Php code does not send query to database - php

Question

I am trying to update my database using ajax, but I cannot seem to understand why the php code does not update the database. The script:
function Insert () {
if (XMLHttpRequestObject) {
XMLHttpRequestObject.open("POST","list_insert.php");
XMLHttpRequestObject.setRequestHeader('Content-Type','application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
XMLHttpRequestObject.onreadystatechange = function() {
if (XMLHttpRequestObject.readyState == 4 && XMLHttpRequestObject.status == 200) {
var returnedData = XMLHttpRequestObject.responseText;
var messageDiv = document.getElementById('messageDiv');
messageDiv.innerHTML = returnedData;
}
}
var item = document.getElementById('items').value;
var desc = document.getElementById('description').value;
var data = item + '|' + desc + '|';
XMLHttpRequestObject.send("data=" + data);
}
return false;
}
This is the php code for list_insert:
<?php
include "function_list.php";
$myData = $_POST['data'];
$datetime = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
list($items,$description) = explode ('|',$myData);
$statement = "INSERT INTO record ";
$statement .= "(items,description) ";
$statement .= "VALUES (";
$statement .= "'".$items."', '".$description."')";
print $statement;
insert($statement);
print "done";
?>
My php function to insert into the db (function_list):
<?php
$con=mysqli_connect("localhost","shop");
if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
}
function insert($statement) {
global $con;
mysqli_query($con,$statement);
}
?>
When I print the statement out, the query is correct (I have verified this by manually copy pasting it in mysql). I think the issue is with my insert function.
Any help is appreciated,
thank you.

Answer 1

Firstly, all mysql statements must end in a semicolon.
Secondly, have you made sure $items and $description are the values you expect them to have? Do they have any unescaped quotes?
Also, typically you would send each of the fields as a separate value like so:
var item = document.getElementById('items').value;
var desc = document.getElementById('description').value;
XMLHttpRequestObject.send("items=" + item + "&desc=" + desc);
$$items = $_POST['items'];
$description = $_POST['desc'];

Answer 2

By default, the username for mysql is root, and the password is blank, even though you aren't prompted for these, they are set by default.

Answer 3

I think this might be the issue
in ur global variable $con letz say you put this
$con = new mysqli("host", "user", "pwd", "dbname");
then
function insert($statement) {
$con->query($statement);
$con->close();
}