Passing variables into a mysqli prepared statement - php

Question

I have been self teaching myself php in my spare time using you tube and w3 schools. So far I have been mostly successful but have hit a brick wall with a particular issue.
I am trying to use a prepared statement to load data into a database (Xampp myphp admin). I have attached my code below and have done a range of testing based on internet searches. When I run the code I get no error message but nothing inserts into my database. I am fairly certain it is do with passing the variables into the bind_param() placeholders.
Please ignore the fact the headings don't match the data types as I want to get data inserting into the database first.
Thanks
<?php
include 'dbh.php';
class AddData extends Dbh {
public function submitTableData(){
$dateErr = $starttimeErr = $finishtimeErr = $durationErr = $taskErr = $entityErr = $completeErr = $commentsErr = "";
$date = $starttime = $finishtime = $duration = $task = $entity = $complete = $comments = "";
$query = "INSERT INTO testtable(Date, Starttime, Finishtime, Duration, Task, Entity, Complete, Comments) VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)";
$stmt= $this->connect()->prepare($query);
$stmt->bind_param("ssssssss", $date, $starttime, $finishtime, $duration, $task, $entity, $complete, $comments);
function test_input($data) {
$data = trim($data);
$data = stripslashes($data);
$data = htmlspecialchars($data);
return $data;
}
for ($x = 0; $x < 1; $x++) {
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
if (empty($_POST["date"][$x])) {
$dateErr = "date is required";
} else {
$date = test_input($_POST["date"][$x]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$date)) {
$dateErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["starttime"][$x])) {
$starttimeErr = "starttime is required";
} else {
$starttime = test_input($_POST["starttime"][$x]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$starttime )) {
$starttimeErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["finishtime"][$x])) {
$finsihtimeErr = "finishtime is required";
} else {
$finishtime = test_input($_POST["finishtime"][$x]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$finishtime)) {
$finishtimeErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["duration"][$x])) {
$durationErr = "Name is required";
} else {
$duration = test_input($_POST["duration"][$x]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$duration)) {
$durationErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["task"][$x])) {
$taskErr = "task is required";
} else {
$task = test_input($_POST["task"][$x]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$task)) {
$taskErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["entity"][$x])) {
$entityErr = "Name is required";
} else {
$entity = test_input($_POST["entity"][$x]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$entity)) {
$entityErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["complete"][$x])) {
$completeErr = "complete is required";
} else {
$complete = test_input($_POST["complete"][$x]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$complete)) {
$completeErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["comments"][$x])) {
$commentsErr = "comments is required";
} else {
$comments = test_input($_POST["comments"][$x]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$comments)) {
$commentsErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
}
$stmt->execute();
}
$stmt->close();
$this->connect()->close();
}
}
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
$t1 = new AddData;
$t1->submitTableData();
}
?>