INSERTING data w/php into mysql table

[[deleted]]

ok so this is probably so basic, but ive tried a few things and its stil throwing the error. it wont insert the data thats coming from a form (the forms using $PHP_SELF). it echoes "connection failed"($selectdb). heres the script.

mysql_connect("localhost","user","pass");
$query = "INSERT INTO userfiles (filename,filedesc,filedate,uid) VALUES ($filename_ff,$filedesc_ff,CURDATE(),$uid)";
$selectdb = mysql_db_query("flashbox",$query);
if (!$selectdb) {
echo "connection to the database has failed";
}

i was thinkin the prob might be with my values...should they all have quotes around them?
am i doing CURDATE() right?
do all my column names in my table need to be represented in my "insert code" ?
heres the column names in my mysql table...

id | filename | filedesc | filedate | uid

id and uid are int and id is auto_increment (uid is not).
if you could maybe give me a few rules or pointers on this mysql command it would help alot. thank you.

[bowman795]

run it but replace
$selectdb = mysql_db_query...
with
echo $query;

see if your values are going through right.

[[deleted]]

-----run it but replace
$selectdb = mysql_db_query...
with
echo $query;
see if your values are going through right.

hey i guess the query is ok. heres what it printed..

INSERT INTO userfiles (filename,filedesc,filedate,uid) VALUES (oxide2.jpg,desktop screenshot,CURDATE(),1)

so curdate() isnt going to work until it goes through msql right? so it looks fine to me. but its throwing errors still when i try to connect to the db.
see anything weong with my code at all? its below. thanks

==== o r i gi n a l c o d e =====
mysql_connect(\"localhost\",\"user\",\"pass\");
$query = \"INSERT INTO userfiles (filename,filedesc,filedate,uid) VALUES ($filename_ff,$filedesc_ff,CURDATE(),$uid)\";
$selectdb = mysql_db_query(\"box\",$query);
if (!$selectdb) {
echo \"connection to the database has failed\";
}