filling in form fields from previous database entry - php - php

Question

I am trying to create a form where everything is filled out from the user's previous entry. Its suppose to work by the user selecting the "update" link. However the form is not being filled at all.
I've been trying to figure this out for 2 days now but i cant seem to figure it out. Some help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
up.php
<form method="POST" action="up1.php">
<?php
$connection = mysql_connect("xxxxx","xxxxx","xxxxx")
or die("Could not make connection.");
$db = mysql_select_db("xxxxx")
or die("Could not select database.");
$sql1 = "SELECT * FROM emp ORDER BY primeID DESC ";
$sql_result = mysql_query($sql1) or die("Invalid query: " . mysql_error());
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql_result))
{
$prime = $row["primeID"];
}
?>
Update
</form>
up1.php
<form action="up2.php" method="post">
<?
$connection = mysql_connect("xxxxx","xxxxx","xxxxx")
or die("Could not make connection.");
$db = mysql_select_db("xxxxx")
or die("Could not select database.");
$sql1 = "SELECT * FROM emp WHERE primeID = '$up22'";
$sql_result = mysql_query($sql1)
or die("Invalid query: " . mysql_error());
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql_result))
{
$prime = $row["primeID"];
$a1 = $row["country"];
$a2 = $row["job"];
$a3 = $row["pos_type"];
$a4 = $row["location"];
$a5 = $row["des"];
$a6 = $row["des_mess"];
$a7 = $row["blurb"];
$a8 = $row["restitle"];
$a9 = $row["res"];
$a10 = $row["knowtitle"];
$a11 = $row["know"];
$a12 = $row["mis"];
$a13 = $row["mis_des"];
}
?>
<input name="aa1" value="<? echo $a1; ?>" type="text" id="textfield" size="60">
<input name="a1" type="text" value="<? echo $a2; ?>" id="textfield" size="60">
<input name="a2" type="text" value="<? echo $a3; ?>" id="a2" size="60">
<input name="a4" type="text" value="<? echo $a5; ?>" id="a4" size="60">
</form>

Answer 1

Based upon the limited information I could get out of your post I think I found the problem:
Starting with up.php
Update
Actually sends a "GET request" (Loading the page with a query string). We need to rebuild that:
<a href="JavaScript: void(0)" onclick="this.parentElement.submit()" >Update</a>
Now this link is going to send the form. However we need to send the value $prime. Let's use a hidden input inside the form.
<input type="hidden" name="up22" value="<? echo $prime; ?>" />
Now when the user clicks the link it posts the form and loads up1.php with the post var up22.
Changes to up1.php
$sql1 = "SELECT * FROM emp WHERE primeID = '".$_POST['up22']".'";
PDO
To update your code even further: PDO is a safer way to do queries. mysql queries are deprecated. They shouldn't be used anymore.
Replace your database calls with the following code:
function openDBConnection()
{
$name = "xxxxxx";
$pw = "xxxxxx";
$server = "xxxxxxx";
$dbConn = new PDO("mysql:host=$server;dbname=xxx", $name, $pw, , array( PDO::ATTR_PERSISTENT => false));
}
catch( PDOException $Exception )
{
echo "120001 Unable to connect to database.";
}
return $dbConn;
}
function doPDOQuery($sql, $type, $var = array())
{
$db = openDBConnection();
$db->setAttribute( PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION );
if ($type == "prepare")
{
$queryArray = $var;
$sth = $db->prepare($sql, array(PDO::ATTR_CURSOR => PDO::CURSOR_FWDONLY));
$sth->execute($queryArray);
}
else if ($type == "query")
{
$sth = $db->query($sql);
}
else
{
echo "Supplied type is not valid.";
exit;
}
if (!$sth)
{
$error = $db->errorInfo();
echo $error;
exit;
}
return $sth;
}
These functions you can use to make PDO queries to the database. The first function opens a database connection, while the second functions actually performs the query. You do not need to call the first function. It's called in the second one.
Example based upon your code:
$sql1 = "SELECT * FROM emp WHERE primeID = :id";
$sql_result = doPDOQuery($sql1, 'prepare', array(":id" => $_POST['up22']));
while ($row = $sql_result->fetchAll() )
{
//loop through the results.
}
PDO works as follows: instead of passing php variables into the SQL string (and risking SQL-injection), PDO passes the SQL string and variables to the database and let's the database's driver build the query string.
PDO variables can be declared by name or by index:
By name: use : to declare a named variable. SELECT * FROM TABLE WHERE id = :id. Each key must be unique.
By index: use ? to declare an indexed variable. SELECT * FROM TABLE WHERE id = ?
An array containing the variables needs to be passed to PDO.
named array:
array(":id" => 1);
indexed array:
array(1);
With named arrays you don't have to worry about the order of the variables.
http://php.net/manual/en/book.pdo.php