php PDO mysql - behavioural query - php

Question

Happy New Year to all. I need to point out I am trying to use PDO exclusively and I'm a relative noob to using PDO, so please excuse the question if it appears plainly obvious.
I'm having a bit of a stupid moment because I cannot seem to understand a few things as to why a relatively simple email validation system I have (tried) to write is not quite working correctly. Everything is ok until the php at the end of the validation link is setting the email address as being validated. Here is my code, followed by questions:
Firstly I have an include file that holds the DB login. It looks like this:
<?php
// DATABASE SETTINGS
$hostname = "127.0.0.1";
$username = "devProduction";
$password = "ienx3rybcisuc";
$database = "devProduction";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$hostname; dbname=$database", $username, $password);
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
$conn->exec("SET CHARACTER SET utf8"); // Sets encoding UTF-8
// close the database connection (removed as I do this at the end of each call)
//$conn = null;
} catch(PDOException $e) {
echo $e->getMessage();
}
?>
And then in the page that actually received the user after they click on the link sent out to their email:
<?php
// Grab our includes
include '../conf/Funcs.php';
include '../conf/DBconfig.php'; // (This is the file displayed above)
require_once '../conf/Mobile_Detect.php';
// Check out what device is looking at us
$detect = new Mobile_Detect;
$deviceType = ($detect->isMobile() ? ($detect->isTablet() ? 'tablet' : 'phone') : 'computer');
$scriptVersion = $detect->getScriptVersion();
// Check to see if we are already logged in under an already validated account
if(isset($_COOKIE['AGMARDTuid']) || isset($_COOKIE['AGMARDTtoken'])) {
logout();
header("Location: ../");
exit;
} else {
$val = base64url_decode($_GET['val']);
$val = explode(":-:", $val);
$uid = $val[0];
$add = $val[1];
$key = $val[2];
// These are the three items that are pulled out of the URL $val value. This works fine
// It's only here to check it's working ok for the moment
echo "uid: ".$uid."<br>add: ".$add."<br>key: ".$key."<br><br>";
// Kill the process if either of the three values - $uid, $add, $key - are empty
if(($uid == "") || ($uid == NULL) || ($add == "") || ($add == NULL) || ($key == "") || ($key == NULL)) {
logout();
header("Location: ../");
exit;
} else {
// Seems everything is in order for email validation, so lets validate
$yes = "yes";
$NULL = NULL;
try {
$stmt = $conn->prepare("UPDATE $database.users SET `emailValidated` = :validate, `emailValidationKey` = :newkey WHERE `uid` = :uid AND `email` = :add AND `emailValidationKey` = :key");
$stmt->bindParam(':uid', $uid);
$stmt->bindparam(':add', $add);
$stmt->bindParam(':key', $key);
$stmt->bindParam(':validate', $yes);
$stmt->bindParam(':newkey', $NULL);
$stmt->execute();
$result = "success";
} catch(PDOException $e) { catchMySQLerror($e->getMessage()); $result = "fail"; }
$conn = null;
echo "result: ".$result." (post sql)<br><br>";
if($result == "fail") {
echo "Email did not successfully validate, there was a problem<br><br>";
echo $conn . "<br>" . $e->getMessage();
} else if($result == "success"){
echo "Email successfully validated<br><br>";
echo $conn . "<br>" . $e->getMessage();
}
echo "<br><br>We got to the end!";
}
}
?>
The code works, kinda. The problem is, if there is NOT an account within the database that matches all three values passed to the script from the URL, it still displays as having updated (validated) an account, even though it has not. Why is this?
Also, for the section that I am binding some parameters, specifically these two:
$stmt->bindParam(':validate', $yes);
$stmt->bindParam(':newkey', $NULL);
Why do I seem to have to assign $yes = "yes"; and "$NULL = NULL; as variables beforehand? I did try:
$stmt->bindParam(':validate', 'yes');
$stmt->bindParam(':newkey', NULL);
and
$stmt->bindParam(':validate', yes);
$stmt->bindParam(':newkey', NULL);
and
$stmt->bindParam(':validate', 'yes');
$stmt->bindParam(':newkey', 'NULL');
all without success.
Answers and info and suggestions always welcome and appreciated. Thank you!
C

Answer 1

You should use bindValue instead bindParam when you want to pass a value (or the result of a function) in the prepared statement.
$id = 100;
$datas = array('a', 'b', 'c');
$stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT * FROM user WHERE id = :id AND status > :status AND justForExample = :other");
$stmt->bindParam(':id', $id, PDO::PARAM_INT);
$stmt->bindValue(':status', 1, PDO::PARAM_INT);
$stmt->bindValue(':other', implode("", $datas), PDO::PARAM_STR);
$stmt->execute();
The documentation to BindValue
The documentation to BindParam
More informations about the difference