Warning: Illegal string offset error - php

Question

I'm trying to create a simple search engine in php, in which if the user enters a keyword they can search by event name or location. Then the results to be displayed in date order. Most of the has been taken from another site, but I am trying to convert it.
Can someone explain the error below to a newbie, in simple terms and how to correct it?
/home/ubuntu/workspace/test/test.php:49: array(5) { 'eventID' => string(1) "1" 'eventName' => string(8) "Exciting" 'eventLocation' => string(7) "Stadium" 'commencing' => string(10) "2017-04-01" 'expires' => string(10) "2017-04-30" } Warning: Illegal string offset 'eventName' in /home/ubuntu/workspace/test/test.php on line 50 Call Stack: 0.0003 238624 1. {main}() /home/ubuntu/workspace/test/test.php:0 1
<?php
session_start();
//include files
include 'header/header.php';
include 'nav/navigation.php';
include 'init.php';
$expires = strtotime($_POST["expires"]);
$expires = date('Y-m-d', $expires);
$events = "";
$find = $_POST['find'];
$field = $_POST['field'];
$searching = true;
if(isset($_POST["submit"])) {
if(!empty($_POST["events"])) {
$searching = false;
}
//This is only displayed if the user submitted the form
if($searching == true)
{
echo "<h2>Results</h2><p>";
//If the user did not enter a search term, they receive an error
if ($find == "")
{
echo "<p>You forgot to enter a search term";
exit;
}
// Otherwise we connect to the database
//$result = mysqli_query($connection,$query) or exit ("Error in query:
$query. ".mysqli_error($connection));
// We preform a bit of filtering
$find = strtoupper($find);
$find = strip_tags($find);
$find = trim ($find);
//Now we search for our search term, in the field the user specified
$mysqli = new mysqli('localhost', 'root', '', 'c3470438');
$query = "SELECT * FROM events WHERE upper(eventLocation)
LIKE'%STADIUM%'";
$result = $mysqli->query($query);
//Temporarily echo $query for debugging purposes
//echo "$query";
//exit;
//And display the results
$row = $result->fetch_array(MYSQLI_ASSOC);
echo "<br>";
foreach($row as $item) {
var_dump($row);
echo $item['eventName'];
exit();
}
exit;
//This counts the number or results. If there aren't any, it gives an
explanation
$anymatches=mysql_num_rows($data);
if ($anymatches == 0) {
echo "Sorry, but we can not find an entry to match your query<br>
<br>";
}
//And reminds the user what they searched for
echo "<b>Searched For:</b> " .$find;
}
}
?>
<fieldset>
<legend><h2>Events</h2></legend>
<form name="search" method="post" action="<?=$PHP_SELF?>">
<tr> <th> <td>
<fieldset>
<legend>Find all events</legend>
<input type="radio" name="events" <?php if (isset($events) &&
$events=="all") echo "checked";?>value="all"> Display all events
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<legend>Find events by date</legend>
<input type="date" name="date" min="<?php echo date("Y-m-d");?>"
max="2025-01-01" value="<?php echo date("Y-m-d");?>">
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<legend>Find events by keywords</legend>
<input type="hidden" placeholder='Search by keyword'name="searching"
value="yes" />
Search for: <input type="text" name="find" /> in
<Select NAME="field">
<Option VALUE="eventName">Event Name</option>
<Option VALUE="eventLocation">Event Location</option>
</Select>
<input type="hidden" name="searching" value="yes" />
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit" />
</form>
</fieldset>
<button name="submit" value="submit" type="submit" class="button
expanded">Submit </button>
<button type="reset" value="Clear"class="button expanded">
Clear</button>
</fieldset>
</select> </td></tr>
<?php
//include files
include 'footer/footer.php';
?>
<script src="js/vendor/jquery.js"></script>
<script src="js/foundation.min.js"></script>
<script>
</script>
</body>

Answer 1

Well $result->fetch_array(MYSQLI_ASSOC) returns a single row, but you are using it as if it returns all rows. So your foreach is iterating each field in the row, not each row and therefore you're trying to access an array key of a string.
Use a while like so:
while($row = $result->fetch_array(MYSQLI_ASSOC)){
echo $row['eventName'];
}
Also, you're using mysql_num_rows which is not part of mysqli. Instead use $result->num_rows.