Retrieve php variable via html name form

Question

I need to retrieve an php variable only by knowing it's html input name.

Such as: I know the input's name is admin[username] so I want to get the variable $_POST['admin']['username]

I need this for some sort of validations of the inputs. In other word, I save the html input name when I display the form, but only test it at the next server request, so I don't always know what will be the php variable name, since it can be modified by javascript or I can have array such if the html input name is admin[]

Thank you

your html is as follows? <input type=text name="admin[username]" /> ? — Jon Taylor
– Jon Taylor, Commented Jul 11, 2012 at 13:44
@DainisAbols If I pass the string "admin[]" I will be looking for $_POST['admin'][] yes, but it can be simple "admin", "admin[username]", "admin[username][]" or "admin[username][][test]" of course, this is only examples and the names don't really means anything — Etienne
– Etienne, Commented Jul 11, 2012 at 13:47
This is rather confusing, could you stop telling us what you think you should do about a problem we still don't understand. But clearly explain what you want to do and what code you currently have. — Timmetje
– Timmetje, Commented Jul 11, 2012 at 14:09
No @DainisAbols asked you to show you what you have built so far, exactly the same thing I am asking. And some underlying clarification wouldn't hurt no. What I currently understand is you post a form values with dynamic keynames within an array. This could be a associative array(admin[username][test]) but you seem to have some difficulty when this array does not have a key (admin[username][]). Something like that. — Timmetje
– Timmetje, Commented Jul 11, 2012 at 14:19

Timmetje · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-11 15:12:20Z

2

$postdata = get_associative_array_from_post_data($post['admin']);

function get_associative_array_from_post_data($array){
    if(isAssoc($array)){
        /*foreach($array as $key=>$value){
            $your_key = $key;
            $your_value = $value;
        }*/
        return $array;
    }
    else{ //if the post array has no keys, search for arrays within this 
        $key_collection=array();
        foreach($array as $sub_array){

            foreach($sub_array as $key=>$value){
                $key_collection[$key][] = $value;
            }
        }
        return $key_collection;
    }

}    



function isAssoc($arr)
{
    return array_keys($arr) !== range(0, count($arr) - 1);
}

If you post:

admin[username] = 'test' and admin[email] = '[email protected]'

you will get

$postdata = array('username'=>'test', 'email'=>'[email protected]');

If you post : admin[][username] = 'test' and admin[][username] = 'test2' admin[][email] = '[email protected]' and admin[][email] = '[email protected]'

You will get:

$postdata = array(
                      'username'=>array('test', 'test2'),
                      'email'=>array('[email protected]', '[email protected]')
                 );

answered Jul 11, 2012 at 15:12

Timmetje

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1 Comment

Etienne Over a year ago

I like your idea to validate if this is an associate array, this will certainly help me Thx

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