array showing in mysql from checkbox fields

[crafterscafe]

yes I have looked through many of the other array / db / checkbox questions and can not find the solution for me.

I am getting array in the DB and need to know how to read the data. my plan is after I collect the data to just export to excel worksheet from mysql control panel.

i am on php 4.4.7 and mysql 2.38

the html code is at www.crafterscafe.com/contest.html I am using the [] in input type.

I was getting array in the field then tinkered around and now I get N; no matter the selections make.

here is the php file as it stands the field in question is networking - I recently added the serialize line and that is when i started getting just the n;

the field networking can have anywhere from 0 to all 7 boxes checked and I need to see that data.

<?php
/ this page recieves and handles the date generated by contest.html./
//trim the incoming data
$Array["name"] = trim
($Array["name"]);
$Array["email"] = trim
($Array["email"]);
$Array["newsletter"] = trim
($Array["newsletter"]);
$Array["heard_about"] = trim
($Array["heard_about"]);
//$Array["networking"] = trim
//($Array["networking"]);
$Array["comments"] = trim
($Array["comments"]);
//set the variables for the database access:
$Host = "mysql.ixwebhosting.com";
$User = "smlwfar_pres";
$Password = "myrealone";
$DBName = "smlwfar_contest";
$TableName ="contesttwo";
$Link = mysql_connect ($Host, $User, $Password);
$networking=serialize($Post ['networking']);
$Query="INSERT into $TableName values ('0', '$name', '$email', '$newsletter', '$heard_about', '$networking', '$comments')";
if (mysql_db_query($DBName, $Query, $Link)) {
//print ("The query was successfully executed!<br>\n");
header ("location: http://crafterscafe.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=9");
exit;
} else {
print ("The query could not be executed!<br>\n");
}
mysql_close ($Link);?>

[dagon]

$Array["name"] = trim($Array["name"]);

should be

$name = trim($_POST['name']);

as should the others

[crafterscafe]

that still sends array into the data field, however, again I found my info somewhere else...

I used this post http://www.computing.net/answers/programming/sending-checkbox-values-in-php/18042.html

taking out the echo part and it worked.

here is the actual code that I used to pass checkbox data onto my database so that it can be read,

for($i=0; $i < count($POST["networking"]); $i++) {
$networking .= $POST["networking"][$i] . "\r\n";

I can not believe that it took me over 6 hours of research to find this answer.

[djjjozsi]

how to make it better and simplier:

for($i=0; $i < count($_POST["networking"]); $i++) {
   $networking .= $_POST["networking"][$i] . "\r\n";

how about this:

$networking=implode("\r\n" , $_POST["networking"]);
echo $networking;

maybe this helped, its good to know that the way you make this project sounds to me a poor designed database model.

You should use a connector table to store the checkbox and selections pairs.
trim function is nog good enought to protect your database from SQL injection.

you can solve like this:

$Array=array_map("mysql_real_escape_string",$Array);
extract($Array);
extract($Array, EXTR_PREFIX_SAME, "posted_");
// your query will chaned to:
$Query="INSERT into $TableName values ('0', '$posted_name', '$posted_email', '$posted_newsletter', '$posted_heard_about', '$networking', '$posted_comments')";

To have better way you access and use mysql database, watch PDO extension.