passing database values

[Anon]

Hello, not sure how to get around this.

Ive got 3 screens(pages):
1. Data entry (form) passes user info to screen 2.
2. Checks that required data is present. User can go back and make corrections or submit if ok.
3. Inserts data into database.

There are two table to populate, so two insert statements.

The first insert works fine as its only inserting single values.

The problem lays with the second as it inserts multiple record based on the users selection from an array (checkboxes).

Ive managed to get this to work if I leave it on screen2. Problem here is it inserts on load which isnt very useful. I'd like to know if theres a way of passing the array '$thing' to the next page. So far I've had no success.

Heres the code from screen 2 that shows what users have selected:

    else
     foreach ($ascategory as $key)
     {
     // Do query to get existing categories from table 'category', check result for error
     $sql3="select cid, category from category where cid='$key'";
     $result3=mysql_query($sql3) or die("Problem with query: ".sql_error());
     while($row=mysql_fetch_array($result3))
        {
        $cid=$row["cid"];
        $category = $row["category"];
        $category = stripslashes($category);
        $category = ucwords($category);
        echo "<em>$category</em>";
        echo "<br>";
        $thing[]=$row["cid"];
        }
        //echo $key . "<br>";
     }

and heres the insert statement on the same page:
$counter=sizeof($thing);
for ($i=0; $i < $counter; $i++)
// {echo "$thing[$i]";}

{
$sql6="INSERT INTO solcat VALUES(NULL, '$identifyer', '$thing[$i]')";
print"$sql6";
$result6=mysql_query($sql6);
if(!$result6) echo "There has been an problem connecting to the database. Error: " . (sql_error());
}

I've tried sticking the insert within an 'isset' statement but that just doesnt work.

and I've tried passing '$counter' and '$thing' to the third page where although '$counter' works ok '$thing' only produces the word array not the value. I've used the same isert statemet on page three and page two.

Any help will be appreciated.

Any further clarification will be given if asked for.

[Anon]

to pass an array to another page do:
$count=count($array);
$i=0;
while ($i<$count) {
$array_url='array[]=' . urlencode($array[$i]);
++$i;
}

then pass $array_url to the next page.
and remember to urldecode the values of the array.

[Anon]

thanks for the reply.

Just a quicky does this need to be atached to the action statement or can it be passed as hidden?

[Anon]

Sorry it still doesnt work.

Ive used the script you suggested:

$count=count($thing);
$i=0;
while ($i<$count) {
$array_url='thing[]=' . urlencode($thing[$i]);
++$i;
echo $array_url;
}

and the echo shows things are working well on that page. However, Ive tried both:
<input type="hidden" name="array_url" value="<?php echo $array_url;?>">

and

echo "<form action=\"updated.php?array_url=$array_url\" method=\"post\">";

to pass the array accross and checked for it with
print_r($HTTP_POST_VARS);
In both cases a it doesnt appear.

HELP

[Anon]

If you are passing the data from a form do:
$count=count($thing);
$i=0;
while ($i<$count) {?>
<input type="hidden" name="thing[]" value="<?php echo urlencode($thing[$i]);?>"><?php
++$i;
}

that should print out a hidden input variable for each value in the array.