PHP doesn't insert in database - php

Question

I'm working on a Joomla module. I'm trying to take input from a form and insert it into a database. Here's my "helper.php" code:
<?php
/** post form to db module **/
// No direct access
defined( '_JEXEC' ) or die( 'Restricted access' );
//--build the form------------>
?>
<form name="names" id="names" action="<?php echo JURI::current(); ?>" method="post">
<p><input type="text" name="fname" id="fname" value="" /></p>
<p><input type="text" name="lname" id="lname" value="" /></p>
<p><input id="submit" name="submit" type="submit" value="Submit Names" /></p>
</form>
<!-- //--END BUILD THE FORM--------| -->
<?
if( (isset($_POST['lname'])) || (isset($_POST['fname'])) ) {
//first name or last name set, continue-->
$lname = $_POST['lname'];
$fname = $_POST['fname'];
/* $data =new stdClass();
$data->id = NULL;
$data->firstname = $fname;
$data->lastname = $lname;*/
$db =& JFactory::getDBO();
$query = "INSERT INTO `#__names` (`fname`, `lname`)
VALUES ($fname, $lname);";
$db->setQuery( $query );
$db->query();
} else {
echo '<h4>One Field Is Required!</h4>';
}
?>
I can see the form, but when I submit the data it doesn't update the database table. I've checked the Apache error log but it doesn't contain any information about it. What am I missing?

Answer 1

For your query it should be more like this, the way you have it will not work in 2.5.
$db = JFactory::getDbo();
$query = $db->getQuery(true)
->insert($db->quoteName('#__names'))
->columns(array($db->quoteName('fname', 'lname')))
->values($db->quote($fname),$db->quote($lname));
$db->setQuery($query);
$db->execute();

Answer 2

Remove ; from query and add quotes to the strings $fname and $lname
$query = "INSERT INTO `#__names` (`fname`, `lname`)
VALUES ('".$fname."', '".$lname."')";
And OPTIONALLY you need to insert NULL if the fields are empty like
$lname = (trim($lname) != '') ? $lname : 'NULL';
$fname = (trim(fname) != '') ? $fname : 'NULL';

Answer 3

Try this:
$query = "INSERT INTO `#__names` (`fname`, `lname`)
VALUES ('$fname', '$lname');";