I am not sure if this is doable or if its a bigger problem with in my code but I have a webpage where a user selects some values from a infinite amount. So for example there select a1 and b2 from my form.
The form then combines them so they become like this:
a1b1 or a1b1d1e1 as another example. I will then split these values up using an explode function. here is an fulll example
$v1 = a1**b1
$v2 = explode("**", $v1);
Now if the user only select one value, the explode doesnt seem to work as I dont get a value for $v2. EG
$v1 = a1
$v2 = explode("**", $v1);
Is there a way that I can get this to work? Im not sure why I don't even get a value coming out in the second example, just want to knwo if its a limitation with explode or wheter it may be something else.
Thank in advance for an help or guidance.
Ian
Sorry, not sure what the actual issue here is...
First:
<?php
var_dump(explode('**','A'));
This clearly shows that the explode() call works as expected, the output is:
array(1) {
[0] =>
string(1) "A"
}
Second:
If I get that right, then you get that data from a client side form where you invest effort into creating a string and then want to convert that into an array on the server side to work with it? Why? Simply hand it over as an array and all is good:
You can simply use a notation like myvalue[] on the client side and the form submission will result in an array $_POST['myvalue'] getting prepared on the server side you can use like any other array without the need to explode something first.
For ajax requests this is even easier, since you then will typically use JSON as transport format in your POST requests which supports arrays natively.
Related
So i am using this PHP code to create the json output, and I am having an issue where it’s creating an array of array with the info. I would like to get rid of one array and just display the list of API’s thats been used and number that has been used.
Looks as though the difference is you have...
"apis":[{"item_search":"0\n"},{"item_recommended":"0\n"}]
and want
"apis":{"item_search":"0\n","item_recommended":"0\n"}
If this is the case, you need to change the way you build the data from just adding new objects each time to setting the key values directly in the array...
$zone_1 = [];
foreach($zone_1_apis as $api_name ) {
$zone_1[substr($api_name, 0,-5)] = file_get_contents('keys/'.$_GET['key'].'/zone_1/'.$api_name);
}
You also need to do the same for $zone_2 as well.
It may also be good to use trim() round some of the values as they also seem to contain \n characters, so perhaps...
trim(file_get_contents('keys/'.$_GET['key'].'/zone_1/'.$api_name))
I've created an array from a PHP session variable, and now I'm trying to use ajax (within jQuery) to remove an element from the array.
I've got the following code so far:
$val = $_SESSION['enquiry-basket'];
$array = explode($val);
foreach ($enquiries as $a => $q) {
if ($q == $_POST['product_id']) {
unset($array[$a]);
}
}
The only problem is, it doesn't remove the item.
Can anyone explain why, and tell me how to fix it?
Edit
Sorry guys. The reason I mentioned jQuery is because I use a jQuery ajax call to process the PHP I displayed above.
The ajax query runs fine because it processes some javascript goodies (remove's a div from the HTML) once the ajax returns a success.I've added the delimiter (can't believe I missed it) but the element doesn't get removed from the array still.
I've never been good at multi-dimensional arrays, so here's the array printed:
Array ( [0] => 6 [1] => 8 )
It looks right to me, but I'm an amateur in arrays. (6 and 8 are of course my strings I inserted)
explode is missing the first argument:
explode(',', $val);
You are removing item from $array, not from $_SESSION['enquiry-basket'].
The explode function should have two parameters. But you given only the name of the array.
explode(separator,string,limit);
If I understand correctly what you are trying to do, the problem is that JQuery runs client side, which means that your PHP arrays on the server side disappear between each request from Ajax. The only array that remains is $_SESSION.
If you want to use AJAX, you need to remove from $_SESSION directly. Anything else is just useless because the arrays and variables "disappear" between each call.
Mostly an issue with the explode function, the second parameter is missing:
Change from:
$array = explode($val);
To:
$array = explode('~',$val); // ~ is a delimiter
Basically, I have working solution for this, but I'm wondering if it could (should?) be done better in some other way.
I have table I'm creating in PHP with values from MYSQL. Each item in table has multiple values. In each line there is single link and clicking on this link fires up jQuery function. In each link there is also VALUE attribute with values from multiple MYSQL fields and joined with &&:
PHP code is:
foreach ($this->_data as $l)
{
?>
...
<td>Link</td>
...
<?php
}
And jQuery function to fire up when clickin' on link is:
$(".clickMe").click(function() {
myData = $(this).attr('value').split('&&');
});
Script splits string in VALUE attribute on && and creates an array myData with values:
myData[0] => value passed from $l->_data1 in PHP
myData[1] => value passed from $l->_data2 in PHP
Is this the right way to do it?
It's fine, as long as you'll never have && in your data. You could use json_encode() in PHP and then decode this into an array in JavaScript. That would be a more standard solution.
I would recommend against using && which looks like a boolean AND. Instead I would probably use something like a pipe to separate them val1|val2.
I think you're better off passing the whole joined string in to PHP and splitting it out there. It saves you work on both ends having to put the two resultant values into the proper post or get variables to send to PHP.
Then on the PHP side, it's a little easier to validate the one value's format before splitting it, as you can use a single regex like:
// Validate both values at once: 1 or more digits, a pipe, and one or more digits
if (preg_match('/^(\d+)\|(\d+)$/', $_POST['jqueryinput'])) {
// explode() and use in PHP...
list($val1, $val2) = explode("|", $_POST['jqueryinput']);
}
Im not really sure what im looking for but currently in my system i send a long url like this:
$name=1&option=2&field=4....
And its quite long. So if i have a list of values like:
name
option
field
can i put them into a string in which i can break at certain points eg by a slash or whatever.
And then encode the string so its completely random like, so i only have one field to send:
&data=JKHFGDKGLKJHFKDJHFKJDHFKHDF
Then finally i can decode the other side and break apart.
Is there a pre-built function to do this?
WHAT IT IS:
im sending data to paypal, but i have a few custom variables i wish to send, now for some reason my IPN isnt geting them, not sure why, but if i add one called custom it get to the IPN fine. So i thought if i just send one called custom in a random format and then decode?
You could simply Base64-encode your data.
$a = array('name' => '1', 'option' => '2', 'field' => '4');
$temp = json_encode($a); // convert array to string
$data = base64_encode($temp); // encode string
output:
"eyJuYW1lIjoiMSIsIm9wdGlvbiI6IjIiLCJmaWVsZCI6IjQifQ=="
To send this in an URL, you must encode it once more (like you must encode all data you would send in a URL)
$url = $url . "&data=" . urlencode($data)
The intermediary step through JSON ensures your data will kep its structure and will be easily decodeable on the receiving side.
On the downside: Your URL will be longer.
Use base64_encode and then base64_decode, this will solve your problem.
If you don't know what you are looking for we can't imagine that lol.
Anyway If i got you, you can do this, considering you have built your string:
$string ="$name=1&option=2&field=4";
You could pass it as a single param with:
$data = url_encode($string);
Other than url_encode you can use base64_encode
As the commenter (Bobby) says - consider using POST when you want to send larger sets of data and prevent your URL from becoming unmanageably long or ugly.
GET variables are handy for providing the user with a page they can bookmark directly which is desirable in some cases, such as on a search page with a query string and/or filters already filled in, so that the user can return to a search and check for new results periodically without having to reset all of their choices.
POST variables are better if you don't need that sort of functionality, you don't need to encode/decode them for URLs and they can't be bookmarked directly (which is also desirable in many cases).
To answer your original question though, if you really, really had to send the variable(s) on the URL and you wanted to just send one apparently random string, I suggest writing a couple of encode/decode functions of your own (since I assume the object of the excercise is not to encrypt it against tampering, just to make your URLs friendlier). This will be all the easier if there are restrictions to what the variables can be, and more difficult if they can be absolutely anything.
For example - if you have the following vars and possible settings:
var1 (apple, banana, orange)
var2 (car, motorbike, bicycle)
var3 (red, yellow, green)
Normally, you'd make a URL like:
http://www.mysite.com/page.php?var1=banana&var2=car&var3=green
If you assign the variables to numbers (for example) so that var1, var2 and var3 would be 1, 2 or 3 - then you could send over a URL like:
http://www.mysite.com/page.php?vars=213
Break it down at the other end into single numbers and convert those back into 'banana', 'car', and 'green'.
But seriously.... I'd look at POST first unless there is very specific reason why you would use this sort of approach - i've used it before for shortening a URL to make it more sharable on social media and forums.
I am looking to have a list of arguments passed across in an a URL.
$url['key1']=1;
$url['key2']=2;
$url['key3']=3;
$url['key4']=4;
$url['key5']=5;
$url['key6']=6;
$url['key7']=7;
Please Note I am trying to pass this in the URL in 1 GET variable. I know this would be better done by ?key1=1&key2=2&key3=3...etc but for reasons that are too complicated to try and explain they can't be in this format.
Any suggestions how I can convert this array into something that can be passed as 1 get var in a URL string?
Thanks in advance.
You can use json_encode() or serialize()
$myUrl = 'http://www.example.com/?myKey=' . urlencode(json_encode($url));
or
$myUrl = 'http://www.example.com/?myKey=' . urlencode(serialize($url));
Using json_encode will usually give you a shorter string, but very old PHP version might not have the json_decode function available to decode it again.
The final way would be to create your own custom encoding... it could be as simple a pipe-separated values: key1|1|key2|2|key3|3
This would give you the best option for a short URL, but is the most work.
Try http_build_query:
$url['key1']=1;
$url['key2']=2;
$url['key3']=3;
$url['key4']=4;
$url['key5']=5;
$url['key6']=6;
$url['key7']=7;
echo http_build_query($url);
//echos key1=1&key2=2&key3=3&key...
What it does is converting an array into a query string using the keys and automatically takes care of url-encoding.
EDIT:
Just read your additional requirement that it should be just one variable. So nevermind this answer.
If your problem was the proper encoding though you might want to give this another try.
Hope that helps.
The recommendation to use serialize() is fine. If space is an issue, then use a combination of bzcompress() and serialize().
However, there's a security considering that hasn't been brought up, and that's that the end user (who can see and edit this url) could manipulate the data within it. You may think it's difficult, but most of the PHP-attacking worms in the wild do this to some degree or another.
If letting the user directly manipulate any of the keys or values (or replacing it with an integer, or an object, or anything else), then you should protect your script (and your users) from this attack.
A simple solution is to simply use a shared secret. It can be anything; just so long as it's unique and truly secret (perhaps you should randomly generate it at install-time). Let's say you have in your config file something like this:
define('SECRET', 'unoqetbioqtnioqrntbioqt');
Then, you can digitally sign the serialized data created with: $s=serialize($m) using $k=sha1($s.SECRET) and make the url value $k.$s
Then, before you unserialize() do this:
$v=substr($input,0,40);
$s=substr($input,40);
if ($v != sha1($s.SECRET)) { die("invalid input"); }
$m=unserialize($s);
This way, you know that $m is the same as the original value that you serialized.
If you like, you can use the following drop-in replacements:
define('SECRET','buh9tnb1094tib014'); // make sure you pick something else
function secureserialize($o) {
$s=serialize($o);
return sha1($s.SECRET).$s;
}
function secureunserialize($i) {
$v=substr($i,0,40);$s=substr($i,40);
if ($v!=sha1($s.SECRET)){die("invalid input");}
return unserialize($s);
}
You could serialize them as key-value pairs when constructing the URL, putting the resultant serialized value in a single $_GET variable (e.g. data=sfsdfasdf98sdfasdf), then unserialize the $_GET["data"] variable. You'll need to use urlencode to make sure the resultant serialized values are URL-safe. Make sure you watch out for maximum URL lengths - 2083 characters in IE.
However, unless you really can't use key-value pairs in URLs (per your question), key1=foo&key2=bar... is definitely the way to go.
If you don't mind dropping the key names, you can use
http://example.com?url[]=1&url[]=2&url[]=3
EDIT Keeping the key names:
http://example.com?values[]=1&values[]=2&values[]=3&keys[]=1&keys[]=2&keys[]=3
Then in your PHP script:
$url = array_combine($_GET['keys'], $_GET['values']);
Could you solve your problem by saving the data as a HTML cookie? That way you don't have to modify the URL at all.
If you know the values in advance, you can set them from the server side when you send the user the page with your target link on it.
If you won't know the values until the user fills out a form it can still be done using JavascriptL When the user clicks the form submit you can set multiple cookies by making multiple javascript calls like:
document.cookie = 'key1=test; expires=Mon, 7 Sept 2009 23:47:11 UTC; path=/'
The security model might give you some trouble if you are trying to pass this data from one domain to another though.