[RESOLVED] help with PHP function

[ca87]

Hi guys,

I wrote a web program early last year (Please See Attachment) using JavaScript HTML & Css but this time around i want to use PHP and mySQL to replace some of the JavaScript functions. I tot it might be easy but hey, it actually harder than i initially tot! First let me come clean here, i have no PHP programming knowledge but i have been going thru its online documentation but still need much help from you guys which will be really appreciated!

I have a table in mySQL that looks like this

Product table;

prod_id | prod_name | elect_saving | chem_saving | H20_saving | info |
----------|---------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|-----------------|
1|CoolGuard |0.50__|0.70__|0.98_|infomation|
2|EnergyG|0.60_|0.50__|0.98_|information|
3|CoolGuard|0.60__|0.60__|0.98_|Information|

I need to write a php function that display a selected product info stored on mysql when the table index selected matches the one stored on the database. the information should be displayed as a pop-up menu. The product info is a text file.

<form onsubmit="return validate()" method="post">
            <caption><h2>Enter Pool Information</h2></caption>

      <tr>
                <td width="250">Product</td>
                <td >
                    <select id="products" name="products" onchange="">
                    <option VALUE="">Please Select a Product</option>
                    <option VALUE="1">CoolGuard</option>
                    <option VALUE="2">EnergyGuard</option>
                    <option VALUE="3">Sol+Guard</option>
                </select>
                </td>
                <td>
                    <span onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(1)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                        <div id="helpProduct"></div></span>
                </td>
      </tr>

Any help will be very appreciated.

[Krik]

There is couple ways to go about it depending on several factors.

But I am going to assume there is a small number of <option>'s. If there is too large a number you will want to use AJAX.

    <form onsubmit="return validate()" method="post">
    <caption><h2>Enter Pool Information</h2></caption>

<tr>
    <td width="250">Product</td>
    <td >
        <select id="products" name="products" onchange="">
            <option value="">Please Select a Product</option>
<?php
    $sql = "
        SELECT *
        FROM `Product`
    ";
    $result = mysql_query($sql);

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result) {
?>
                <option VALUE="<?php echo $row['prod_id']; ?>"><?php echo $row['prod_name']; ?></option>
<?php
    }
?>
            </select>
        </td>
        <td>
            <div onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(1)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                <div id="helpProduct">
<?php
   while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result) {
?>
                    <div id="prod_id _<?php echo $row['prod_id']; ?>" style="display: none;">
                        <?php echo $row['info']; ?>
                    </div>
<?php
    }
?>

            </div>
        </div>
    </td>
</tr>

Then use javascript to change the display property for the div you want displayed. So if <option 1, which is "prod_id" 1, is selected javascript will set the div"prod_id_1" display to "block".

Note I did change your span to a div. I personally think its bad technique to nest a div element in a span element.

[ca87]

Krik;10962252 wrote:

There is couple ways to go about it depending on several factors.

But I am going to assume there is a small number of <option>'s. If there is too large a number you will want to use AJAX.

    <form onsubmit="return validate()" method="post">
    <caption><h2>Enter Pool Information</h2></caption>

<tr>
    <td width="250">Product</td>
    <td >
        <select id="products" name="products" onchange="">
            <option value="">Please Select a Product</option>
<?php
    $sql = "
        SELECT *
        FROM `Product`
    ";
    $result = mysql_query($sql);

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result) {
?>
                <option VALUE="<?php echo $row['prod_id']; ?>"><?php echo $row['prod_name']; ?></option>
<?php
    }
?>
            </select>
        </td>
        <td>
            <div onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(1)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                <div id="helpProduct">
<?php
   while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result) {
?>
                    <div id="prod_id _<?php echo $row['prod_id']; ?>" style="display: none;">
                        <?php echo $row['info']; ?>
                    </div>
<?php
    }
?>

            </div>
        </div>
    </td>
</tr>

Then use javascript to change the display property for the div you want displayed. So if <option 1, which is "prod_id" 1, is selected javascript will set the div"prod_id_1" display to "block".

Note I did change your span to a div. I personally think its bad technique to nest a div element in a span element.

Thanks very much Kirk,

I am about to try your code but from my point of view, i would like to think abstraction and modularization! so, is there a way to code the php function separately so its not in the html form? Just that i don't want to alter the html form that i already have(see code below). Like i said i will try it out now and see how it goes.

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<html>
    <head>


 </head>
 <body bgcolor="white">



  <form onsubmit="return validate()" method="post">
        <div id="InfoBox" onclick="document.getElementById(this.id).style.display='none'"></div>
        <table BORDER="1" cellpadding = "2" cellspacing = "5" bgcolor="BurlyWood"  >
        <caption><h2>Enter Pool Information</h2></caption>

      <tr>
                <td width="250">Product</td>
                <td >
                    <select id="products" name="products" onchange="">
                    <option VALUE="">Please Select a Product</option>
                    <option VALUE="1">CoolGuard</option>
                    <option VALUE="2">EnergyGuard</option>
                    <option VALUE="3">Sol+Guard</option>
                </select>
                </td>
                <td>
                    <span onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(1)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                        <div id="helpProduct"></div></span>
                </td>
      </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Pool Shape &amp; Size</td>
                <td>
                    <input type=radio name="Pool_Shape" value="1" onclick="ShowPool()">Round<br>
                        <input type=radio name="Pool_Shape" value="2" onclick="ShowPool()">Oval<br>
                            <input type=radio name="Pool_Shape" value="3" onclick="ShowPool()">Rectangular<br>
                                <div id="_Shapes" style="display:none">
                                 <select id="Shapes" name="Shapes">
                                   <script type="text/javascript">SBoxSetup('Shapes',Round)</script>
                                </select>
                               </div>
              </td>

                <td>
                     <span onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(2)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                         <div id="helpShape"></div>
                  </span>
                </td>
            </tr>

            <tr>
                <td>Heat Source</td>
                <td>
                    <select id="Fuel" name="Fuel" ONCLICK="enterElectAmount()" onchange="costEstimate()">
                        <script type="text/javascript">SBoxSetup('Fuel',Fuel)</script>
                    </select>
                    <div class="amount" id ="ElectricCost" style='display:none'>Enter cost per year&nbsp;
                    <input type="text" id="ElecCost" name="elecCost" id ="ElectricCost" value="" size="7"
                    onkeyup="this.value=this.value.replace(/[^0-9\.]/g,'')" ></div>
               </td>
               <td>
                   <span onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(3)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                        <div id="helpEnergy"></div>
                 </span>
              </td>
            </tr>


            <tr>
                <td>Chemicals</td>
                <td>
                    <select id="Chemical" name="Chemical" ONCLICK="enterChemAmount()">
                        <option VALUE="0">Please Select Chemical Type</option>
                        <option VALUE="3">Chlorine Base</option>
                        <option VALUE="5">Salt Base</option>
                    </select>
                    <div class="amount" id ="ChemicalCost" style='display:none'>Enter cost per year&nbsp;
                    <input type="text" id="ChemCost" id ="ChemicalCost" name="chemCost" value="" size="7"
                    onkeyup="this.value=this.value.replace(/[^0-9\.]/g,'')" ></div>
                </td>
                <td>
                    <span onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(4)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                        <div id="helpChemical"></div></span>
                </td>
           </tr>

           <tr>
               <td>Water</td>
               <td>
                   <div class="amount">Enter cost per year&nbsp;
                   <input type="text"id="H2OCost" name="h2oCost" value="0" size="7"
                   onkeyup="this.value=this.value.replace(/[^0-9\.]/g,'')" ></div>
               </td>
                   <td>
                       <span onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(5)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                           <div id="helpWater"></div></span>
                   </td>
          </tr>
          <!--<table frame="below">-->


          <tr>
              <th>
                  <input type="button" value="Calculate" onclick="return selectedProduct()" >
            </th>
                      <th><div id="SavingTable" style="display:none">
                          <table border="1">
                              <tr>
                                  <td><div id="TblCurrency"></div></td>
                                  <th>Current<br>Costs</th>
                                  <th bgcolor ="#00CC33">Savings</th></tr>

                                  <tr>
                                  <th>Heat</th>
                                  <td><div id="Ecost" class="costs"></div></td>
                                  <td bgcolor ="#00CC33"><div id="TEcost" class="costs"></div></td> </tr>

                                  <tr>
                                  <th>Chemicals</th>
                                  <td><div id="Ccost" class="costs"></div></td>
                                  <td bgcolor ="#00CC33"><div id="TCcost" class="costs"></div></td> </tr>

                                  <tr>
                                  <th>Water</th>
                                  <td><div id="Wcost" class="costs"></div></td>
                                  <td bgcolor ="#00CC33"><div id="TWcost" class="costs"></div></td> </tr>

                                  <tr>
                                  <th>Total</th>
                                  <td bgcolor="#FF0000"><div id="Total_Current_Cost" class="costs"></div></td>
                                  <td bgcolor ="#00CC33"><div id="Total_Savings" class="costs"></div></td>
                                  </tr>
                          </table>
                          <br>

                          <table  border="1">
                            <tr>
                            <th bgcolor ="#00CC33">Total Savings</th>
                             <td width="111" bgcolor ="#00CC33"><div id="totalAmountSaved" class="costs"></div>
                            </td>
                           </tr>
                          </table>
                          </div>
                      </th>
                      <td>
                    <span onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(6)" class="help"><img src ="questionmark.jpg" width ="18" height ="16">
                        <div id="helpSummary"></div></span>

                </td>
         </tr>
   </table>
</form>
  </body>
</html>

[Krik]

Well you could use PHP to create a Javascript array/object

<script>
var Productarray = new Array();

<?php
    $sql = "
        SELECT *
        FROM `Product`
    ";
    $result = mysql_query($sql);

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result) {
?>
        Productarray["<?php echo $row['prod_id']; ?>"] = "<?php echo $row['info']; ?>";
<?php
    }
?>
</script>

The trick is just having a common identifier. As long as something in the <option> can be looked at by javascript and then used to reference some other object (js array, html element, ect) you can then retrieve the value from the object and display it.

Keep in mind if it is CSS, Javascript or HTML, PHP can be used to generate it.

[ca87]

New to php and managing gradually but its getting frustrating. I have a form section that looks like this

<tr>
                            <td>Pool Shape &amp; Size</td>
                             <td>
                                 <input type="radio" name="Pool_Shape" value="1">Oval<br>
                                 <input type="radio" name="Pool_Shape" value="2">Round<br>
                                 <input type="radio" name="Pool_Shape" value="3" >Rectangular<br>
                                 <div id="_Shapes" name =""style="display:none"><!--can we hid this so it only display when a button it selected?-->
                                     <?php
                                         $ovalPoolSizes = showOvalPoolSize();
//not sure about this syntax
                                         if($_REQUEST["Pool_Shape"] == $_REQUEST["oval"]){
                                             echo "<select id = 'Shapes' name =size_In_Feets'>";
                                             echo "<option seleted>Please Select Pool Size</option>";
                                             for($index = 0; $index < count($ovalPoolSizes); $index++){
                                                 echo "<option>".$ovalPoolSizes[$index]."</option>";
                                             }
                                         }

                                     ?>
                                 </select>
                             </div>
                         </td>
                         <td>
                             <span onclick="return helpMessageDisplay(2)" class="help"><img src ="css/images/questionmark.gif" width ="18" height ="16">
                                 <div id="helpShape"></div>
                             </span>
                         </td>
                    </tr>

and i have php function that look like this

function showOvalPoolSize(){
    $connectioon = initDB();
    $rowArrayA;
    $rowIDA = 0;
    $query1 = "SELECT * FROM OvalPool";
    $result1 = mysql_query($query2);
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result1)){
        $rowArrayA[$rowIDA] = $row['shape_size_teet'];
        $rowIDA++;
     }
     closeDB($connection);
     return $rowArrayA;
}

The HTML form has 3 radio buttons shapes-> "Oval", "Round" and "Rectangular" with each having a "shap_size" column on the database.

What i am struggling with is to get the php function to display the "shape_size_fet" (corresponding to the shape) on the select menu when a shape is selected from the HTML form.

I also need to keep a track of the selected "shape_size_feet" for reference to the same table.

Any help will be well appreciated!!! and Thanks in advance.

[jgetner]

if you want to keep the php and HTML seperate use a template engine a very popular one is smarty.

but for a smaller project you should be just fine without the use of a template engine.

but your problem lies in your function what are you returning?

you return the nothing but an array!

and you do not display it to the screen in anyway.

your function should look something like this

function show_oval_pool_size($shape=NULL)
{

$db_conn = initDB();

$sql_string =  "SELECT * FROM `OvalPool` WHERE  prod_name = $shape";

$query = mysqli_query($db_conn , $sql_string) or throw new exception('Fatal Error __LINE__ , __FILE__');

 return $query;
}

also look into more SQL and less php.

also check every piece of code till it works right print it var_dump it set up conditions just check your code to make sure it's really is doing what your wanting it to do.

test driven development.

[ca87]

jgetner;10962574 wrote:

if you want to keep the php and HTML seperate use a template engine a very popular one is smarty.

but for a smaller project you should be just fine without the use of a template engine.

but your problem lies in your function what are you returning?

you return the nothing but an array!

and you do not display it to the screen in anyway.

your function should look something like this

function show_oval_pool_size($shape=NULL)
{

$db_conn = initDB();

$sql_string =  "SELECT * FROM `OvalPool` WHERE  prod_name = $shape";

$query = mysqli_query($db_conn , $sql_string) or throw new exception('Fatal Error __LINE__ , __FILE__');

 return $query;
}

also look into more SQL and less php.

also check every piece of code till it works right print it var_dump it set up conditions just check your code to make sure it's really is doing what your wanting it to do.

test driven development.

thanks for spotting the empty array! but my question is not yet answered

I tried

if($_REQUEST["Pool_Shape"] == 1) {

and it seem to be the same as

if($_REQUEST["Pool_Shape"] == isset ($_REQUEST['1'])){

which doesn't do what i want.
I have 3 radio buttons and i want php to know when one of the button is selected.
In javaScript its done by doing ->

var select = document.getElementsByName(name);
......
select.checked

but i just can't do it php! please help.

[Krik]

What i am struggling with is to get the php function to display the "shape_size_fet" (corresponding to the shape) on the select menu when a shape is selected from the HTML form.

Your coming up against a common misconception of PHP. Many programmers think it can dynamically run form the browser. It can not. PHP only runs on a HTTP request, it is a server side script that only runs on the server, and once the server has finished processing a request (file) it sends the results to your browser. No PHP is passed to your browser and to get PHP to run you have to reload or load a page (http request).

You are more accustomed to Javascripts ability to dynamically change what is being displayed. PHP can not change what is displayed without reloading the page.

Now you can get the effect you are looking for but you have to know how to bring both PHP and javascript together. If the amount of data is small you can store it in hidden elements or javascript variables. If there is large amounts of data that must become accessible to the user (without reloading the page) that is when you turn to AJAX (javascript's http request functions).

In your case I would store the data in an HTML element or javascript variables and arrays, then use javascript to detect the onclick event and display the corresponding content.

I hope I haven't frustrated your efforts with this information. You seem knowledgeable of javascript and if you can get over the hump of marrying php and javascript you will find what you can build limitless.

Now for your code first I should note that $REQUEST is a [man]superglobal[/man] that just stores the data that is in $GET, $POST, and $COOKIE. There will be no data in $_REQUEST unless you submit the form.

And if you're trying going to check the value of an item in $REQUEST, this isn't what you want

if($_REQUEST["Pool_Shape"] == $_REQUEST["oval"]){

It would be like this

if($_REQUEST["Pool_Shape"] == 'oval'){
    // do something in php here
}

All super global's are very much like an array so "Pool_Shape" is the index (key) and "oval" is the value. All super global's are this way the differences being that you can access super global's in any scope but most you can not change there values using PHP ($SESSION, and $COOKIE are the only ones you can store values using PHP).

Now in your case I would take that "if" out of there entirely just leaving the select, options, and for loop.

<div id="_Shapes" style="display:none">
    <select id="Shapes" name="size_In_Feets">
        <option seleted>Please Select Pool Size</option>
<?php
$ovalPoolSizes = showOvalPoolSize();
    for($index = 0; $index < count($ovalPoolSizes); $index++){
        echo '<option value="'.$ovalPoolSizes[$index].'">'.$ovalPoolSizes[$index].'</option>';
    }
?>
    </select>
</div>

Then just use javascript to show that <div> when the user clicks the corresponding radio button.

[ca87]

Krik;10962631 wrote:

Your coming up against a common misconception of PHP. Many programmers think it can dynamically run form the browser. It can not. PHP only runs on a HTTP request, it is a server side script that only runs on the server, and once the server has finished processing a request (file) it sends the results to your browser. No PHP is passed to your browser and to get PHP to run you have to reload or load a page (http request).

You are more accustomed to Javascripts ability to dynamically change what is being displayed. PHP can not change what is displayed without reloading the page.

Now you can get the effect you are looking for but you have to know how to bring both PHP and javascript together. If the amount of data is small you can store it in hidden elements or javascript variables. If there is large amounts of data that must become accessible to the user (without reloading the page) that is when you turn to AJAX (javascript's http request functions).

In your case I would store the data in an HTML element or javascript variables and arrays, then use javascript to detect the onclick event and display the corresponding content.

I hope I haven't frustrated your efforts with this information. You seem knowledgeable of javascript and if you can get over the hump of marrying php and javascript you will find what you can build limitless.

Now for your code first I should note that $REQUEST is a [man]superglobal[/man] that just stores the data that is in $GET, $POST, and $COOKIE. There will be no data in $_REQUEST unless you submit the form.

And if you're trying going to check the value of an item in $REQUEST, this isn't what you want

if($_REQUEST["Pool_Shape"] == $_REQUEST["oval"]){

It would be like this

if($_REQUEST["Pool_Shape"] == 'oval'){
    // do something in php here
}

All super global's are very much like an array so "Pool_Shape" is the index (key) and "oval" is the value. All super global's are this way the differences being that you can access super global's in any scope but most you can not change there values using PHP ($SESSION, and $COOKIE are the only ones you can store values using PHP).

Now in your case I would take that "if" out of there entirely just leaving the select, options, and for loop.

<div id="_Shapes" style="display:none">
    <select id="Shapes" name="size_In_Feets">
        <option seleted>Please Select Pool Size</option>
<?php
$ovalPoolSizes = showOvalPoolSize();
    for($index = 0; $index < count($ovalPoolSizes); $index++){
        echo '<option value="'.$ovalPoolSizes[$index].'">'.$ovalPoolSizes[$index].'</option>';
    }
?>
    </select>
</div>

Then just use javascript to show that <div> when the user clicks the corresponding radio button.

Way to go Krik, I have to painfully learn how to marry javascript and php as i was trying to avoiding it. I must say your explanation is well comprehended.