
}
} 

That gives you an indication of what is happening.

[spookztar]

Ok, I must admit I'm not quite sure what to make of this:

The result

1results in:Array ( [1] => AA ) ---
Innerloop:1Innerloop:2
2results in:Array ( [1] => AA [2] => BB ) ---
Innerloop:1Innerloop:2

It looks like the are indexed just fine...

[spookztar]

The following works:

Form:

for ($nr = 1; $nr <= $SESSION['optionsets']; ++$nr) {
echo "<p><label class='dynamic_label'>Set Title:</label><input class='dynamic_input' name='option_title$nr' type='text' size='20' maxlength='80' /></p><br /><br />";
for ($nr1 = 1; $nr1 <= $SESSION['options']; ++$nr1) {
echo "<label class='dynamic_label'>Option:</label>\n";
echo "<input class='dynamic_input' name='option_name$nr$nr1' type='text' size='5' maxlength='80' />\n";
echo "<label class='dynamic_label'>Stock:</label>\n";
echo "<input class='dynamic_input' name='stock$nr$nr1' type='text' size='5' maxlength='10' />\n";
echo "<label class='dynamic_label'>Price:</label>\n";
echo "<input class='dynamic_input' name='price$nr$nr1' type='text' size='5' maxlength='10' />\n";
echo "<br />\n";
}
echo "<br />";
}

Pick-up code:

for ($nr = 1; $nr <= $SESSION['optionsets']; ++$nr) {
$getoptiontitles[$nr] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($POST["option_title$nr"]));
for ($nr1 = 1; $nr1 <= $SESSION['options']; ++$nr1) {
$getoptionname[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($POST["option_name$nr$nr1"]));
$getoptionstock[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($POST["stock$nr$nr1"]));
$getoptionprice[$nr][$nr1] = strip_tags(mysql_real_escape_string($POST["price$nr$nr1"]));
}
}

This code also creates a multidimensional array, but how does PHP know to do that with only one set of [] wrapped around both countervariables?

[spookztar]

Why can't I post properly in this forum from my work pc??? I can't use the formatting tools and I keep getting logged out?