Correctly reply to comment using textbox array - php

Question

I'm working on a forum page. Right now what is happening, when a user submits a reply to a topic: that reply gets submitted to all the comments. I need to check to see where the array value is, compared to the topic. Like for example topic 3, and the user replies: it only replies to that topic, no others.
<form enctype="metadata/form-data" method="post">
<?php
$reply = $_POST["reply"];
$submit = $_POST["submit"];
$uID = $newRow["ID"];
$cID = $comment["comment_ID"];
$ucID = $comment["ID"];
//this is where I've been stuck.
if(isset($submit)){
foreach($reply as $myReply){
echo $myReply.'<br />';
}
}
else{
echo "No result here.";
}
?>
<div class="textInput">
<textarea name="reply[]" maxlength="255"></textarea>
</div>
<div class="submitInput">
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="reply" />
</div>
</form>

Answer 1

I don't have a clear image of what it is you are using exactly, but I'll make up an example which I'm sure will be of help. I'm going to assume you're using MYSQLI
Steps:
Step 1 ) Store your original post in a table (Original post will be OP from now on)
Step 2 ) Create a table for the replies to go in
Step 3 ) Create a relationship (foreign key)
Step 4 ) Get the original posts you want to be visible (or is it only one?)
Step 5 ) Get related replies
Step 6 ) Put related replies as a sub-array within the OP array.
Example:
First, get the OP. STEP 4
<?php
//In case of multiple:
$getOP = "SELECT * FROM original_posts WHERE ID IN(1,2,3)";
//In case of single:
$getOP = "SELECT * FROM original_posts WHERE ID = 1";
?>
Now, get those ID's in PHP.
<?php
//in case of multiple:
$IDArray = array();
$getOPResult= mysqli_query($con, $getOP);
foreach($getOPResult as $row){
$IDArray[] = $row['ID'];
}
//In case of single, no need for a loop
$result = $getOPResult->fetch_object();
$OPID = $result->ID;
?>
Now, follow up with the replies STEP 5
<?php
//In case of multiple
$getReplies = "SELECT * FROM table_replies WHERE OPID IN(".implode(',', $IDArray).")";
//In case of single
$getReplies = "SELECT * FROM table_replies WHERE OPID = $OPID;
?>
Now, we'll fuse the arrays. This step isn't even necessary with a single OP:
<?php
$myReplies = mysqli_query($con, $query);
$fusedArray = array();
foreach($myReplies as $row){
//put the replies into an array with the OP's ID as a key
$fusedArray[$row['OPID']] = $row;
}
?>
Last step - Rendering it all:
<?php
$html = '';
foreach($getOPresult as $OP){
//set replies array
$thisOPID = $OP['ID'];
$relatedReplies = $fusedArray[$thisOPID];
//From this point on, you can easily loop over the replies for every OP
$html .= '<div class="myPost">';
$html .= 'I'm going to output OP data here';
$html .= '<div class="myReplies">';
//Start looping over the replies and outputting it here
foreach($relatedReplies as $reply){
$html .= 'I'm rendering reply data here';
}
$html .= '</div>';
$html .= '</div>';
}
echo $html;
?>
To close
Now, this isn't extremely specific since I don't have much information, but the logic is there and this logic should suffice in most cases.
Before starting a discussion, please remember that this is just an example of structure and logics.
However you want to output your HTML is on you and so is the coding style. Whether you want to use procedural mysqli or not or how you secure it against MYSQL injection and such, are not related to this question and thus should not be discussed. I'm only trying to help OP with the logistics of it all.
Have a nice day, and I hope this helps :)
EDIT:
I'm sorry, you seem to have changed your question.
In this case, I would simply recommend you to use a hidden field in the form such as this:
<input type="hidden" name="OPID" value="$IDoftheOP"/>
Now, whenever load a topic, just fill the value of the hidden input with the ID of it. When reading out the formdata in PHP, simply read it out and that's the ID you need to couple it with.