[RESOLVED] HTML form data showing as 'Array' when using $_POST rather than content

ElphieFabalaFae

I always have trouble with arrays, and apparently tonight is no exception. I have a form (form.php) that gets sent to another page(email_my_form.php) and the contents are saved into variables with $_POST, with instructions to email a message with the content to me. But it doesn't want to seem to play ball.

I have the same issue with two things - the radio buttons and checkboxes from the form. Everything else is emailing perfectly, but these two are just emailing through as "Quote needed for: Array" and "Services Required: Array". I know it has something to do with me not sending the info to the variable right, or global scope, or something, as it's happened before, but I can't think for the life of me what I did to correct it last time. Hopefully it's just something simple!

I've tried some of the foreach() approaches and print r that were suggested online, but I'm either using them wrong or putting them in the wrong place, as whenever they are on the page, I get a blank screen where my email is not sent correctly. At least with the code I have right now, something is being emailed. It's not the right thing, but something is working, I just need to figure out the next step and would be grateful if someone could help out/point me in the right direction.

form.php

  

I need a quote for:<br/>
  <input type="radio" name="gaq_quote[]" value="Supplies and Installation" checked />Supplies and Installation<br/>
  <input type="radio" name="gaq_quote[]" value="Just Supplies" />Just Supplies<br/>
  <input type="radio" name="gaq_quote[]" value="Just Installation" />Just Installation<br/><br/>

Job Services Required: <br/> 
  <input type="checkbox" name="gaq_service[]" value="Roof Insulation"/> Roof Insulation<br/>
  <input type="checkbox" name="gaq_service[]" value="Single Wall Insulation"/> Single Wall Insulation<br/>
  <input type="checkbox" name="gaq_service[]" value="Multiple Wall Insulation"/> Multiple Wall Insulation

Then, the variables in my email_my_form.php

	$gaq_quote = $_POST['gaq_quote'];
	$gaq_service = $_POST['gaq_service'];

Relevant part of the message to be emailed:

 	$message .= 'Quote needed for: ' . $gaq_quote . "\n"; 	
  	$message .= 'Services Required: ' . $gaq_service . "\n";

dalecosp

Well, PHP is telling you correctly. $_POST['gaq_quote'] is an array, because you made it so in your HTML:

<input type="radio" name="gaq_quote[]" value="Supplies and Installation" checked />Supplies and Installation<br/>
  <input type="radio" name="gaq_quote[]" value="Just Supplies" />Just Supplies<br/>
  <input type="radio" name="gaq_quote[]" value="Just Installation" />Just Installation<br/><br/>

In this particular case, since it's a radio control in the form, I'd not use an array:

<input type="radio" name="gaq_quote" value="Supplies and Installation" checked />Supplies and Installation<br/>
  <input type="radio" name="gaq_quote" value="Just Supplies" />Just Supplies<br/>
  <input type="radio" name="gaq_quote" value="Just Installation" />Just Installation<br/><br/>

Now in the handler all you need to do is test (or transmit) the variable's value ... just like you're trying to do now; only it will actually be a single variable/value instead of an array of them.

As for your job services, if you do intend to allow multiple selection (which makes sense and corresponds to the CHECKBOX type you're using), you'll have to handle the data as an array when you get to the handler.

$services_array = $_POST['gaq_services'];
if ($services_array[0] == "Roof Insulation") {
   //do something here (concat the $message variable, maybe?)
}
if ($services_array[1] == "Single Wall Insulation") {
   //do something here (concat the $message variable, maybe?)
}

Of course, it might do to simply concatenate the array with implode():

$gaq_service = implode(", ",$_POST['gaq_service']); // let's make it a list, CSV-style

Hope this is helpful,

sneakyimp

What might not be so obvious is that using square brackets (meaning [ and ] ) in your <INPUT>'s name attribute results in an array being defined in your $_POST data. For example, consider this form:

<form method="post" action="handler.php">
  <input type="hidden" name="myarray[]" value="1">
  <input type="hidden" name="myarray[]" value="second input">
  <input type="hidden" name="myarray[]" value="no place like home for 3rd input">
</form>

If you define handler.php like this:

<?php
// $_POST is an array
foreach($_POST as $key => $value) {
  echo $key . " is equal to " . $value; // $_POST["myarray"] will just echo as Array.  Use print_r instead!
}
// and so is $_POST["myarray"]
if (is_array($_POST["myarray"])) {
  foreach ($_POST["myarray"] as $key => $value) {
    echo $key . "=" . $value . "<br>\n";
  }
}
?>

then you might get a better idea of how you can construct your html such that it defines an array in your $_POST data. This can be helpful if you need a user to interact with a series of data. As dalecosp points out, this might not be the best thing to do in your case.

ElphieFabalaFae

Now in the handler all you need to do is test (or transmit) the variable's value ... just like you're trying to do now; only it will actually be a single variable/value instead of an array of them.

As for your job services, if you do intend to allow multiple selection (which makes sense and corresponds to the CHECKBOX type you're using), you'll have to handle the data as an array when you get to the handler.

I had the basics, but I just couldn't see to get them in the right place to make anything work. I think that was the case here, so I will try your suggestion

Of course, it might do to simply concatenate the array with implode():
$gaq_service = implode(", ",$_POST['gaq_service']); // let's make it a list, CSV-style
Hope this is helpful,

Again, I had tried the implode method before but got nowhere with it, so I will try again! Once again, I think I was putting it in the wrong place on the page.

Will update you all shortly on how this works out! Thank you one and all!

ElphieFabalaFae

Thank you dalecosp! I went with the implode option, and it seems to be working perfectly. Thank you very much for that. Now to attempt a few more sophisticated things, like regular expressions to make sure data is entered correctly! Oh the fun! But thank you everyone.