Checkboxes for form submission

[Anon]

I have a database with a table of product inventory. I am planning to build an "admin" page for which a staff can access to prune out entries in the database. For the deletion task, I want to use checkboxes so that he/she can delete more than one item (by making use of checkboxes) with one form submission, rather than going back and forth, deleting one entry at a time with a radio button or select box.

My data is stored in a MySQL database.

What's the best way to use checkboxes for row deletion?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-Jason

[Anon]

Jason,

I guess the easiest way is to create an array of checkboxes. If you dump the items to the screen (I guess in a for next loop), just write something like <input type="checkbox" name="check[".$i."]" .... in which $i is the index within the loop. Also parse a hidden var into your form containing the total number of checkboxes.

When posting this form, the $check is an array in which you can check if it was set or not.

O, when you create the array of checkboxes, also parse a hidden var for each row which identifies this item (eg by a unique productnr)

Good luck....

Wim

[Anon]

and ...

you don't need $i(ndex) there - PHP does indexing automagicaly

<input type=checkbox name='check[]' value='xxx'>

is enough.

[compusolver]

In your form, set the checkbox something like this:
echo "<td><input type='checkbox' name='zap[]' value=" . $row["id"] . "></td>";

In the processing:

<?
$cTable = "feedback";
if (count($zap) > 0){
$delete = implode($zap, ",");
$sql = "delete from " . $cTable . " where id in (" . $delete . ")";
#print $sql;
$result = safe_query($sql);
}
?>
(note that I use a custom 'safe_query' function - you'd substitute your own query processing code or mySQL's function here)

[siwis]

Drop this into your loop on the form (substituting the correct name)

<input type="checkbox" name="remove_address_arr[]" value="<?PHP echo "$address"; ?>">

Then upon submission (this is mine from a mailing list app):

foreach($remove_address_arr as $rem_email) {
$rem_email = trim($rem_email);
$rem_query = mysql_query("DELETE FROM $addresstable WHERE address = '$rem_email' ", $db);
};

the above should cycle through each key>value pair that came through with true markers (ie checked) and perform whatever action you require on them.

HTH 😃

[compusolver]

That would work 'siwis', but it would take much longer to execute seperate delete statements than the single one I illustrated above your post.

Still, if he's getting paid by the hour... 😃

[siwis]

Hank,

so in effect I could modify my own to make it less stressfull on MySQL by substituting:

foreach($remove_address_arr as $rem_email) {
$rem_email = trim($rem_email);
$rem_sql .= ",\nDELETE FROM $addresstable WHERE address = \'$rem_email\'";
};
$rem_sql = substr(",",1);
$rem_query = mysql_query("$rem_sql", $db);

I'm still a relative newbie myself (only started coding proper about 6 months ago!)

[compusolver]

Well, 'Yes' and 'No', siwis...

Yes, you could save server time by changing your code to be like my example above...

but, 'No' not like your example.

The whole idea is to have a single operation. Therefore, you throw out the "foreach()" stuff entirely.

Notice how I build a single comma deliminated string from the array with 'implode'. . .

if (count($zap) > 0){
$delete = implode($zap, ",");
$sql = "delete from " . $cTable . " where id in (" . $delete . ")";
mysql_query("$sql", $db);
}

. . . then I use ' where id in (" . $delete .")"

You could use:

$delete = implode($remove_address_arr,",");

then substitute your 'address' field for my 'id' field.

Other than that, the code would be the same as I've shown.

If you have more questions, feel free to write me at [e-mail] That way we won't bore everyone else.