Checkbox in Method Post form, converting from array into string, in PHP

Question

I have a form to upload items to my database. In this form I have a selection of checkboxes to give tags to the items. preferably I want to save these tags as one single string in my database, separated by a comma. However, no matter what I try, I only seem to get an error or just the final result of my checkboxes.

<form action="storeupdate.php" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post">
<input type='checkbox' name='Tags' value='Milk' >Milk<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='Tags' value='Sugar' >Sugar<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='Tags' value='Cream' >Cream<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='Tags' value='Chocolate' >Chocolate<br/>
<input type="reset"> <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit"><br/>
</form>

storeupdate.php:

$Tags = mysqli_real_escape_string($conn, $_REQUEST['Tags']);

I have tried foreach loops, but they dont seem to give me any results back. When I echo the $Tags, I only get the 'highest' result that has been submitted.

If I can't even figure out how to grab the individual values, I can't even begin to work on a script to string them together before placing them in my database.

Update

Now that we have established I did wrong in the form, I am still confused in how to catch and convert this array.

$Tags[] = mysqli_real_escape_string($conn, $_POST['Tags[]']);
$tagstring = implode(",",$Tags);
echo "<br/> $_REQUEST = ";
var_dump($_POST['Tags']);
echo "<br/> $Tags = ";
var_dump($Tags);
echo "<br/> $tagstring = ";
var_dump($tagstring);
echo "<br/>";
echo "Tags= " . $tagstring . "<br/>";

returns the following: Array = array(6) { [0]=> string(1) "1" [1]=> string(1) "2" [2]=> string(1) "3" [3]=> string(1) "4" [4]=> string(1) "5" [5]=> string(1) "6" } Array = array(1) { [0]=> string(0) "" } = string(0) "" Tags=

I need this array as a string separated by the comma in order to make the rest of my build code work, but im doing something wrong in the handling after I catch the data.

make a var_dump of $_REQUEST['Tags'] you seen it was an array normaly — Inazo
– Inazo, Commented Aug 23, 2018 at 9:44
try changing name='Tags' to name='Tags[]', and set diferent values, you should get array of checked options — Edgarth
– Edgarth, Commented Aug 23, 2018 at 9:47
Shoot, i cleaned out the original values from the project file because my colleague doesnt want me to share that info. It shouldnt say "milk" in every value, my bad haha! @DrMJ — Daniel de Ridder
– Daniel de Ridder, Commented Aug 23, 2018 at 9:54

tGilvonas · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-23 09:50:12Z

1

You should write such HTML:

<form action="storeupdate.php" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post">
<input type='checkbox' name='Tags[]' value='Milk' >Milk<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='Tags[]' value='Sugar' >Sugar<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='Tags[]' value='Cream' >Cream<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='Tags[]' value='Chocolate' >Chocolate<br/>
<input type="reset"> <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit"><br/>
</form>

And take $_POST['Tags'] from $_POST request where $_POST['Tags'] is array of your tags.

answered Aug 23, 2018 at 9:50

tGilvonas

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4 Comments

Daniel de Ridder Over a year ago

Thank you for your feedback @tGilvonas. However, I never understood what the advantage of $_POST would be over $_REQUEST, or what their differences are. Should I prefer one over the other in this scenario?

tGilvonas Over a year ago

As some sources say, "$REQUEST contains: $COOKIE, $GET, and $POST variables" and "Basically... never use $REQUEST, use $POST for post method forms, $GET for query string and get method forms, and $COOKIE to handle cookies." link here: " webdeveloper.com/forum/d/71478-post-vs-request ". Sorry, I think I have weak knowledge on this question, but I never used $_REQUEST since I write codes in PHP (2008).

tGilvonas Over a year ago

Another good question why is it not very good practice to access PHP superglobals: stackoverflow.com/questions/19767894/… . If you are amateur programmer, I think you should read this :)

Daniel de Ridder Over a year ago

Thank you! I`ll look into this :)

Chukwuemeka Inya · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-23 10:49:54Z

0

If you want to have an array of Tags you need to declare this parameter as an array in HTML:

<input type='checkbox' name='tags[]' value='Milk' >Milk<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='tags[]' value='Sugar' >Sugar<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='tags[]' value='Cream' >Cream<br/>
<input type='checkbox' name='tags[]' value='Chocolate' >Chocolate<br/>

Now $_REQUEST['tags'] will contain an array.

edited Aug 23, 2018 at 10:49

Chukwuemeka Inya

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answered Aug 23, 2018 at 9:46

Damian Stępień

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1 Comment

Daniel de Ridder Over a year ago

Ah wonderful, I misunderstood @Edgarth earlier when he tried to tell me the same. Now I just need to convert this array into a string and I should be set! Thank you Damian!

Chukwuemeka Inya · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-23 10:11:26Z

<form action="storeupdate.php" method="post">             //enctype="multipart/form-data" The "multipart/form-data" is not required unless you are uploading a file. otherwise no need to set it. It has a default value of "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
    <input type='checkbox' name='tags[]' value='Milk' >Milk<br/>             //Try to use small letters, hyphen and underscore when setting the name attribute of your form.
    <input type='checkbox' name='tags[]' value='Sugar' >Sugar<br/>
    <input type='checkbox' name='tags[]' value='Cream' >Cream<br/>
    <input type='checkbox' name='tags[]' value='Chocolate' >Chocolate<br/>
    <input type="reset"> <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit"><br/>
</form>

Now your data will be in $_POST['tags'].

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