Question

First time poster, long time lurker 🙂
I have a form setup that posts data for multiple rows in a single table with seven colums to a php function to insert it as new records in a database. The form is working great, however, if one of the rows in the form is left unfilled then the php function is creating a blank row in the database. I am attempting to figure out how to avoid this. I am certain it has nothing to do with the form itself, and rather has to do with the php. Please have a look at it. I’m totally open to suggestions.

<?php
require("header.php");
require("dbinc.php");
foreach($_POST['card'] as $row=>$cardcounted) 
{
    $model=$_POST['model'];
    $serial=$_POST['serial'][$row];
    $card=$cardcounted;
    $status=$_POST['status'];
    $date=$_POST['date'];
    $location=$_POST['location'];
    $query = mysql_query("INSERT INTO receivers (`id`, `model`, `serial`, `card`, `status`, `date`, `location`) VALUES ('null','$model','$serial','$card','$status','$date','$location')");

    if(!isset($serial[$row]) || $serial[$row] == '') {
        // error message here, redisplay form if desired
    } else {
        // no errors - process data
    } 

    if (!$query)
    {
        die('Error: ' . mysql_error());
    }
}
echo $row+1 . " record(s) added";

mysql_close()
?>

I added in the !isset on the serial numbers by row to check for null posts but am unsure as to how to incorporate that properly. i think im on the right track, just need that little push 🙂

Answer 1

First choice is to use JavaScript validation to find out invalid form submits, Some users may disable JavaScript, so its always recommended to do server-side validations

So write a method like

isValid($postArray) {
  foreach($postArray as $key => $value) {
    if ($value == "") {
       return false;    
    }
  }
  return true;
}

If form field names and db column names are similar you can use

$sql = "INSERT INTO receivers ";
$keys = "(";
$values = "(";
foreach($postArray as $key => $value) {
    if ($value != "") {
       $keys += $key;
       $values += $value;
    }
}

$sql = $sql + $keys +" VALUES "+ $values;