Inserting data with PDO. I have tried so many ways and failed - php

Question

I have just begun learning PDO. I have connected to my database and I have a working login happening with the mySql database. Now I am trying to get three pieces of data from a form and then insert them into the table. I have been on this for a week and every version I come up with fails. I get no error messages yet when I check the table it remains empty.
As I have other PDO action working, I'm confident that the problem is in the following piece of code. The button involved is named 'addGig'. This is the first time I have used the name of a button... I'm not confident with this.
I have just edited this post to include my revised code.
So many rookie mistakes!
$date = $_POST['date'];
$venue = $_POST['venue'];
$time = $_POST['time'];
if (!empty($date) && !empty($venue) && !empty($time)){
try{
$query = $connect->prepare("INSERT INTO gigs (date, venue, time) VALUES (:date, :venue, :time)");
$query->bindParam(':date' , $date);
$query->bindParam(':venue' , $venue);
$query->bindParam(':time' , $time);
$query->execute();
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
handle_sql_errors($query, $e->getMessage());
}
}
}
This is my html form
<form>
<label>date</label><br><input type="text" name="date"><br>
<label>venue</label><br><input type="text" name="venue"><br>
<label>time</label><br><input type="text" name="time"><br>
<br>
<button type="submit" value="addGig" name="addGig">add gig</button>
</form>

Answer 1

You have ZERO error handling, and are simply assuming that your prepare could never fail. If you had error handling, you'd have been told about your syntax errors:
INSERT INTO gigs ('date', 'venue', 'time')
^----^--^-----^--^----^----
You've used the incorrect quotes. ' turns things into string literals. You cannot use string literals as identifiers in MySQL. Identifiers (table/field names) must either be bare words, or quoted with backticks. Since none of your field names are reserved words, backticks are not required. But either of the following would be acceptable
INSERT INTO gigs (`date`, `venue`, `time`)
INSERT INTO gigs (date, venue, time)

Answer 2

you have to edit your prepared statement into the right format:
the columns in your database shouldn't be escaped with '.
"INSERT INTO gigs (date, venue, time) ...
you can write the prepared statement like this (for better reading):
...VALUES (:date, :venue, :time)...
In your bindParam Method you can assign your variables like this:
$query->bindParam(':date' , $date);
Or you do it like in your query:
...VALUES (?, ?, ?)...
and then:
$query->bindParam(1 , $date);
try this:
$query = $connect->prepare("INSERT INTO gigs (date, venue, time) VALUES (:date, :venue, :time)");
$query->bindParam(':date' , $date);
$query->bindParam(':venue' , $venue);
$query->bindParam(':time' , $time);
$query->execute();
for more information consult the manual:
http://php.net/pdo.prepared-statements

Answer 3

There are a few issues here. (Now known after you posted your form code).
One of which is, that you are using <form> which defaults to GET when a method is not given. This in conjunction with your $_POST variables.
Therefore you need to give it a specific method, POST.
<form method="post">
Plus, without an action, defaults to self.
If you're using the form seperately from your SQL, you need to specify it.
I.e.:
<form method="post" action="handler.php">
Plus, you are/were using quotes for your columns. Remove them or using ticks.
Those aren't the right identifiers, as per your original question
https://stackoverflow.com/revisions/28091236/2
('date', 'venue', 'time')
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/identifier-qualifiers.html