Adding multiple entries to a table - php

Question

I am trying to register customers for a continuing education web site I am creating and need to add multiple entries to the phpMyAdmin table "users" for registration purposes. I am trying to add multiple entries, 25 total.
As you will see, I have tried the mysqli_multi_query() function to add them all but I cannot create a new record of those entries.
It shows that I am connected to the database and I have checked all values in the code with those in the table and they are ordered. So my questions are:
Is there a limit of entries per table?
Is it best to add few entries at a time than a sign-in page with multiple lines?
Am I trying to do too much in one file and need to split my job?
Error I am getting:
You are connected to the database. Error: INSERT INTO users (myName, home1, home2) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (city, ste, zip) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (email, certification, experience) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (employer, marketing, gender) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (dob, recert, full_name) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (phone, bHome1, bHome2) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (bCity, bState, bZip) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (payment, cardNum, expDate) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (pwd) VALUES (?);
You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (city, ste, zip) VALUES (?, ?, ?);INSERT INTO users (' at line 1
The code so far validates all entries, checks if there are blank entries, and uses the function test-input. Any help is appreciated, including sources from where to learn PHP that worked better for your education. Thanks in advance and thank you for listening.
<?php
// Defined variables for validation
$myNameErr = $home1Err = $home2Err =$cityErr = $steErr = $zipErr = $emailErr = "";
$certificationErr = $experienceErr = $employerErr = $marketingErr = "";
$genderErr = $dobErr = $recertErr = $full_nameErr = $phoneErr = $bHome1Err = "";
$bHome2Err = $bCityErr = $bStateErr = $bZipErr = $paymentErr = $cardNumErr = "";
$expDateErr = $pwdErr = $pwd2Err = "";
$myName = $home1 = $home2 = $city = $ste = $zip = $email = "";
$certification = $experience = $employer = $marketing = "";
$gender = $dob = $recert = $full_name = $phone = $bHome1 = "";
$bHome2 = $bCity = $bState = $bZip = $payment = $cardNum = "";
$expDate = $pwd = $pwd2 = "";
// Validating fields by checking if fields are empty
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
// Checks full name
if (empty($_POST['myName'])) {
$myNameErr = "Name required.";
} else {
$myName = test_input($_POST['myName']);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z-' -.]*$/", $myName)) {
$myNameErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
// Checks address
if (empty($_POST['home1'])) {
$home1Err = "Address required.";
} else {
$home1 = test_input($_POST['home1']);
}
// Checks additional address input
if (empty($_POST['home2'])) {
$home2 = test_input($_POST['home2']);
}
// Checks for city
if (empty($_POST['city'])) {
$cityErr = "City is required.";
} else {
$city = test_input($_POST['city']);
}
// Checks for state
if (empty($_POST['ste'])) {
$steErr = "State is required.";
} else {
$ste = test_input($_POST['ste']);
}
// Checks for zipcode
if (empty($_POST['zip'])) {
$zipErr = "Zip code is required.";
} else {
$zip = test_input($_POST['zip']);
}
// Checks for email and if format is correct
if (empty($_POST['email'])) {
$emailErr = "Email is required.";
} else {
$email = test_input($_POST['email']);
// check if e-mail address is well-formed
if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
$emailErr = "Invalid email format";
}
}
// Confirms the current email
if (empty($_POST['email2'])) {
$email2Err = "Confirm your email.";
} else {
$email2 = test_input($_POST['email2']);
// check if e-mail address is well-formed
if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
$email2Err = "Invalid email format";
}
// Check if emails match
if ($email != $email2) {
$email2Err = "Emails don't match!";
}
}
// Checks for modality certification
if (empty($_POST['certification'])) {
$certificationErr = "Current certification is required.";
} else {
$certification = test_input($_POST['certification']);
}
// Checks for years of experience
if (empty($_POST['experience'])) {
$experienceErr = "Years of experience are required.";
} else {
$experience = test_input($_POST['experience']);
}
// Checks for the current employer
if (empty($_POST['employer'])) {
$employerErr = "Current employer required.";
} else {
$employer = test_input($_POST['employer']);
}
// Input about how they heard about us
if (empty($_POST['marketing'])) {
$marketing = "";
} else {
$marketing = test_input($_POST['marketing']);
}
// Checks for gender
if (empty($_POST['gender'])) {
$genderErr = "Gender required.";
} else {
$gender = test_input($_POST['gender']);
}
// Check the date of birth
if (empty($_POST['dob'])) {
$dobErr = "Date of birth required.";
} else {
$dob = test_input($_POST['dob']);
}
// Checks their end of certification date
if (empty($_POST['recert'])) {
$recertErr = "Recertification date required.";
} else {
$recert = test_input($_POST['recert']);
}
// Checks name as in credit card
if (empty($_POST['full_name'])) {
$full_nameErr = "Name as written in credit card required.";
} else {
$full_name = test_input($_POST['full_name']);
}
// Checks for phone number
if (empty($_POST['phone'])) {
$phoneErr = "Phone number is required.";
} else {
$phone = test_input($_POST['phone']);
}
// Billing Information
// Checks for billing address
if (empty($_POST['bHome1'])) {
$bHome1 = "";
} else {
$bHome1 = test_input($_POST['bHome1']);
}
// Checks for billing address 2
if (empty($_POST['bHome2'])) {
$bHome2 = "";
} else {
$bHome2 = test_input($_POST['bHome2']);
}
// Checks for billing city
if (empty($_POST['bCity'])) {
$bCity = "";
} else {
$bCity = test_input($_POST['bCity']);
}
// Checks for billing state
if (empty($_POST['bState'])) {
$bState = "";
} else {
$bState = test_input($_POST['bState']);
}
// Checks for billing zip code
if (empty($_POST['bZip'])) {
$bZip = "";
} else {
$bZip = test_input($_POST['bZip']);
}
// Checks for payment mode
if (empty($_POST['payment'])) {
$paymentErr = "Mode of payment is required.";
} else {
$payment = test_input($_POST['payment']);
}
// Checks for credit card number
if (empty($_POST['cardNum'])) {
$cardNumErr = "Credit card number required.";
} else {
$cardNum = test_input($_POST['cardNum']);
}
// Checks for expiration date
if (empty($_POST['expDate'])) {
$expDateErr = "Card's expiration date required.";
} else {
$expDate = test_input($_POST['expDate']);
}
// Checks for password
if (empty($_POST['pwd'])) {
$pwdErr = "Password required.";
} else {
$pwd = test_input($_POST['pwd']);
}
// Asks to confirm password and if both match
if (empty($_POST['pwd2'])) {
$pwd2Err = "Confirm your email.";
} else {
$pwd2 = test_input($_POST['pwd2']);
// Check if passwords match
if ($pwd != $pwd2) {
$pwd2Err = "Passwords don't match!";
}
}
}
function test_input($data) {
$data = trim($data);
$data = stripslashes($data);
$data = htmlspecialchars($data);
return $data;
}
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
$myName = $_POST['myName'];
$home1 = $_POST['home1'];
$home2 = $_POST['home2'];
$city = $_POST['city'];
$ste = $_POST['ste'];
$zip = $_POST['zip'];
$email = $_POST['email'];
$certification = $_POST['certification'];
$experience = $_POST['experience'];
$employer = $_POST['employer'];
$marketing = $_POST['marketing'];
$gender = $_POST['gender'];
$dob = $_POST['dob'];
$recert = $_POST['recert'];
$full_name = $_POST['full_name'];
$phone = $_POST['phone'];
$bHome1 = $_POST['bHome1'];
$bHome2 = $_POST['bHome2'];
$bCity = $_POST['bCity'];
$bState = $_POST['bState'];
$bZip = $_POST['bZip'];
$payment = $_POST['payment'];
$cardNum = $_POST['cardNum'];
$expDate = $_POST['expDate'];
$pwd = $_POST['pwd'];
// Adding multiple values to database table users
$sql = "INSERT INTO TABLE users (myName, home1, home2) VALUES (?, ?, ?);";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO TABLE users (city, ste, zip) VALUES (?, ?, ?);";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO TABLE users (email, certification, experience) VALUES (?, ?, ?);";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO TABLE users (employer, marketing, gender) VALUES (?, ?, ?);";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO TABLE users (dob, recert, full_name) VALUES (?, ?, ?);";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO TABLE users (phone, bHome1, bHome2) VALUES (?, ?, ?);";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO TABLE users (bCity, bState, bZip) VALUES (?, ?, ?);";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO TABLE users (payment, cardNum, expDate) VALUES (?, ?, ?);";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO TABLE users (pwd) VALUES (?);";
// Trying to save to the database
if (mysqli_multi_query($con, $sql)) {
echo "New records created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . mysqli_error($con);
}
$hashPwd = password_hash($pwd, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
$stmt->bind_param("sssssssssssssssssssssssss", $myName, $home1, $home2, $city, $ste, $zip,
$email, $certification, $experience, $employer, $marketing, $gender, $dob, $recert,
$full_name, $phone, $bHome1, $bHome2, $bCity, $bState, $bZip, $payment, $cardNum,
$expDate, $hashPwd);
mysqli_close($con);
}

Answer 1

Your multi-query is completely wrong. It will create nine new rows, each with a portion of the data for a user, instead of one. You only have one set of data, so you don't need multi_query at all.
You need
// Adding multiple values to database table users
$sql = "INSERT INTO TABLE users (myName, home1, home2, city, ste, zip, email, employer, marketing, gender, certification, experience, dob, recert, full_name, phone, bHome1, bHome2, bCity, bState, bZip, payment, cardNum, expDate, pwd) VALUES (?, ?, ?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?);";
$stmt = $con->prepare($sql);
$hashPwd = password_hash($pwd, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
$stmt->bind_param("sssssssssssssssssssssssss", $myName, $home1, $home2, $city, $ste, $zip,
$email, $certification, $experience, $employer, $marketing, $gender, $dob, $recert,
$full_name, $phone, $bHome1, $bHome2, $bCity, $bState, $bZip, $payment, $cardNum,
$expDate, $hashPwd);
$result = $stmt->execute();

Answer 2

Tangentially Perpendicular & Rager pointed me in the right direction in the sense that my entries were wrong. Using multi-query (mysqli_multi_query) is the wrong way to do what I needed to do and had nothing to do with adding multiple entries into a table. mysqli_multi_query executes one or multiple queries which are concatenated by a semicolon (https://www.php.net/manual/en/mysqli.multi-query.php).
Yes, you can add as many entries per record as you want (if you want to complicate your life) but simple is better. Finally, the reason I could not get data into the table (besides using multi-query and that my entries were wrong), is that my version of MAMP (in a mac) was running version 7.4 and not PHP 8.0 as in my computer. Once I checked marked version 8 on MAMPs I was able to get my query in the table without any other issues.

Answer 3

You need to prepare your sql, bind the params and then execute. Forget the mysqli functions.
$sql = "INSERT INTO TABLE users (myName, home1, home2, city, ste, zip, email, employer, marketing, gender, certification, experience, dob, recert, full_name, phone, bHome1, bHome2, bCity, bState, bZip, payment, cardNum, expDate, pwd) VALUES (?, ?, ?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?);";
$stmt = $con->prepare($sql);
$hashPwd = password_hash($pwd, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
$stmt->bind_param("sssssssssssssssssssssssss", $myName, $home1, $home2, $city, $ste, $zip,
$email, $certification, $experience, $employer, $marketing, $gender, $dob, $recert,
$full_name, $phone, $bHome1, $bHome2, $bCity, $bState, $bZip, $payment, $cardNum,
$expDate, $hashPwd);
$stmt->execute();
mysqli_close($con);
You're getting that error because mysql doesn't know what ? is. You are litterally try to execute INSERT INTO users (city, ste, zip) VALUES (?, ?, ?); which is not valid sql. The variables have to be converted first.
Also, this might be a little advanced for you but you can definitely refactor a lot of redundant code out of this... Just practice and you'll get it!
Here's a rough in of what I'm talking about
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] != "POST") {
//Better to exit on smaller if then wrap everything in if statement.
die();
}
$list = [
'myName' => [ 'type' => 's', 'value' => '', 'err' => 'Name required.'],
'home1' => [ 'type' => 's', 'value' => '', 'err' => 'Address required.'],
'home2' => [ 'type' => 's', 'value' => '', 'err' => '']
// Complete all your entries
];
$hasErr = false;
foreach($list as $key => &$item){
if (empty($_POST[$key])) {
$item['value'] = $item['err'];
} else {
$hasErr = true;
$item['value'] = test_input($_POST[$key]);
switch($key){
case'myName':
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z-' -.]*$/", $item['value'])) {
$item['value'] = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
break;
// Add more casses for more special proccessing.
}
}
}
unset($item); //Always unset pointers after loop.
if(!$hasErr){
$sql = "INSERT INTO users(";
$sqlCols = [];
$sqlVals = [];
foreach($list as $key => $item){
$sqlCols[] = $key;
$sqlVals[] = "?";
}
$sql .= implode(",", $sqlCols) . ") values ( " . implode(",", $sqlVals ). " )";
$stmt->prepare($sql);
foreach($list as $key => $item){
// Actually not sure this is possible, worth a shot though.
$stmt->pind_param($item['type'], $item['value']);
}
$stm->execute();
} else{
//Handle error
}