[RESOLVED] Combining 3 inputs from a form to echo line(s) from array

[soljah84]

I'm trying out php for the first time and I can't figure out the solution to what I am trying to do. I have (at least) 3 files: form.php, compute.php, and the seperate array files lines1.php for example. What I need is for five inputs in the form, then the compute file to take those inputs and pull specific line(s) from the array file to be determined by the inputs. So far I have made my form file and all is working with it. In my compute file I have successfully included the target array file, what I am having trouble with is getting it to echo the array I need from it. here are examples of my three files:

Form.php

<script language="JavaScript">
 function redirectOutput(myForm)
  {
   var w = window.open('about:blank','MyWindow','toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=450,height=600');
   myForm.target = 'MyWindow';
   return true;
  }
</script>
<form action="Compute.php" method="GET" onSubmit="redirectOutput(this)">
 <select name="Book">
  <option value="Book1">Book1</option>
  <option value="Book2">Book2</option>
 </select>
 <select name="Chapter">
  <option value="1">1</option>
  <option value="2">2</option>
 </select>
 <input type="text" name="LineStart" />
 <input type="text" name="LineEnd" />
 <input type="submit" value="Go!">
</form>

Compute.php

<?php
 $Include=$_GET["Book"] . $_GET["Chapter"] . ".php";
 $LineStart=$_GET["LineStart"];
 $LineEnd=$_GET["LineEnd"];
 $Line=$LineStart;
 $BookChapter=$_GET["Book"] . $_GET["Chapter"];

 include("$Include");

 while($Line<=$LineEnd)
  {
   echo $BookChapter[$Line] . "<br>";
   $Line++;
  }
?>

Specified array file, Book11.php for example (Book1 being the book and 1 being the chapter)

<?php
 $Book11[0]="Example of line 1.";
 $Book11[1]="Example of line 2.";
 $Book11[2]="Example of line 3.";
?>

With what I have so far all it outputes is the character from the title of the variable corresponding the the current value of $Lines. Is there something special I have to do to combine these different variables to pull the value of the array? Please Help!

[NogDog]

Wouldn't it be easier for Book11.php to just be a plain text file without the PHP array code? Then you could just use the [man]file/man function to read it into an array of lines, and work with that array as desired. Assuming there is a good reason to do it your way, here's a somewhat more streamlined way to do what you want:

<?php
// Sanitize!
$book = basename($_GET['Book']);
$chapter = (int)$_GET['Chapter'];
$LineStart = (int)$_GET["LineStart"];
$LineEnd = (int)$_GET["LineEnd"];
// $Line=$LineStart; // why have 2 variables for the same value?
include "$book$chapter.php"; // have to include it before you can refer to the array
$text =& ${"$book$chapter"}; // copy by reference to an easier to use varname
for ($line = $LineStart; $line <= $LineEnd; $line++) {
   if (isset($text[$line])) {
      echo $text[$line] . "<br>";
   }
}
?>

[soljah84]

Thanks for the help! That works perfectly, I don't know how to use the file() function, I am new to php. just was trying to use what I figured out in some tutorials.

[NogDog]

Here's a quick look at how you could use file():

text.txt:

This is line 1
This is line 2
This is line 3

Some PHP:

$lines = file('text.txt'); // result is array where first line is index 0;
// echo the 2nd line:
echo $lines[1];

A lot simpler, yes? 🙂

In "real" life you'd want to add some error-checking to make sure it could read the file, and you might want to leave out the newline characters an make sure no empty lines are captured:

$lines = file('text.txt', FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES | FILE_SKIP_EMPTY_LINES);
if($lines === false) {
   echo "<p class='error'>Oops! Could not read the file</p>";
}
else {
   if(isset($lines[1])) {
      echo $lines[1];
   }
   else {
      echo "<p class='error'>Are you sure you got the right file?</p>";
   }
}

🙂