How can I use the array-format input field names in my HTML form that posts to PHP?

Question

I understand the basics of using the array-formatted HTML input names. If I had a form with a variable number of 'item' inputs I might do something like this for each of them:

<input name='item[]' type='text' />

And when I retrieve the items from the $_POST array I could iterate over them like so:

$items = $_POST['item'];
foreach($items as $item) {
}

But my question is slightly more complicated. I have a form where users can click a button "add one" and a new row will appear at the bottom number of the form. Each new row contains a 'name' and 'description' input.

So initially I thought I would do this:

<input name='item[name][]' type='text' />
<input name='item[description][]' type='text' />

And then iterate over them like so:

$items = $_POST['item'];
foreach($items as $item) {
  print $item['name'] . ' ' . $item['description'];
}

But instead of working as I hoped, it instead structures the 'item' array such that I would access the first item name as $item['name'][0] rather than as $item[0]['name'].

So then I flipped it so that my inputs were named as such:

<input name='item[][name]' type='text' />
<input name='item[][description]' type='text' />

But this resulted in a separate 'item' for each 'name' and for each 'description' rather than grouping each pair in a single 'item'.

I really dislike having arrays of 'name' and separate array of 'description'. I would prefer arrays of 'item' with each array containing a 'name' and a 'description' field. Is there any way to accomplish this without generating the an index in my javascript? Since people can add and remove these dynamically it's very difficult for my javascript to calculate the appropriate index for the next item. Is there no way to do this generically?

What's so bad about having an array of name and an array of description? -- you can piece them back together later. — Mark Elliot
– Mark Elliot, Commented Jan 17, 2011 at 4:00
@Mark E: I have obsessive compulsive disorder and this really, really bugs me to the point where I am unable to just hack my way around it and proceed. All my other arrays (from database for example) are row index as the first dimension and property name as the second. — fumplr
– fumplr, Commented Jan 17, 2011 at 4:04
Well the only way to overcome your naming problem is to put numbers in the empty brackets, that seems to be the worst of the available choices, don't you think? — Mark Elliot
– Mark Elliot, Commented Jan 17, 2011 at 4:08

prodigitalson · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-17 04:19:01Z

9

It's not possible to do what you want, but if it helps, here's some code to piece it back together that I think will work (with item_name[] and item_description[]):

$items_desc = $_POST["item_description"];
$items_name = $_POST["item_name"];
$items = array();
for ($i = 0; $i < count($items_name); $i++)
{
    $items[] = array("name" => $items_name[$i], "description" => $items_desc[$i]);
}

edited Jan 17, 2011 at 4:19

prodigitalson

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answered Jan 17, 2011 at 4:16

crimson_penguin

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2 Comments

prodigitalson Over a year ago

used the format button on your code block cause it wasnt coming through properly with you pre tags. hope you dont mind.

whispers Over a year ago

@prodigitalson this is how moderators should act/behave! I point it out for others to recognize!

user18943484 · Accepted Answer · 2022-04-25 19:18:23Z

0

You have to give the index a value:

<input name='item[0][name]' type='text' />
<input name='item[0][description]' type='text' />

<input name='item[1][name]' type='text' />
<input name='item[1][description]' type='text' />

...

<input name='item[n][name]' type='text' />
<input name='item[n][description]' type='text' />

answered Apr 25, 2022 at 19:18

user18943484

1

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