Posting multiple values?

[7724]

Hi All,

I'm trying to work out how I can post some data to my database using a | pipe.

So for example I have a simple shopping list, and I want the user to select if they have bought the item or not. Yes have a value, no does not.

http://www.inspireaway.co.uk/test3.php

Now as you will see each item has a value, so if the first two items were bought only (bread & cheese) in my database i'd post the following values in my database column:

100|161|

But how do I do this?

Normally I only post of Value from one set of radio buttons, so i'd do something like:

if (isset($_POST['Submit']))
{
$subsection = $_POST['subsection'];
$result = mysql_query("Insert into db (subsection) values ('$subsection')") or die(mysql_error());
}

But i'm trying to get different values from lots of radio buttons named with a increment on them, I.e. subsection(i++)and post them in one database column, so how would I do it?

Is this possible

Thanks

Chris

[etully]

Your form is fine. Just write your PHP like this:

foreach ($_POST as $k=>$v) {
	if (preg_match("/^subsection/",$k) and $v > 0) {
		$result = mysql_query("Insert into db (subsection) values ('$v')") or die(mysql_error()); 
	}
}

[7724]

Thanks, for your kind help

But that's posted three rows in my database with values such as 100, 161, 171 etc when I want it in one column and one row like so:

100|161|171|

Any futher ideas?

[j_70]

Not to question your design but having one column with "100|161|171|" is at odds with relation design theory. etully's solution allows you to rationalize or normalize your data. What is your end goal?

[7724]

Yep, totally agree but this isn't my database sadly, so it's not normalised. I'd love to re-design it to 3NF, but I havr to get it working this way.

[cahva]

Name your radiobuttons as array as its easy to handle them with php. So form would look like this:

<h3>Foods</h3>
<fieldset>

<p><b>Bread</b></p>
  		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[0]" value="100" /> Yes 
		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[0]" value="" /> No


<p><b>Cheese</b></p>
  		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[1]" value="161" /> Yes 
		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[1]" value="" /> No			


<p><b>Crackers</b></p>
  		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[2]" value="171" /> Yes 
		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[2]" value="" /> No			

<p><b>Ham</b></p>
		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[3]" value="180" /> Yes 
		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[3]" value="" /> No			

<p><b>Beef</b></p>
  		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[4]" value="308" /> Yes 
		<input type="radio" class="checkbox" name="subsection[4]" value="" /> No			

</fieldset>

After you submit that, you can find all the values in $_POST['subsection'] as array. You will get also the empty values to your result because you're using radio buttons instead of checkboxes(which would suit this purpose better) so you have to get those out of the result.

if (isset($_POST['subsection']))
{
	$subs = array();
	foreach ($_POST['subsection'] as $v)
	{
		if (empty($v))
		{
			continue;
		}
		$subs[] = $v;
	}
}

if (isset($subs) AND !empty($subs))
{
	$subsections = implode('|',$subs);
}

Have you considered using checkboxes because then you wouldnt have to use the foreach at all(unchecked checkbox values dont get submitted at all).