checkbox selection & arrays - php

Question

I have 9 check boxes in my select.php
<form method="post" action="test.php">
<input type="checkbox" name="g1[]" id="c1" value="c1">
<input type="checkbox" name="g1[]" id="c2" value="c2">
<input type="checkbox" name="g1[]" id="c3" value="c3">
<input type="checkbox" name="g2[]" id="h1" value="h1">
<input type="checkbox" name="g2[]" id="h2" value="h2">
<input type="checkbox" name="g2[]" id="h3" value="h3">
<input type="checkbox" name="g3[]" id="d1" value="d1">
<input type="checkbox" name="g3[]" id="d2" value="d2">
<input type="checkbox" name="g3[]" id="d3" value="d3">
</form>
ok my test.php looks like this now:
error_reporting(E_ALL);
$g1 = $_POST['g1'];
$g2 = $_POST['g2'];
$g3 = $_POST['g3'];
//Connect to DB
$ng1 = count($g1);
$ng2 = count($g2);
$ng3 = count($g3);
$sum = 0;
for ($i = 1; $i <= 3; $i++)
{
$arr = "g$i";
if (!isset($_POST[$arr]))
${$arr} = array();
else
${$arr} = $_POST[$arr];
if (!is_array(${$arr}))
die("Error in input parameter $arr");
${"ng$i"} = count(${$arr});
if (${"ng$i"} < 1)
die("At least one $arr checkbox must be checked");
$sum += ${"ng$i"};
${"g$i"."_sql"} = implode(',', array_map(${$arr}, 'mysql_real_escape'));
}
$query="INSERT INTO ch_lg (g1, g2, g3) VALUES ('$g1_sql','$g2_sql','$g3_sql')";
mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
mysql_close();
//echo message
}
Modifid Question
I need to check that:
The user chose 1 checkbox from each array (your code does this)
He didn't select more than 4 checkboxes (your code does this)
He chose 1 more checkbox from JUST one array (meaning that he has to chose 4 in total and that just 1 of each is not acceptable) - I think this is not happening in your code. Does it?
Thank you

Answer 1

"No more than 3 in both of them" means that 2 hair + 1 color is OK, but 2 hair + 2 color is not because it would give 4? Then:
$ncolor = count($color);
$nhair = count($hair);
if (($ncolor >= 1) && ($nhair >=1) && (($ncolorn+$nhair)<=3))
// OK
else
// No good.
and then insert my values into db columns COLOR / HAIR.
You have to explain how your DB is structured and how do you want the data. If I get 2 hair and 1 color, do you want:
3 rows, one with color, two with hair
2 rows, one with color and hair, one with hair alone
1 row with colors and hairs coalesced with separators:
$color_sql = implode(',', array_map($color, 'mysql_real_escape'));
$hair_sql = implode(',', array_map($hair, 'mysql_real_escape'));
INSERT INTO mytable (..., color, hair, ...)
VALUES (...,'$color_sql','$hair_sql', ...);
Also, at the beginning of test.php I assume there is something like:
<?php
error_reporting(E_ALL);
$g1 = $_POST['g1'];
$g2 = $_POST['g2'];
$g3 = $_POST['g3'];
...
Verification could be done in a cycle:
<?php
error_reporting(E_ALL);
$sum = 0;
for ($i = 1; $i <= 3; $i++)
{
$arr = "g$i";
if (!isset($_POST[$arr]))
${$arr} = array();
else
${$arr} = $_POST[$arr];
if (!is_array(${$arr}))
die("Error in input parameter $arr");
${"ng$i"} = count(${$arr});
if (${"ng$i"} < 1)
die("At least one $arr checkbox must be checked");
$sum += ${"ng$i"};
${"g$i"."_sql"} = implode(',', array_map(${$arr}, 'mysql_real_escape'));
}
// NOTICE: 'NULL' between quotes? Should't it be NULL without quotes?
// If ID is autoincrement, just omit it: (g1, g2, g3) VALUES ('$g1_sql',...)
$query="INSERT INTO ch_lg (ID, g1, g2, g3) VALUES ('NULL','$g1_sql','$g2_sql','$g3_sql')";
mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
mysql_close();