Can't update subscriber information Aweber API PHP - php

Question

I'm trying to update Aweber subscriber information, specifically the custom fields and I'm using Aweber API but it's not working and probably I'm not writing correctly the code:
require_once('../AweberAPI/aweber_api/aweber_api.php');
include("../config.php");
$email=$_POST["email"];
$threefears=$_POST["3fears"];
$handlefears=$_POST["handlefears"];
$threeactions=$_POST["3actions"];
$changelife=$_POST["changelife"];
$consumerKey = '';
$consumerSecret = '';
$accessKey = '***'; # put your credentials here
$accessSecret = '***'; # put your credentials here
$account_id = ''; # put the Account ID here
$list_id = ''; # put the List ID here
$aweber = new AWeberAPI($consumerKey, $consumerSecret);
try {
$custom_field->name = 'Favorite Color';
$custom_field->save();
$params = array('email' => '$email');
$found_subscribers = $account->findSubscribers($params);
foreach($found_subscribers as $subscriber) {
$subscriber->custom_fields = array(
'Top 3 biggest fears related to dating' => '$threefears',
'How would the person you most admire handle these fears' => '$handlefears',
'What are 3 actions you can take today to act more like the person you most admire' => '$threeactions',
'How will taking these actions change your attitude towards dating and your life' => '$changelife',
);
$subscriber->save();
}
}

Answer 1

The custom fields you are submitting must already exist on your list before you can submit them via the API. This can be done within your aweber control panel using this process: https://help.aweber.com/hc/en-us/articles/204027516-How-Do-I-Create-Custom-Fields-
So if you created a custom field named 'age' then your code would look something like this (assuming an existing $subscriber object):
$fields = array(
'age' => '21',
);
$subscriber->custom_fields = $fields;
$subscriber->save();
or
$subscriber['custom_fields']['age'] = '21';
$subscriber->save();

Answer 2

I guess that instead of writing the values you are writing $threefears, $handlefears etc as text.
In your example you are putting variables as '$variable' instead of just $variable. That would write variable name instead of variable content.
so, instead of
$subscriber->custom_fields = array(
'Top 3 biggest fears related to dating' => '$threefears',
'How would the person you most admire handle these fears' => '$handlefears',
'What are 3 actions you can take today to act more like the person you most admire' => '$threeactions',
'How will taking these actions change your attitude towards dating and your life' => '$changelife',
);
try
$subscriber->custom_fields = array(
'Top 3 biggest fears related to dating' => $threefears,
'How would the person you most admire handle these fears' => $handlefears,
'What are 3 actions you can take today to act more like the person you most admire' => $threeactions,
'How will taking these actions change your attitude towards dating and your life' => $changelife
);
Note that even stackoverflow is correctly hightlighting variable names now.
And for Pete's sake, make the custom field's names shorter :) Most certainly there is a limit on the post you can make. Having such long variable name makes for less space in variable value, per post.
Oh and delete
$custom_field->name = 'Favorite Color';
$custom_field->save();
And modify from
$params = array('email' => '$email');
to
$params = array('email' => $email);
or to
$params = array('email' => $email, 'status' => 'subscribed');

Answer 3

It is correct that the custom fields you are submitting must already exist on your list before you can submit them via the API. This can be done within your aweber control panel using this process: https://help.aweber.com/hc/en-us/articles/204027516-How-Do-I-Create-Custom-Fields-
after creating a custom field named 'age' , the php code will be like this
$fields = array(
'age' => '21',
);
$subscriber->custom_fields = $fields;
$subscriber->save();