collecting $_POST from a multiple select

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Join Date: Feb 2005

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j-e

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collecting $_POST from a multiple select

Feb 28th, 2005

Hi,

Just started picking up on PHP (from asp)... Going well. Like php a lot... except for........ My code is below... if someone can please help me get ALL the data from the $POST["catlist"] I would appreciate it.

Firstly: To ensure all the contents of "catlist" are selected, chuck this into the top.

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript>
function selectAll(box) {
for(var i=0; i<box.length; i++) {
box.options[i].selected = true;
}
}
</SCRIPT>

Secondly: The form

<form action="this.php" method="post" name=form>
select multiple size="10" name="catlist'>
<option value="3">Painter</option>
<option value="1">Database Designers</option>
<option value="2">Volunteer</option>
</select>
<input type="submit" name="btnSubmit" value="Submit" onClick="selectAll(this.form.catlist);">
</form>

Thirdly: this.php to capture the list into an array like this:
$catarray[0]=3
$catarray[1]=1
$catarray[2]=2

Here is what I have tried: (using php5)
$catarray= ($_POST['catlist']);
$catarray= array($_POST['catlist']);
other variations.

The most confusing is that Count($_POST['catlist'])

=1

Please please help... sob... boo hooo... sob..
My brain hurts....

J-E

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Re: collecting $_POST from a multiple select

Feb 28th, 2005

[PHP]$catarray= $_POST['catlist'];
[/PHP]
shouldn't need parenthesis.

Have you tried:

[PHP]print_r($catarray);[/PHP]

I haven't pulled arrays from POST yet, so I'm not sure how it works. Here is a small script to output all the variables that are defined in php. You will be interested in the _POST section

[PHP]$output = get_defined_vars();
$fh = fopen('output.txt', at);
foreach($output as $yek => $out)
{
fwrite($fh, "*******************$yek****************************\r\n\r\n");
foreach($out as $key => $o)
{
fwrite($fh, "$key\t\t\t\t");
fwrite($fh, $o);
fwrite($fh, "\r\n\r\n");
}
}
fclose($fh);[/PHP]

That way you can be sure what the data looks like and if it is indeed being transeferred from the html form.

Dance

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Re: collecting $_POST from a multiple select

Feb 28th, 2005

Thanks for that... Unfortunately it seems there is no array coming through the POST. Only one value instead of 3.... any suggestions on how to get around it?

I will play around further.

J-E

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Re: collecting $_POST from a multiple select

Feb 28th, 2005

Found this example of an html form. Hope it helps.

Help with Code Tags

(Toggle Plain Text)

<form action="handle_event.php" method="post">
<p> Event name: <input type="text" name="name" size="30" /></p>

<p>Week Days:
<input type="checkbox" name="weekdays[]" value="Sunday" />S
<input type="checkbox" name="weekdays[]" value="Monday" />M
<input type="checkbox" name="weekdays[]" value="Tuesday" />T
<input type="checkbox" name="weekdays[]" value="Wednesday" />W
<input type="checkbox" name="weekdays[]" value="Thursday" />T
<input type="checkbox" name="weekdays[]" value="Friday" />F
<input type="checkbox" name="weekdays[]" value="Saturday" />S
</p>

<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Add the Event!" />
</form>

It's from "PHP for the World Wide Web" by Larry Ullman http://www.dmcinsights.com/phpvqs2/

Dance

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Re: collecting $_POST from a multiple select - SOLVED

Feb 28th, 2005

Thanks a million. I appreciate your time. The solution makes perfect sense. Makes me wanna take up line dancing (sometimes).

Cheers

J-E

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Re: collecting $_POST from a multiple select

Feb 28th, 2005

Sideline comment No big deal.. it did break the "selectALL()" javascript (see point 1 of original post). But that should be a minor issue to fix.

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Re: collecting $_POST from a multiple select

Feb 28th, 2005

Yeah I just posted the example, didn't try to make it work for your situation, please excuse my laziness :mrgreen:

On a ranting note: I see the need for javascript, but HATE how PICKY it is.......

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Re: collecting $_POST from a multiple select

Aug 6th, 2008

While that solution is cute, it is a workaround, and not a solution. I'm having the same issue, but my selections must be read from a DB; they are not static so defining checkboxes will not do.

Does anybody have a real solution to this problem?

Thanks!
Karim Varela
<URL SNIPPED>

Last edited by peter_budo : Aug 7th, 2008 at 3:08 pm. Reason: Keep It Spam-Free - Do not spam, advertise, plug your website, or engage in any other type of self promotion.

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Re: collecting $_POST from a multiple select

Aug 6th, 2008

<disclaimer>Just took a look at this post again, and I'm not entirely sure that a multiple select won't post as a CSV value by default, so that's worth a go, but if you want to get down and dirty with some javascript, read on...</disclaimer>

Sure. You want to pass the selected values as a comma separated string. For the checkboxes, it's easy because the array is build for you and PHP reads it in no problem.

With the multiple selection SELECT element, you're going to have to make your javascript work a little harder.

Below, I have a function I wrote to parse a form for values. I use this to pass to an ajax call, but you could use it in a normal form submit as well, you would just have to read the parsed values from your multiple select into a hidden element.

But first the part you're interested in:

 Help with Code Tags 
 javascript Syntax (Toggle Plain Text) 
var sels = form.getElementsByTagName('select'); // parse select elements
	for(var i=0;i<sels.length;i++)
	{
		q += '&' + sels[i].name + '='
		for (var j=0; j<sels[i].options.length; j++)
			if (sels[i].options[j].selected)
				q += escape(sels[i].options[j].value)+',';
	}
var sels = form.getElementsByTagName('select'); // parse select elements
	for(var i=0;i<sels.length;i++)
	{
		q += '&' + sels[i].name + '='
		for (var j=0; j<sels[i].options.length; j++)
			if (sels[i].options[j].selected)
				q += escape(sels[i].options[j].value)+',';
	}

This is building a query string to pass in a GET, but you can easily modify it to build a CSV string.

Full function:

 Help with Code Tags 
 javascript Syntax (Toggle Plain Text) 
function saveForm(form)
{
	var q = (form.id ? '?key='+form.key.value : '?key='); //key is the primary key in the db
	var els = form.getElementsByTagName('input');
	for(var i=0;i<els.length;i++) //parse input elements
	{
		if(els[i].type=='checkbox')
			q += '&' + els[i].name + '=' + (els[i].checked==true ? els[i].value : '0');
		else
			q += '&' + els[i].name + '=' + escape(els[i].value);
	}
	var tels = form.getElementsByTagName('textarea'); //parse textarea elemtns
	for(var i=0;i<tels.length;i++)
	{
			q += '&' + tels[i].name + '=' + escape(tels[i].value);
	}
 
	var sels = form.getElementsByTagName('select'); // parse select elements
	for(var i=0;i<sels.length;i++)
	{
		q += '&' + sels[i].name + '='
		for (var j=0; j<sels[i].options.length; j++)
			if (sels[i].options[j].selected)
				q += escape(sels[i].options[j].value)+',';
	}
 
        sndReq('common/saveInd.php'+q,'sd'+form.count.value); // this would be a call to an ajax request
}
function saveForm(form)
{
	var q = (form.id ? '?key='+form.key.value : '?key='); //key is the primary key in the db
	var els = form.getElementsByTagName('input');
	for(var i=0;i<els.length;i++) //parse input elements
	{
		if(els[i].type=='checkbox')
			q += '&' + els[i].name + '=' + (els[i].checked==true ? els[i].value : '0');
		else
			q += '&' + els[i].name + '=' + escape(els[i].value);
	}
	var tels = form.getElementsByTagName('textarea'); //parse textarea elemtns
	for(var i=0;i<tels.length;i++)
	{
			q += '&' + tels[i].name + '=' + escape(tels[i].value);
	}
	
	var sels = form.getElementsByTagName('select'); // parse select elements
	for(var i=0;i<sels.length;i++)
	{
		q += '&' + sels[i].name + '='
		for (var j=0; j<sels[i].options.length; j++)
			if (sels[i].options[j].selected)
				q += escape(sels[i].options[j].value)+',';
	}
	
        sndReq('common/saveInd.php'+q,'sd'+form.count.value); // this would be a call to an ajax request
}