How to include a variable inside of a post variable within a query string? -php

Question

I have a table with a lot of checkboxes. The checkboxes are being produced via a loop, and are given a unique id.

$get_depts = mysql_query("select dept_id, dept_name from depts where bus_id = '{$business['bus_id']}'");
while(($department = mysql_fetch_assoc($get_depts)))
{
    echo '<tr><td>'.$department['dept_name'].'</td>';
    $req_fields = mysql_fetch_assoc(mysql_query("SELECT employees, department, customer, salespeople, acct_nbrs, categories, subcategories, case_ids, login_ids, phone, phext, cust_email, problem, resolution, source, priority FROM required_fields WHERE dept_id = '{$department['dept_id']}'"));
    if($req_fields['employees'] == 'YES'){echo '<td><input type="checkbox" id="employees[]" name="employees[]" value="YES" checked></td>';}
    else echo'<td><input type="checkbox" id="employees[]" name="employees[]" value="YES"></td>';
}

As you can see, one such example of the id and name of a checkbox is employees1, employees2, etc.

After submit, I try and loop back through my departments to pick up the unique id numbers again. Then I try and update my table.

$get_depts = mysql_query("select dept_id, dept_name from depts where bus_id = '{$business['bus_id']}'");
while(($department = mysql_fetch_assoc($get_depts)))
{
    mysql_query("Update required_fields set employees = '{$_POST['employees'.$department['dept_id']]}' where dept_id = '{$department['dept_id']");
}

I obviously am not using the correct syntax for the post variable. How can I correctly use $_POST['employees'] + $department['dept_id']?

EDIT

The FINAL result would look like this. If $department['dept_id'] = 10 for example, then the name of the post variable would be $_POST['employees10']

Please, don't use mysql_* functions in new code. They are no longer maintained and are officially deprecated. See the pink box? Learn about prepared statements instead, and use PDO or MySQLi - this article will help you decide which. If you choose PDO, here is a good tutorial. — h2ooooooo
– h2ooooooo, Commented Dec 27, 2013 at 13:08

James Binford · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-27 17:25:15Z

1

If you're happy with having them concatenated straight across, you can simply use:

$_POST['employees'] . $department['dept_id']

The . is used for concatenation in PHP.

For example:

$get_depts = mysql_query("select dept_id, dept_name from depts where bus_id = '{$business['bus_id']}'");
while(($department = mysql_fetch_assoc($get_depts)))
{
 //
 // I prefer to do my concat outside of the query!
 //
 $employees = $_POST['employees'] . $department['dept_id'];

 //I assume this query isn't really what you're running.  Pseudo-code, no?
    mysql_query("Update required_fields set employees = '$employees' where dept_id = '{$department['dept_id']}");
}

edited Dec 27, 2013 at 17:25

answered Dec 26, 2013 at 21:00

James Binford

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3 Comments

CBC_NS Over a year ago

I tried including that in the sql statement, and I think I did something wrong. Would you be able to apply your suggestion to the update query as shown in the question?

CBC_NS Over a year ago

Binform, I tried adding the query you suggested, but I'm getting a syntax error - "unexpected "", expecting }

CBC_NS Over a year ago

when I echo $employees, I get the value of the department number, but YES or ""

MilMike · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-26 21:32:08Z

0

In your first code you need to specify a uniqe name for the input field. You are using an array but it will only hold some auto generated number (0,1,2,3,4...) You should change it to the department id from your database so it looks more like this:

$depid=$department['dept_id'];
if($req_fields['employees'] == 'YES'){echo "<input type='checkbox' id='employees[{$depid}]' name='employees[{$depid}]' value='YES' checked></td>";}
else echo "<td><input type='checkbox' id='employees[]' name='employees[]' value='YES'></td>";
}

You also need to use double quotes instead of single quotes because only then your string will be parsed with your variables.

Then in your second code the Post part should look like this:

$dep = $_POST['employees'][$department['dept_id'];
mysql_query("Update required_fields set employees = '$dep' where dept_id = '{$department['dept_id']");

answered Dec 26, 2013 at 21:32

MilMike

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1 Comment

CBC_NS Over a year ago

I am doing exactly as you suggested for the first part of your response. All of the id and name tags have the department id as part of the id name. Also, I have never run into an issue where single quotes don't do the same thing as double quotes. Next, I tried using $dep = $_POST['employees'[$department['dept_id'];, but it did not work. Syntax error. I tried $_POST['employees'][$department['dept_id']], no syntax error, but it did not wokr.

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