Question

I have a form with multiple rows of checkboxes, each with a specific id, that are being displayed using a foreach loop.

How do you grab the $_POST info from something like that? I think it is like this somehow $_POST[][], like a sub-array, but I cant figure out how to set it up:

foreach($stakholderArray as $currentEntry) {
    print "<tr class='$bgcolor'>";
    print "<td class='left'>$currentEntry[org]</td>";

    if($currentEntry['dataFound']) {  
        //if data was found for current stakeholder, display it
        print ($currentEntry['Partner']) ? '<td><input type ="checkbox" checked ="checked" /></td>' : '<td><input type ="checkbox"  /></td>';
        print ($currentEntry['Agreement']) ? '<td><input type ="checkbox" checked ="checked" /></td>' : '<td><input type ="checkbox"  /></td>';
        print ($currentEntry['Train']) ? '<td><input type ="checkbox" checked ="checked" /></td>'  : '<td><input type ="checkbox"  /></td>';
        print ($currentEntry['Meet'])  ? '<td><input type ="checkbox" checked ="checked" /></td>' : '<td><input type ="checkbox"  /></td>';
    }
    else {  //else...no stakeholder data, display empty columns
        print "<td><input type ='checkbox'/></td><td><input type ='checkbox'/></td><td><input type ='checkbox'/></td><td><input type ='checkbox'/></td><td><input type ='checkbox'/></td>";
        print "</tr>";
    }## Heading ##

Answer 1

it’s somewhat related to a question i answered before: POST an array from an HTML form without javascript

• encase them in a form
• give them an “array” name
• they end up as an array during post when submitted

related items should have like this: name="item[collection name][collection name][]" – note the first indices pertaining the set (for easy location), and the empty index meaning in that set, there’s an array (instead of single value). so for your check boxes:

<input type="checkbox" name="answers[set1][]" value="apple" />   //imagine checked
<input type="checkbox" name="answers[set1][]" value="orange" />  //imagine checked
<input type="checkbox" name="answers[set1][]" value="grape" />
<input type="checkbox" name="answers[set2][]" value="airplane" />   //imagine checked
<input type="checkbox" name="answers[set2][]" value="train" />  //imagine checked
<input type="checkbox" name="answers[set2][]" value="boat" />
<input type="checkbox" name="answers[solo]" value="boar" /> //single type value. note that there is no [] in the end

end up like this in the request array (like say POST):

$_POST[] = array(
    'answers' => array(
        'set1' => array('apple','orange'),   //unchecked items won't be included
        'set2' => array('airplane','train'), //unchecked items won't be included
        'solo' => 'boar'
    )
);

---

<table>
    <?php foreach($stakeholderArray as $stakeholder): ?>
    <tr>

    <?php 

        //declare so these exist regardless of data
        $partner   = '';
        $agreement = '';
        $train     = '';
        $meet      = '';

        //if we have data, mark the boxes accordingly
        if($stakeholder['dataFound']){

            $checked = 'checked ="checked"';

            //mark as checked or blank
            $partner   = ($stakeholder['Partner'])   ? $checked: '';
            $agreement = ($stakeholder['Agreement']) ? $checked: '';
            $train     = ($stakeholder['Train'])     ? $checked: '';
            $meet      = ($stakeholder['Meet'])      ? $checked: '';

        }
    ?>

       <td><input value='partner' name="stake[<?= $stakeholder ?>][partner]" type ="checkbox" <?= $partner ?> /></td>
       <td><input value='agreement' name="stake[<?= $stakeholder ?>][agreement]" type ="checkbox" <?= $agreement ?> /></td>
       <td><input value='train' name="stake[<?= $stakeholder ?>][train]" type ="checkbox" <?= $train ?> /></td>
       <td><input value='meet' name="stake[<?= $stakeholder ?>][meet]" type ="checkbox" <?= $meet ?> /></td>

    </tr>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</table>

they should end up like:

$_POST[] = array(
    'stakeholder1' => array(
        'partner'=> 'partner',
        'agreement'=> 'agreement',
        'train'=> 'train',
        'meet'=> 'meet'
    ),
    'stakeholder2' => array(
        'partner'=> 'partner',
        'agreement'=> 'agreement',
        'train'=> 'train',
        'meet'=> 'meet'
    ),
);