<select size="3" name="test" multiple> Multiple CTRL insert to database qu

[vicpal25]

Hello!
I am working on a web form and I have a multiple selection field

<select size="3" name="selection" multiple>
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select> 

I am trying to insert the values into the database and as you notice this is a multiple selection form field select menu. My problem is that when is inserted into the database, only one selection gets posted. Is there anything that I have to do on the server side to input all the values? or the client side? Any suggestions/tips/help would be greatly appreciated!

[pyro]

Name your form field with [] (eg. <select size="3" name="selection[]" multiple="multiple">). That will pass the values to PHP as an array. Now, you can loop through the array, and insert into the DB.

[vicpal25]

okay, i get how it would work, but now i get an error

[B]Notice: Array to string conversion in[B]

i need to conver it to an array, I tried doing something like

$real_selection = trim(eregi_replace("'", "''", $_POST['selection'])); 

and it wouldnt pass the values. How would I make it so it the values get inserted into a PHP variable or array?

[pyro]

$_POST['selection'] is an array of all the selected items. You will need to loop through them, ala:

foreach($_POST['selection'] as $sel) {
    echo $sel; # will output the current value
} 

[NogDog]

Maybe...

foreach($_POST['selection'] as $key => $value)
{
  $real_selection[$key] = trim(eregi_replace("'", "''", $value));
} 

(Just guessing, I have yet to work with a multiple select in PHP.)

[Edit: I see Pyro beat me to the punch. ]

[vicpal25]

that just outputs the values though right? I got a suggestion that goes something like this:

<select size="3" name="selection[]" multiple> 
<option value="1">1</option> 
<option value="2">2</option> 
<option value="3">3</option> 
<option value="4">4</option> 
</select>

if(is_array($_POST['selection'])) { 
$$real_selection = serialize($_POST['selection']); 
} 

it is not passing the values to the variable because I think it is not recognizing the array. I am sure that I am inserting to the right function from the form right?

[pyro]

Originally posted by vicpal25
that just outputs the values though right?

Yes, but you can do anything else that you'd like with them, there. The important part is the fact that you are looping through the array...

[vicpal25]

nope. i tried that and it returns the value "array" into the database..i also tried inserting into different variables..I also tried the following

if(is_array($_POST['selection'])) { 
$real_selection = serialize($_POST[selection]); 
}

INSERT INTO recruitfairs (selection) VALUES ('".mysql_escape_string($real_selection)."');"; 

i get this funky value in my database:

a:7:{i:0;s:3:\"Art\";i:1;s:11:\"Art History\";i:2;

[pyro]

That will just insert a serialized version of the array into the database. While technically it would work (you could unserialize it later), I would recommend looping through the array and running the SQL that way. If you describe what you want (how the data is to be stored in the DB), I can get you an example to look at, in the hopes that you'll be able to learn from it.

[vicpal25]

well here is a live sample that i am working on:

//this is the careerfair.php file 
<form action="careerfairconf.php" name="careerform" method="post"  >
<select size="3" name="desiredmajors[]" multiple>
<option value="Accounting">Accounting</option>
<option value="Advertising">Advertising</option>
<option value="Art">Art</option>
<option value="Art History">Art History</option>   
</form> 

--------------------------------------------

// this is the careerfairconf.php file
$connect = @odbc_connect($dsn, $user, $passwd);
if($connect) {

if(is_array($_POST['desiredmajors'])) { 
$real_desiredmajors = serialize($_POST['desiredmajors']);  
}
$query = "INSERT INTO recruitfairs (desiredmajors) VALUES ('".mysql_escape_string($real_desiredmajors)."');";

$result = odbc_exec($connect, $query);
odbc_close($connect);
} 

-----------------------------------------------
This is posting into an access database with the following information:

a:7:{i:0;s:3:\"Art\";i:1;s:11:\"Art History\";i:2;

I can see the selections made but How do I get rid of the extra information. Perhaps something like:
Art, Art History, etc. in the database would be proper.

[Jaelan]

I've done something w/ multiple selects and have inserted them in a database comma delimmeted. aka Art, Art History, Biology, etc


I've done it something like this:

$real_selection = "";
foreach($_POST['selection'] as $key => $value) 
{ 
  if ($real_selection)
    $real_selection .= ", ".trim($value);
  else
    $real_selection = trim($value); 
} 

Then do your insert statement after the loop is finished.

Hope this helps,
Jaelan

[vicpal25]

Dang, you rock Jaelan!

I was going crazy finding out the solution for this and I was not looking outside the box! Nicely done! and it implements commas and stuff. Good work! Thanks.

[Jaelan]

Glad to help

Jaelan

[pyro]

Jaelan - for future reference, since you aren't doing anything with the array key, you don't even need to assign it. You can run your foreach loop like this:

foreach($_POST['selection'] as $value) { 

[Jaelan]

Hah,
Neat. Actually, I copied the foreach from above and just put my code in it. It shows I don't know much about 'foreach', but because it simplified my code, I'm changing it in my actual application. Thanks for the suggestion..

Jaelan