Using preg_match on array from POST checkbox values - php

Question

The problem I'm having is making preg_match work correctly for my array returned from my form.
<input type="checkbox" name="receiver-check[]" class="checkbox-id" value="Username 1 (123)">
<input type="checkbox" name="receiver-check[]" class="checkbox-id" value="Username 2 (456)">
<input type="checkbox" name="receiver-check[]" class="checkbox-id" value="Username 3 (789)">
So I wish to use preg_match on the values received through my form.
This is how I use it.
$msg_receivers = !empty($_POST['receiver-check']) && is_array($_POST['receiver-check']) ? $_POST['receiver-check'] : array();
$receiverIds = array();
foreach($msg_receivers as $receiver) {
$receiverIds[] = preg_replace('/\((\d+)\)$/', "$1", $receiver);
}
$number_of_receivers = count($receiverIds);
$while_count = 0;
while($number_of_receivers >= ($while_count + 1)){
$sql = <<< EOF
INSERT INTO private_messages (
message_subject,
message_content,
message_deliver,
message_receive,
message_status,
message_datetime,
message_to_stab
)VALUES
(?,?,?,?,'2',?,?);
EOF;
$stmt = $mysqli->prepare($sql) or die ("Feil i database<br>" . $sql . "<br><b>Feilmelding:</b> " . $mysqli->error);
$stmt->bind_param("ssiiii",$message_subject,$message_content, $_SESSION['user_id'],$receiverIds[$while_count],$message_datetime,$message_to_stab);
$stmt->execute() or die("noe gikk galt");
$msg_num_rows = $stmt->num_rows;
if($msg_num_rows = 0){
$msg = "Feilmelding: Klarte ikke å sende meldingen.";
}
else{
$msg = "Meldingen har blitt sendt.";
}
$stmt->free_result();
$stmt->close();
$while_count ++;
}
Then I use $msg_receiver_query to asign a value in the query INSIDE the while loop.
What I currently receive in my database is 0 and 1. Nothing else. What would the correct preg_match be for me to output JUST the numbers inside the paranthesis? and is there a more effective solution to this problem of mine?

Answer 1

It looks like you don't want to match, you want to extract just a portion of each $_POST['receiver-check'] value - so preg_replace() would be the right function to use.
$msg_receivers = !empty($_POST['receiver-check']) && is_array($_POST['receiver-check'])
? $_POST['receiver-check'] : array();
$receiverIds = array();
foreach($msg_receivers as $receiver) {
$receiverIds[] = preg_replace('/^.*\((\d+)\)$/', "$1", $reciever);
}
That should give you an array of reciever ids ($receiverIds) like:
array(
[0] => 123,
[1] => 456,
[2] => 789
);

Answer 2

You could do something like this.
This way you can insert it in to your DB. but you will query your Db 3 times to insert 3 records.
<?php
//use your connection Data
$user = "root";
$pass = "***";
$host = "localhost";
$dbdb = "TestDataBase";
$connect = mysqli_connect($host, $user, $pass, $dbdb);
if(!$connect)
{
trigger_error('Error connection to database: '.mysqli_connect_error());
}
//check if receiver-check is set or not
if(isset($_POST['receiver-check'])){
$msg_receivers = $_POST['receiver-check'];
// iterate through $msg_receivers
foreach($msg_receivers AS $value){
preg_match_all("/([0-9]{3})/", $value, $msg_receiver_query);
//Query, just change the table name and columns to what ever you need.
$sql = "INSERT INTO `table` (`column1`) VALUES ('" .$msg_receiver_query[0][0] . "')";
if (mysqli_query($connect, $sql)) {
echo 'Record(s) created successfully<br>';
} else {
echo $sql . '"<br>"' . mysqli_error($connect);
}
}
}else{
echo "nothing is set";
}
?>
Maybe a ittle to advanced but you can do this in one query aswell.
<?php
//use your connection Data
$user = "root";
$pass = "***";
$host = "localhost";
$dbdb = "TestDataBase";
$connect = mysqli_connect($host, $user, $pass, $dbdb);
if(!$connect)
{
trigger_error('Error connection to database: '.mysqli_connect_error());
}
//check if receiver-check is set or not
if(isset($_POST['receiver-check'])){
$msg_receivers = $_POST['receiver-check'];
$inputArray = '';
// iterate through $msg_receivers
foreach($msg_receivers AS $value){
preg_match_all("/([0-9]{3})/", $value, $msg_receiver_query);
//insert all output in to an array
$inputArray [] = "('" . $msg_receiver_query[0][0] . "')";
}
//Insert all outputs in 1 query
$sql = "INSERT INTO `testtable` (`column1`) VALUES " . implode(",",$inputArray) . "";
if (mysqli_query($connect, $sql)) {
echo 'Record(s) created successfully<br>';
} else {
echo $sql . '"<br>"' . mysqli_error($connect);
}
}else{
echo "nothing is set";
}
?>