HTML forms and PHP

**jpluttme** · Oct 27 '06, 04:13 AM

You don't need the column ids and then the values. Your query should look like this:

[PHP]$query1 = "INSERT INTO clients VALUES(null,'$c ompanyName','$n ame','$address' ,'$phone',' $fax','$email') ";

print ($query1);[/PHP]

**ronverdonk** · Oct 27 '06, 09:36 AM

I absolutely disagree! The database should never be closely connected to the performing code. I always require that programmers define the column names in their code. Reason:

When a column is added to the table or the column sequence is changed, the program MUST be changed at the same time, otherwise errors will result.

Database admin and programming often are separate functions, as in many companies. The dbadministrator must always have the freedom to change the table setup (adding columns, changing sequences, etc.) without great risk to the already running applications. In the worst case some columns will not be updated, but production can go on.

Ronald :cool:

**ronverdonk** · Oct 27 '06, 09:55 AM

Here is some code for your form. I changed/added the following:

chang the GET method to the POST method
start the code with verification of the submitted form
add minor error checking for each POSTed field (just existence and max length)
accumulate and print any field errors found
when errors: re-display the form with already filled in fields displayed
assign POSTed variables to PHP variables after some cleansing

You'll have to add your own field checking (content, email address validity, etc.) and the MySQL code
[php]
<?php
$errors = array();
// -----------------------------------
// Verify that a form is submitted
// -----------------------------------
if (isset($_POST['addClient'])) {
// -------------------------------------------------------------------
// when submitted check the input fields (just checking lengths here)
// -------------------------------------------------------------------
if (!isset($_POST['companyName']) OR strlen($_POST['companyName']) < 5)
$errors[] = "Error in companyname";
if (!isset($_POST['name']) OR strlen($_POST['name']) < 5)
$errors[] = "Error in name";
if (!isset($_POST['address']) OR strlen($_POST['address']) < 8)
$errors[] = "Error in address";
if (!isset($_POST['phone']) OR strlen($_POST['phone']) < 10)
$errors[] = "Error in phone";
if (!isset($_POST['fax']) OR strlen($_POST['fax']) < 10)
$errors[] = "Error in fax";
if (!isset($_POST['email']) OR strlen($_POST['email']) < 5)
$errors[] = "Error in email";

// ----------------------------------------------------------
// checking done, see if there are any errors and print them
//-----------------------------------------------------------
if ($errors > "") {
print '<span style="color:re d"><ul><li><b>' ;
print implode('</b></li><li><b>',$er rors);
print '</b></li></ul></span>';
} // End IF

// ---------------------------------------
// When no errors found, process the form
// ---------------------------------------
else {
// --------------------------------------
// Assign POSTed values to PHP variables
// --------------------------------------
$companyName = strip_chars(tri m($_POST['companyName']));
$name = strip_chars(tri m($_POST['name']));
$address = strip_chars(tri m($_POST['address']));
$phone = strip_chars(tri m($_POST['phone']));
$fax = strip_chars(tri m($_POST['fax']));
$email = strip_chars(tri m($_POST['email']));

// --------------------------------------------------------------
// do some more checking like fields content and email validity
// --------------------------------------------------------------
//
// you can do that yourself
//

// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
// Construct and issue the mySQL command and perform actions on result
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
// ---- connect to the MySQL server
// ---- connect to the data base
// ---- construct your INSERT statement

$query1 = "INSERT INTO clients
(custID,company Name,contactNam e,address,phone ,fax, email)
VALUES (null,'$company Name','$name',' $address','$pho ne','$fax','$em ail');";

// ---- execute the SELECT
// ---- process result (error)
print ($query1);

} // End ELSE

} // End If submitted
?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<title>OGAY</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
</head>
<body>
<span style="font-size:12pt">Plea se fill in all fields.</span><br/><br/>
<form name="addClient " method="POST" action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" >
<table>
<tr>
<td>Company Name:*</td>
<td><input type="text" name="companyNa me" size="30" maxlength="255" value="<?php echo (isset($_POST['companyName'])) ? $_POST['companyName'] : ""; ?>" /><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Contact Name:*</td>
<td><input type="text" name="name" size="30" maxlength="255" value="<?php echo (isset($_POST['name'])) ? $_POST['name'] : ""; ?>" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Address:</td>
<td><input type="text" name="address" size="30" maxlength="255" value="<?php echo (isset($_POST['address'])) ? $_POST['address'] : ""; ?>" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Phone:*</td>
<td><input type="text" name="phone" size="30" maxlength="10" value="<?php echo (isset($_POST['phone'])) ? $_POST['phone'] : ""; ?>" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fax:*</td>
<td><input type="text" name="fax" size="30" maxlength="10" value="<?php echo (isset($_POST['fax'])) ? $_POST['fax'] : ""; ?>" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Email Address:</td>
<td><input type="text" name="email" size="30" maxlength="255" value="<?php echo (isset($_POST['email'])) ? $_POST['email'] : ""; ?>" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center"> <input type="submit" name="addClient " value="Add Client" />
  <in put type="reset" name="clear" value="Clear" /></td>
</tr>

</table>
</form>

</body>
</html>
[/php]
It is tested (crudely), so run it and see what it is doing.
Good luck!

Ronald :cool:

**joker** · Nov 7 '06, 03:15 AM

Ronald, Thank you very much. I just got around now to try your code, it works great after i got rid of the else block. For some reason after it executes the error checking "if" block, it doesn't go into the "else" block, ......strange but its ok.
Thanks once again.

**ronverdonk** · Nov 7 '06, 11:01 AM

I would be disapppointed with any programming/script language when it would go into an ELSE block after executing the IF block.

Here the reason for those two blocks are that you want (IF block) to display the errors and then re-display the form again until all fields are correctly filled in. When they are correctly filled in, the IF block will not be executed (because $errors is empty) but go straight into the ELSE block where you perform your actual data handling.

Or is that process unclear?

Ronald :cool:

HTML forms and PHP

HTML forms and PHP

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