String with variables inside used as variable in a loop

Question

in a project, I define a text-block like e.g.:

$test = '<div>Name'.$i.':&nbsp;<input type="text" name="name'.$i.'" value="'.$_POST['name'.$i].'" /></div>';

The text-block is then used within a for-loop like:

$_POST['name1'] = 'Max';

for($i=0;$i<3;$i++){
  $test = '<div>Name'.$i.':&nbsp;<input type="text" name="name'.$i.'" value="'.$_POST['name'.$i].'" /></div>';
  echo $test;
  }

This produces the desired result:

<div>Name0: <input type="text" name="name0" value=""></div>
<div>Name1: <input type="text" name="name1" value="Max"></div>
<div>Name2: <input type="text" name="name2" value=""></div>

Now, I would like to get the text-block $test from a database and use it within the loop but I cannot figure out how to modify the variables $i to work.

Actually, it is like:

$_POST['name1'] = 'Max';
$string = '<div>Name'.$i.':&nbsp;<input type="text" name="name'.$i.'" value="'.$_POST['name'.$i].'" /></div>';

for($i=0;$i<3;$i++){
  $test = $string;
  echo $test;
  }

Can anybody give me a hint on how to achieve this?

Well, for now I have to make sure that the indexes are properly set - if I find some time I will give your approach a try... — Harald Wirth
– Harald Wirth, Commented Sep 16, 2016 at 14:50

Jan Holas · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-16 12:34:57Z

1

If your content of $string is something like a template for HTML which can't generate on the go, I would save it in the database like this with usage of some kind of placeholders which you will later replace in the for loop: '<div>Name%i%: <input type="text" name="name%i%" value="%name%" /></div>'

Then you do

$string = $thatDbStoredTemplate; 
for($i=0;$i<3;$i++){
    $test = str_replace(array("%i%", "%name%"), array($i, $_POST["name". $i]), $string);  
    echo $test;
}

Btw, you should also check if $_POST["name". $i] exists with isset, otherwise you will get Notice level warning.

edited Sep 16, 2016 at 12:34

answered Sep 16, 2016 at 12:22

Jan Holas

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1 Comment

Harald Wirth Over a year ago

Just tested it with the real code (much more complicated and bigger than in the example!) - works like a charm. As always, I was thinking more complicated then necessary... Thanks a lot, Jan!!!

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