insert from a listbox

Anon

I have a form with listboxes populated from a database. I need to insert the values chosen from the listboxes into a separate table of the database. I'm doing it with 2 php files-one with the form for the user to enter the info and one to do the processing. I had it working when the entry form used text boxes but I can't get it to work with listboxes. And I get no info to find where I'm going wrong. (The url does update with the values that are to be inserted, though.)

The code is a bit long to send, so does anyone have sample code?

Thanks,
Dorene

Anon

Just a wild guess, but since nobody else answered you..

You could try getting the variables from the listboxes, on 'SUBMIT' store them in $var1, $var2 etc, and use those $vars to INSERT into a different table..

Good Luck!.
🙂

trinitysj

I was wondering bc i have the same problem. lots of listboxes and need to update the database with the new listbox data.

trinitysj

TobyRT

I've often had "fun" using listboxes and databases - one thing I've seen a lot of people forget is the need for TWO instances of the value/variable in the listbox.

here's what I use for a single listbox of (in this case - i trimmed it) 3 options. This comes from the edit.php page which receives information and makes it ediable:

<td align="left"><SELECT NAME=expmonth id="expmonth" align=top>
              <OPTION selected value=<?php echo $row['expmonth'].'>'.$row['expmonth']?>
              <OPTION VALUE=January>January
              <OPTION VALUE=February>February
              <OPTION VALUE=March>March

in the above case (I'm assuming you're creating an 'update' page) I've connected to the db, created an array ($row) and fetched all the values.

In this line:
<OPTION selected value=<?php echo $row['expmonth'].'>'.$row['expmonth']?>

I've used it twice - the FIRST instance pulls the value from the db and makes it a VALUE of the option command. This is what will be put BACK into the DB when you hit 'submit'.

The SECOND instance simply DISPLAYS what it is you're trying to put in so the user knows what's going on!

In the next page (the UPDATE) page I have the line:
$expmonth=$_POST['expmonth'];

the SQL query is simple:
UPDATE members SET expmonth='$expmonth' (etc.etc. for all values)

If you want to put it in another table simply make that table and change its name.

Alternatively perhaps, you could put in TWO submit buttons and an IF() statement.

if (isset('Submit1')){
mysql_query("UPDATE members SET expmonth='$expmonth'");
}else{
mysql_query("INSERT INTO members123 (expmonth) VALUES ('$expmonth')");

busyblob

If you are using multiple in the droplist then you need to put in square brackets in the name to tell php that it's an array it's receiving...

<slect name="variablename[]" multiple>
<option value="valueone"> displayed text </option>
etc...
</select>

then you will be able to iterate through the selected options with PHP the same way as you probably have done with textboxes with the same name...