Updating DB with AJAX and PHP using checkboxes without a form - php

Question

I have a table in which the last cell is a bit value. When new data is inserted, the bit is automatically set to 1. I used PHP to display the contents of the table, in <table> form, wherein the last cell contains a checkbox. I didn't surround these checkboxes in <form></form> tags, they're just <input ... /> with name="stat[]." I used an array for the name so that PHP knows that $_POST['stat'] will be an array containing all the inputs.
One or more checkboxes can be checked and submitted to update the bit value to 0.
Questions:
Do I have to use <form> tags for this? The AJAX isn't working.
Can the <button> element be assigned a method and action?
HTML Button. Notice there is no form here.
<input type="submit" id="updateList" type="button" method="post" action="classes/requests/updateList.php" value="update list" />
jQuery and AJAX
$('input#updateList').on('click', function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
var open = 'yes';
if ($('.update:checked').length <= 0) {
$('.fade_bg').fadeIn(200);
$('#updateStat').slideDown(600);
$('span#stat2').fadeIn(400).text('You must make a selection');
$('a#closeBox2').show();
return false;
}
else {
$('.update').each(function (index) {
var chckd = $('#chck' + index).val();
open = 'no';
$.ajax ({
type: 'post',
url: 'classes/requests/updateList.php',
data: {
stat: chckd
},
success: function(data) {
if (data === 'updated') {
alert(data);
// $('.fade_bg').fadeIn(200);
// $('#reqStat').slideDown(600);
// $('span#stat').fadeIn(400).text('Thank you. Your request has been submitted.');
// $('a#successClose').show();
}
else {
$('span#stat').fadeIn(400).text('There was an error in submitting your request');
$('a#closeBox').show();
return false;
}
}
});
});
}
});
PHP for rendering the HTML list
include('../dbconnect.php');
$closed = 'no';
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;dbname=$db_name;", $db_user, $db_password);
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT RequestID, DateAdded, Graphic1Desc, Graphic2Desc, Graphic3Desc, ColorChart, Hex1, Hex2, Hex3, Hex4, Hex5, Hex6, Hex7, Hex8 FROM GraphicsRequest WHERE fulfilled = :done AND RequestID > 0");
print '<table id="pendingReqs">';
print '<tr id="headers">
<td>Date</td>
<td>Gr. 1</td>
<td>Gr. 2</td>
<td>Gr. 3</td>
<td>Colors?</td>
<td>HEX Vals 1-8</td>
<td>Done</td>
</tr>';
$stmt->bindParam(':done', $closed);
for ($r = 0; $r <= $stmt->rowCount(); $r++) {
$stmt->execute();
$row = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
$id = $row[$r]['RequestID'];
$date = $row[$r]['DateAdded'];
$d1 = $row[$r]['Graphic1Desc'];
$d2 = $row[$r]['Graphic2Desc'];
$d3 = $row[$r]['Graphic3Desc'];
$chart = $row[$r]['ColorChart'];
$h1 = $row[$r]['Hex1'];
$h2 = $row[$r]['Hex2'];
$h3 = $row[$r]['Hex3'];
$h4 = $row[$r]['Hex4'];
$h5 = $row[$r]['Hex5'];
$h6 = $row[$r]['Hex6'];
$h7 = $row[$r]['Hex7'];
$h8 = $row[$r]['Hex8'];
print '<tr>
<td>' . $date . '</td>
<td class="desc">' . $d1 . '</td>
<td class="desc">' . $d2 . '</td>
<td class="desc">' . $d3 . '</td>
<td>' . $chart . '</td>
<td>'
. $h1 . ', '
. $h2 . ',<br />'
. $h3 . ', '
. $h4 . ',<br />'
. $h5 . ', '
. $h6 . ',<br />'
. $h7 . ', '
. $h8 . '<br /></td>
<td><input type="checkbox" class="update" name="stat[]" id="chk' . $id . '"/></td></tr>';
}
print '</table>';
print $id;
PHP for updating the list
function updateStatus() {
include('../../../dbconnect.php');
$updated = false;
$open = 'yes';
$id = 0;
try {
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;dbname=$db_name;", $db_user, $db_password);
$stat = $pdo->prepare('SELECT RequestID FROM GraphicsRequest WHERE fulfilled = :open');
$stat->bindParam(':open', $open);
$_POST['stat'] = array();
for ($r = 0; $r <= $stat->rowCount(); $r++) {
$stat->execute();
$row = $stat->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
$id = $_POST['stat'][$row[$r]['RequestID']];
if (ISSET($_POST['stat[' . $id . ']'])) {
$open = 'no';
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('UPDATE GraphicsRequest SET fulfilled = :open');
$stmt->bindParam(':open', $open);
$stmt->execute();
$pdo = null;
if ($stmt->rowCount() == 0)
echo('rowCount = 0');
else
$updated = true;
return $updated;
}
}
}
catch (PDOException $err){
echo $e->getMessage();
return $updated;
}
}

Answer 1

I haven't checked all of your source code, but it is absolutely possible to use AJAX to send some data to the server without the need of <form> tag. Using a form makes it only a lot easier to receive all "form values" at once.