How to do not repeat same code, should i add a function?

[JOrGeX_]

Hey guys, im just starting with php + flash and i got a tutorial of a flash guestbook.

I was looking at the code and saw an error with names, which i've been able to fix.

However, now i saw it has the same code twice:

 $body = "";
    $sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM guestbook ORDER BY post_date DESC"); 
    while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)) { 
		$id = $row["id"];
		$name = $row["name"];
		$post_date = $row["post_date"];
		$comment = $row["comment"];
		$location = $row["location"];
		$comment = stripslashes($comment);
		// Decode HTML entities if storing comments that preserve line breaks and such
		//$n_post_body = html_entity_decode($n_post_body); // Uncomment to use
		$post_date = strftime("%b %d, %y", strtotime($post_date));

	$body .= '<u><b><font color="#790000">' . $name . '</font>    |    <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $location . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $post_date . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">#' . $id . '</font></b></u>
	<br />
	'.$comment.'
	<br />
	<br />
	';
}

This is the code:

<?php
/* 
::::::::::Script Written By: Adam Khoury @ www.developphp.com:::::::::::::
:::::::::If you find www.developphp.com tutorials helpful or handy:::::::::::::
:::::::::::please link to it wherever possible to help others find it::::::::::::::::
*/
//  IMPORTANT!!!! Connect to MySQL database here(put your connection data here)
mysql_connect("localhost","root","010101") or die (mysql_error());
mysql_select_db("flash") or die (mysql_error());

if ($_POST['comType'] == "parseComment") {

$nameSent = $_POST['userName'];
$location = $_POST['userLocation'];
$comment = $_POST['userMsg'];
// Filter user input a little bit further using PHP if you allow more characters than I do in the Flash input text field
//$name = mysql_real_escape_string($name);
//$location = mysql_real_escape_string($location);
//$post = mysql_real_escape_string($comment);
// uncomment this line below to preserve line breaks, paragraphs and such in the comment text
//$post = nl2br(htmlspecialchars($comment));
// Add to DB
$sql = mysql_query("INSERT INTO guestbook (name, post_date, comment, location) 
    VALUES('$nameSent', now(),'$comment','$location')")  
    or die (mysql_error());
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Assemble body and send back to flash showing their new comment or entry
$body = "";
$sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM guestbook ORDER BY post_date DESC"); 
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)) {
	$id = $row["id"];
	$name = $row["name"];
	$post_date = $row["post_date"];
	$comment = $row["comment"];
	$location = $row["location"];
	//$n_post_body = str_replace("<br />", "", $n_post_body); // Use in case you get too many line breaks when preserving breaks
	$comment = stripslashes($comment);
	$name = eregi_replace("&#39;", "'",  $name);
	$location = eregi_replace("&#39;", "'",  $location);
	$comment = eregi_replace("&#39;", "'", $comment);
	// Decode HTML entities if storing comments that preserve line breaks and such
	//$n_post_body = html_entity_decode($n_post_body); // Uncomment to use
	$post_date = strftime("%b %d, %y", strtotime($post_date));

	$body .= '<u><b><font color="#790000">' . $name . '</font>    |    <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $location . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $post_date . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $id . '</font></b></u>
	<br />
	'.$comment.'
	<br />
	<br />
	';
}
mysql_free_result($sql);
mysql_close();

 // Echo into flash
 echo "return_msg=Entry has been added successfully $nameSent, thanks!&returnBody=$body";
 exit();

} // close first if for post
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/* 
::::::::::Script Written By: Adam Khoury @ www.developphp.com:::::::::::::
:::::::::If you find www.developphp.com tutorials helpful or handy:::::::::::::
:::::::::::please link to it wherever possible to help others find it::::::::::::::::
*/
// Second part of the script is below, it simply requests all entries for initial display of the guestbook entries
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
if ($_POST['comType'] == "requestEntries") {

$body = "";
$sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM guestbook ORDER BY post_date DESC"); 
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)) { 
	$id = $row["id"];
	$name = $row["name"];
	$post_date = $row["post_date"];
	$comment = $row["comment"];
	$location = $row["location"];
	$comment = stripslashes($comment);
	// Decode HTML entities if storing comments that preserve line breaks and such
	//$n_post_body = html_entity_decode($n_post_body); // Uncomment to use
	$post_date = strftime("%b %d, %y", strtotime($post_date));

	$body .= '<u><b><font color="#790000">' . $name . '</font>    |    <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $location . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $post_date . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">#' . $id . '</font></b></u>
	<br />
	'.$comment.'
	<br />
	<br />
	';
}
mysql_free_result($sql);
mysql_close();
echo "returnBody=$body";
exit();
} // close first if for post
?>

I tried to add a function which consisted in

function body() { FIRST CODE HERE }

then call it by body(); but didn't work as i supossed....

Please help me!

[anakadote]

Hey, so what and where is the problem?

[JOrGeX_]

Hey the problem is in the second code, as you see repeats twice the first code, i want to learn how to make it to not repeat.

Thanks

[anakadote]

I see. When you tried your body function, did it look something like this:

function body(){
    $body = "";
    $sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM guestbook ORDER BY post_date DESC");
    while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)) {
        $id = $row["id"];
        $name = $row["name"];
        $post_date = $row["post_date"];
        $comment = $row["comment"];
        $location = $row["location"];
        $comment = stripslashes($comment);
        // Decode HTML entities if storing comments that preserve line breaks and such
        //$n_post_body = html_entity_decode($n_post_body); // Uncomment to use
        $post_date = strftime("%b %d, %y", strtotime($post_date));

    $body .= '<u><b><font color="#790000">' . $name . '</font>    |    <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $location . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $post_date . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">#' . $id . '</font></b></u>
    <br />
    '.$comment.'
    <br />
    <br />
    ';
}
return $body;
}

You'd like call it in your existing code like this:

// Echo into flash
echo "return_msg=Entry has been added successfully $nameSent, thanks!&returnBody=".body();
exit();

[JOrGeX_]

Hey thanks for your help man

I tried this:

<?php
/* 
::::::::::Script Written By: Adam Khoury @ www.developphp.com:::::::::::::
:::::::::If you find www.developphp.com tutorials helpful or handy:::::::::::::
:::::::::::please link to it wherever possible to help others find it::::::::::::::::
*/
//  IMPORTANT!!!! Connect to MySQL database here(put your connection data here)
mysql_connect("localhost","root","010101") or die (mysql_error());
mysql_select_db("flash") or die (mysql_error());

function body(){
    $body = "";
    $sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM guestbook ORDER BY post_date DESC");
    while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)) {
        $id = $row["id"];
        $name = $row["name"];
        $post_date = $row["post_date"];
        $comment = $row["comment"];
        $location = $row["location"];
        $comment = stripslashes($comment);
        // Decode HTML entities if storing comments that preserve line breaks and such
        //$n_post_body = html_entity_decode($n_post_body); // Uncomment to use
        $post_date = strftime("&#37;b %d, %y", strtotime($post_date));

    $body .= '<u><b><font color="#790000">' . $name . '</font>    |    <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $location . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $post_date . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">#' . $id . '</font></b></u>
    <br />
    '.$comment.'
    <br />
    <br />
    ';
mysql_free_result($sql);
mysql_close();
}
return $body;
} 

if ($_POST['comType'] == "parseComment") {

$nameSent = $_POST['userName'];
$location = $_POST['userLocation'];
$comment = $_POST['userMsg'];
// Filter user input a little bit further using PHP if you allow more characters than I do in the Flash input text field
//$name = mysql_real_escape_string($name);
//$location = mysql_real_escape_string($location);
//$post = mysql_real_escape_string($comment);
// uncomment this line below to preserve line breaks, paragraphs and such in the comment text
//$post = nl2br(htmlspecialchars($comment));
// Add to DB
$sql = mysql_query("INSERT INTO guestbook (name, post_date, comment, location) 
    VALUES('$nameSent', now(),'$comment','$location')")  
    or die (mysql_error());
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Assemble body and send back to flash showing their new comment or entry


 // Echo into flash
 echo "return_msg=Entry has been added successfully $nameSent, thanks!&returnBody=".body();
 exit();

} // close first if for post
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/* 
::::::::::Script Written By: Adam Khoury @ www.developphp.com:::::::::::::
:::::::::If you find www.developphp.com tutorials helpful or handy:::::::::::::
:::::::::::please link to it wherever possible to help others find it::::::::::::::::
*/
// Second part of the script is below, it simply requests all entries for initial display of the guestbook entries
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
if ($_POST['comType'] == "requestEntries") {



echo "returnBody=".body();
exit();
} // close first if for post
?>

and it doesn't work, flash gives undefined in the comments part.

[anakadote]

How are you calling this script with ActionScript?

For both

if ($POST['comType'] == "parseComment")
and
if ($POST['comType'] == "requestEntries")

try $GET instead of $POST and see if that works. Also try calling the script directly from a web browser when using $_GET and see what is outputted, and make sure that you have comType as a parameter in the URL.

[JOrGeX_]

I added echo $body; in the function you gave me and added an body(); later to see the whats exiting....

This is the result:

The last entry aded plus

Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): 3 is not a valid MySQL result resource in C:\AppServ\www\guestbookParse.php on line 13

[JOrGeX_]

Ok it worked now!!

Thanks a lot for your help!

<?php
/* 
::::::::::Script Written By: Adam Khoury @ www.developphp.com:::::::::::::
:::::::::If you find www.developphp.com tutorials helpful or handy:::::::::::::
:::::::::::please link to it wherever possible to help others find it::::::::::::::::
*/
//  IMPORTANT!!!! Connect to MySQL database here(put your connection data here)
mysql_connect("localhost","root","010101") or die (mysql_error());
mysql_select_db("flash") or die (mysql_error());

function show_body(){
    $sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM guestbook ORDER BY post_date DESC");
	while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)) {
		//print '--------------------------------';
		//print "<pre>\n";
		//print_r ($row);
		//print '</pre>';
        $id = $row["id"];
        $name = $row["name"];
        $post_date = $row["post_date"];
        $comment = $row["comment"];
        $location = $row["location"];
        $comment = stripslashes($comment);
        // Decode HTML entities if storing comments that preserve line breaks and such
        //$n_post_body = html_entity_decode($n_post_body); // Uncomment to use
        $post_date = strftime("&#37;b %d, %y", strtotime($post_date));

    $body .= '<u><b><font color="#790000">' . $name . '</font>    |    <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $location . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">' . $post_date . '</font>      |      <font color="#9B9B9B">#' . $id . '</font></b></u>
    <br />
    '.$comment.'
    <br />
    <br />
    ';
}
mysql_free_result($sql);
mysql_close();
return $body;
} 

if ($_POST['comType'] == "parseComment") {

$nameSent = $_POST['userName'];
$location = $_POST['userLocation'];
$comment = $_POST['userMsg'];
// Filter user input a little bit further using PHP if you allow more characters than I do in the Flash input text field
//$name = mysql_real_escape_string($name);
//$location = mysql_real_escape_string($location);
//$post = mysql_real_escape_string($comment);
// uncomment this line below to preserve line breaks, paragraphs and such in the comment text
//$post = nl2br(htmlspecialchars($comment));
// Add to DB
$sql = mysql_query("INSERT INTO guestbook (name, post_date, comment, location) 
    VALUES('$nameSent', now(),'$comment','$location')")  
    or die (mysql_error());
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Assemble body and send back to flash showing their new comment or entry


 // Echo into flash
 echo "return_msg=Entry has been added successfully $nameSent, thanks!&returnBody=".show_body();
 exit();

} // close first if for post
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/* 
::::::::::Script Written By: Adam Khoury @ www.developphp.com:::::::::::::
:::::::::If you find www.developphp.com tutorials helpful or handy:::::::::::::
:::::::::::please link to it wherever possible to help others find it::::::::::::::::
*/
// Second part of the script is below, it simply requests all entries for initial display of the guestbook entries
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
if ($_POST['comType'] == "requestEntries") {



echo "returnBody=".show_body();
exit();
} // close first if for post

show_body()
?>

I had error in while loop.