filling in HTML forms with PHP

Anon

OK this might be easy but hey I am a newbie
I have a php page called dbAlpha.php and I create a form in HTML. I then open up a database using php. Pull data from the form to run a query and diplay the results. I do this by using the post action in the form and calling the same dbAlpha.php file. It is now ready to input the next fields of the form for the next query.So far so good. Now I want to update the fields of the form with the last data entered in them so that if only slight changes are needed the user does not have to re-enter all of the data again.
an example:

TEXTBOX 1 called name is blank

user enters data
TEXTBOX 1 now equals equals Jeff
SUBMIT is pressed
the first name is used to find the last name in my database and printouts out both
first and last

new page is load via post function
page now displays
TEXTBOX 1 is now empty

and Jeff Janes is displayed

I want it to be as follows hwen the submit button is pressed
TESTBOX 1 equals Jeff

and Jeff Janes is displayed
so now user can simply add 'rey' to Jeff in the TEXTBOX and hit submit to look for names matching Jeffrey instead of retyping the entire entry

Please note this is an simple example if you want to see my actual example use this link
http://www.janesworld.com/vcoc/dbAlpha.php

Can this be done????

REMEMBER the form part is actually in HTML and the database part is in php
Thanks for your help

Jeff

Anon

I think it will be quite easy...
(If I understood what you mean)
You must do something like this:

<?
echo "<INPUT TYPE='text' NAME='textbox1' SIZE='50' MAXLENGTH='50' value='$textbox1'><BR>"
?>

etc etc.

Please give me a reply about the use of this (I'm not quite sure if it works, and myself not so experienced)

Gabriel

lucianoes

That sounds easy.
if (first hit)
{PHP prints fresh form}

elseif (second hit)
{PHP gets FORM2 from db and prints FORM2, using info posted in FORM1}

elseif (third hit)
{PHP gets FORM3 from db and prints FORM3, using info posted in FORM2 and possibly also FORM1}

else {take off clothes, scream and panic}

Luciano ES
Santos, SP - Brasil

Anon

What you are describing I believe would work if I was using PHP to write the the forms I am actually using HTML to do this

Form generation

<?php

Processing of form

When I was doing this there seemed to be a need to do it this way, thus, the problem but as I think more about it I shold be able to use php. Hmmmmm it is early I just got up so things are a bit foggy I am going to work on it using php for everything.

Anon

the methodology you describe implies that I store each query in a database I currently do not do this I use the data in the form as parameters in a database query I suppose I could place the query in another database I will look at this as well

thanks

lucianoes

I don't understand. How do you run queries to a database without PHP, ASP or any scripting language? You can't do what you want just using plain HTML.

    Luciano ES
    Santos, SP - Brasil

Anon

The beauty of PHP is that you can drop in and out of PHP mode whenever you like. For example:

You don't have to rescript the whole thing in PHP, just the parts that need it. Jump into PHP mode when you need it and out when you're doing large blocks of HTML.