How to send data in array to database - php

Question

I am getting a value from an input box in array. I want to post all this into a database with a single insert query so that all relevent data are inserted together in MySQL
Here is my code
foreach ($_POST['stop'] as $stopIndex => $stopValue) {
echo $stopname=$stopValue;
}
foreach ($_POST['timing'] as $timingIndex => $timingValue) {
}
foreach ($_POST['ampm'] as $ampmIndex => $ampmValue) {
}
Can anyone help me with correct code where to write insert query

Answer 1

This is example if you use codeigniter's way of fetching data.
Just prepare one array with appropriate keys (relevant to database keys you defined) and import it with the update_batch CI db method.
This is actually method like the one you can use in your model.
function save_something() {
$post_data = $this->input->post();
foreach ($post_data as $key => $value) {
$settings[] = array( 'key' => $key, 'value' => $value);
}
}
$this->db->update_batch('settings',$settings,'key');
return true;
}

Answer 2

Yes sure.
Assumed that you have something like the below.
<input type="text" name="variable1['key1']">
<input type="text" name="variable1['key2']">
Here variable1 is an array. When you submit, instead of using "for" OR "foreach" serialize it directly as:
$s = serialize($_POST['variable1']);
echo $s;
Your $s will be something like this:
"a:2:{s:6:"'key1'";s:6:"value1";s:5:"'bcd'";s:6:"value2";}"
The $s can be stored in a single column in the database (type can be text in DB).
While retrieving you can unserialize that column which converts back to array and you can use it easily.
Advantages, less number of records in DB, and in your front end you there is no need to use
looping statements.
UPDATED - TO ADD INTO DATABASE:
foreach ($_POST as $key)
{
$s = serialize($key);
mysqli_query("INSERT INTO `test`.`abc` (`id` ,`data`) VALUES (NULL , $s)");
}
Serialize value acts as a string, so the resultant will be number of records == number of arrays.