Insert value from select box into database - php

Question

I have a post text website on http://www.youngcreatitivy.se
You see on http://www.youngcreativity.se/post.php that I have a post method. And on the bottom of the page I have like a option to choose which category your text is in. I've founded this code for inserting value from select box into my database. Here it is:
<?php
//insert category to database
if(isset($_POST['qty'])) {
// Fetch and clean the <select> value.
// The (int) makes sure the value is really a integer.
$qty = (int)$_POST['qty'];
// Create the INSERT query.
$sql = "INSERT INTO `table`(`quantity`)
VALUES ({$qty})";
// Connect to a database and execute the query.
$dbLink = mysql_connect('server', 'username', 'password') or die(mysql_error());
mysql_select_db('database_name', $dbLink) or die(mysql_errno());
$result = mysql_query($sql);
// Check the results and print the appropriate message.
if($result) {
echo "Record successfully inserted!";
}
else {
echo "Record not inserted! (". mysql_error() .")";
}
}
?>
Thats the Php code.
Here's the html code:
Qty: <select name="category">
<option value="1">Quote</option>
<option value="1">Poem</option>
<option value="1">Novel</option>
</select>
<br>
<input type="submit">
</select>
I understand the code, but how should I create the database in phpMyAdmin? And how can I get so that If I click submit after choosing the category and typed in my text it post the text and it writes which category I chosen in the database?
Please, help me!

Answer 1

I am guessing your first language is not English - 'Qty' is a common abbreviation for 'Quantity', so the code you are re-using is more about numbers.
You need to change the original <select> to something like -
<select name="category">
<option value="Quote">Quote</option>
<option value="Poem">Poem</option>
<option value="Novel">Novel</option>
</select>
As your code is, the select will only ever return 1.
Also, you need to escape the value returned before you store it in the database. mysql_real_escape_string is your friend in this case - http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-real-escape-string.php - otherwise you are open to sql injection.

Answer 2

If you are in localhost. Then you have to go to
http://localhost/phpmyadmin
There you find the way to create database and tables you can get easily. But you r in server if you have cokntrol panel there you see phpmyadmin with logo. There you click on that your phpmyadmin will be opened.Same as localhost. Hope this helps to you.
Ramsai