PHP - unable to get $_POST variables [duplicate] - php

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Reference - What does this error mean in PHP?
(38 answers)
Closed 2 years ago.
I am trying to make a posting system for a project I am working on. Problem is, for some reason, all $_POST values are null, even if they are supposed to be set. As a result, my PHP script does not work.
I can't tell why this is the case, as it was working fine just yesterday. How can I fix this?
<?php
function show_posts($posts, $parent_id = -1) {
$html = '';
if ($parent_id != -1) {
// If the posts are replies sort them by the "submit_date" column
array_multisort(array_column($posts, 'submit_date'), SORT_ASC, $posts);
}
$resultCount = 0;
// Iterate the posts using the foreach loop
foreach ($posts as $post) {
if (($_GET['search_query']) != "") {
if ($post['parent_id'] == $parent_id) {
if (strpos(implode($post), $_GET['search_query'])) {
$resultCount++;
//check if optional variables are not set
$screenshot = $post['screenshot'];
if ($screenshot.trim() == "") {
$screenshot = "https://ppcplanet.org/images/noscreenshot.png";
}
$serial = $post['serial'];
if ($serial.trim() == "") {
$serial = "n/a";
}
$source = $post['source'];
if ($source.trim() == "") {
$source = "n/a";
}
$html .= '
<div class="post">
<br><br>
<div>
<h3 style="color: white;" class="name"><b>By ' . htmlspecialchars($post['postauthor'], ENT_QUOTES) . '</b></h3>
<span class="date">' . time_elapsed_string($post['submit_date']) . '</span>
</div>
<br>
<img class="image" style="width: 256px; height: 256px; overflow: hidden; object-fit: cover;" src=' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($screenshot, ENT_QUOTES)) . ' alt="Screenshot"/>
<br><br>
<h2 class="content"><b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['name'], ENT_QUOTES)) . '</b></h2>
<br>
<p class="content"><b>Description: </b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['content'], ENT_QUOTES)) . '</p>
<p class="content"><b>Serial: </b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($serial, ENT_QUOTES)) . ' </p>
<p class="content"><b>Original Source: </b> ' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['source'], ENT_QUOTES)) .'</p>
<p class="content"><b>Type: </b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['type'], ENT_QUOTES)) . ' </p>
<p class="content"><b>Category: </b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['category'], ENT_QUOTES)) . ' </p>
<a class="reply_post_btn" href="#" data-post-id="' . $post['id'] . '">Add on... (ex. another version, manual, etc.)</a>
' . show_write_post_form($post['id']) . '
<div class="replies">
' . show_posts($posts, $post['id']) . '
</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
';
ob_clean();
echo(strval($resultCount) . ' result(s) found for "' . $_GET['search_query'] . '"'); //display number of results
}
}
}
else
{
//add each post to HTML variable
if ($post['parent_id'] == $parent_id) {
//check if optional variables are not set
$screenshot = $post['screenshot'];
if ($screenshot.trim() == "") {
$screenshot = "https://ppcplanet.org/images/noscreenshot.png";
}
$serial = $post['serial'];
if ($serial.trim() == "") {
$serial = "n/a";
}
$source = $post['source'];
if ($source.trim() == "") {
$source = "n/a";
}
$html .= '
<div class="post">
<h2></h2>
<br><br>
<div>
<h3 style="color: white;" class="name"><b>By ' . htmlspecialchars($post['postauthor'], ENT_QUOTES) . '</b></h3>
<span class="date">' . time_elapsed_string($post['submit_date']) . '</span>
</div>
<br>
<img class="image" style="width: 256px; height: 256px; overflow: hidden; object-fit: cover;" src=' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($screenshot, ENT_QUOTES)) . ' alt="Screenshot"/>
<br><br>
<h2 class="content"><b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['name'], ENT_QUOTES)) . '</b></h2>
<br>
<p class="content"><b>Description: </b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['content'], ENT_QUOTES)) . '</p>
<p class="content"><b>Serial: </b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($serial, ENT_QUOTES)) . ' </p>
<p class="content"><b>Original Source: </b> ' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['source'], ENT_QUOTES)) .'</p>
<p class="content"><b>Type: </b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['type'], ENT_QUOTES)) . ' </p>
<p class="content"><b>Category: </b>' . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($post['category'], ENT_QUOTES)) . ' </p>
<a class="reply_post_btn" href="#" data-post-id="' . $post['id'] . '">Add on... (ex. another version, manual, etc.)</a>
' . show_write_post_form($post['id']) . '
<div class="replies">
' . show_posts($posts, $post['id']) . '
</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
';
}
}
}
return $html;
}
// This function is the template for the write post form
function show_write_post_form($parent_id = -1) {
$rand = randomIdentifier(); //generate random identifier string
$html = '
<div class="write_post" data-post-id="' . $parent_id . '">
<form>
<h2 style="color: white;">New Post</h2>
<br>
<input name="parent_id" type="hidden" value="' . $parent_id . '">
<label for="name">Title:</label>
<input style="width: 100%;" id="name" name="name" type="text" placeholder="Enter a title..." required>
<br><br>
<label for="screenshot">Screenshot (if applicable):</label>
<input style="width: 100%;" id="screenshot" name="screenshot" type="url" placeholder="Screenshot URL">
<br><br>
<label for="type">URL:</label>
<input style="width: 100%;" id="url" name="url" type="url" placeholder="Download URL" required>
<br><br>
<label for="type">Description:</label>
<textarea name="content" id="content" placeholder="Write a description..." required></textarea>
<br><br>
<label for="type">Original Source (if known):</label>
<input style="width: 100%;" id="source" name="source" type="url" placeholder="Original Source URL">
<br><br>
<label for="type">Serial (if applicable):</label>
<input style="width: 100%;" id="serial" name="serial" type="text" placeholder="Serial">
<br><br>
<label for="name">Your Name/Nickname:</label>
<input style="width: 100%;" id="postauthor" name="postauthor" type="text" placeholder="Enter your name..." required>
<br><br>
<br>
<label for="type">Choose a type:</label>
<select name="type" id="type">
<option value="freeware">Freeware</option>
<option value="abandonware">Abandonware</option>
<option value="self-made">I wrote it myself</option>
</select>
<label for="category">Category:</label>
<select name="category" id="category">
<option value="app">App</option>
<option value="game">Game</option>
<option value="driver">Driver</option>
<option value="manual">Manual</option>
<option value="setup">Setup</option>
<option value="ROM">ROM</option>
<option value="other">Other</option>
</select>
<br><br>
<h2 style="color: white;">Post identifier string</h2>
<input name="identifier" id="identifier" style="width: 100%;" readonly="true" type="text"" value="' . $rand . '">
<br>
<p style="color: red;">This is your post identifier string. It can be used to delete this post in the future without having to contact an admin. <b>Make sure you do not lose it!</b></p>
<br><br>
<h2 style="color: white;">Make sure your submission meets the following criteria:</h2>
<br>
<p>🙂 This submission is appropriate and doesn\'t have any mature content. - We want PPC Planet to be a safe place for people of all ages. Inappropriate submissions will be removed!</p>
<p>👍 This submission is either freeware, abandonware, or self-made. - No piracy! It\'s not fair to the developer(s).</p>
<p>💻 This submission has been tested, and works as advertised. - We don\'t want to have a bunch of broken software on the archive.</p>
<p>🧾 This submission is not already on the archive. - Be sure that you are posting something unique!</p>
<p>📱 This submission is related to Pocket PCs. - Remember, this is an archive of Pocket PC software.</p>
<br>
<p><b>By following these rules, we can make the archive a fun (and totally rad) place for everyone!</b></p>
<br><br>
<p style="color: red; font-size: xx-large; "><b>Make sure you have proofread your post, as you will not be able to edit it once it has been posted. Additionally, make sure you write your down identifier string somewhere if you have not already.</b></p>
<br><br>
<button type="submit">Create Post</button>
<br><br>
</form>
</div>
';
return $html;
}
if (isset($_GET['search_query'])) {
// Check if the submitted form variables exist
if (($_POST['name']).trim() != "") {
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('INSERT INTO posts (page_id, parent_id, name, screenshot, url, content, serial, type, category, identifier, source, postauthor, submit_date) VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,NOW())');
$stmt->execute([ 1, $_POST['parent_id'], $_POST['name'], $_POST['screenshot'], $_POST['url'], $_POST['content'], $_POST['serial'], $_POST['type'], $_POST['category'], $_POST["identifier"], $_POST["source"], $_POST["postauthor"] ]);
exit('Your post has been submitted! You can reload the page to see it.');
}
else
{
// Get all posts by the Page ID ordered by the submit date
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM posts WHERE page_id = ? ORDER BY submit_date DESC');
$stmt->execute([ 1 ]);
$posts = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
// Get the total number of posts
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT COUNT(*) AS total_posts FROM posts WHERE page_id = ?');
$stmt->execute([ 1 ]);
$posts_info = $stmt->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
}
} else {
exit('No search query specified!');
}
function randomIdentifier() {
$pass = 0;
$complete = false;
while (!$complete)
{
//generate random identifier string until it is unique
$alphabet = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ1234567890!##$%^&*()';
$pass = array();
$alphaLength = strlen($alphabet) - 1;
for ($i = 0; $i < 100; $i++) {
$n = rand(0, $alphaLength);
$pass[] = $alphabet[$n];
}
include('mysqlconnect.php');
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=' . $DATABASE_HOST . ';dbname=' . $DATABASE_NAME . ';charset=utf8', $DATABASE_USER, $DATABASE_PASS);
$data = implode($pass);
$stmt = $pdo->prepare( "SELECT identifier FROM posts WHERE identifier =:id" );
$stmt->bindParam(':id', $data, PDO::PARAM_STR);
$stmt->execute();
$myIdentifier = $stmt->fetch();
if (!$myIdentifier) {
//identifier is unique
$complete = true;
}
}
return $data;
}
?>
<?=show_write_post_form()?>
<?=show_posts($posts)?>
You can try it out for yourself here. All help is appreciated!

Answer 1

$_POST in PHP collects any variables submitted in the body of a HTTP POST request.
However your HTML form is submitting a GET request (which is the default if you don't specify the method). You can fix this by specifying the method attribute of the form:
<form method="post">

Answer 2

$_POST superglobal is only available in POST requests. You seem to be rendering your content in a GET request.