Dynamic form names 3

[hpvic03]

Ok, so say I have a database with a table for group members, and another table for attributes for the group members. Each group member can have multiple attributes.

So I want to make a page with a form that has a text field for every group member for a specific attribute. I did this with a cfoutput query. But here's where I have trouble - what do I name each text field? I could name them something dynamic, like the group member's ID or name, but then how would I access each text field when I'm trying to save the information to the attribute table?

I can't name each field the same thing, because then it won't know which is which.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[GUJUm0deL]

The way I'd go about this is create the form fields dynamically; something like:

<input type="text" value="" name="#memberID#_#GroupID#_1">
<input type="text" value="" name="#memberID#_#GroupID#_2">
<input type="text" value="" name="#memberID#_#GroupID#_3">
...
...
...

Then on the action page save the table accordingly. The _1 or _2 will indicate the field is different. You just scrub out that piece prior to saving it in the dB.

_____________________________
Just Imagine.

http://www.imajinarts.com

 

[hpvic03]

Ok the only problem I'm having with that is the SQL on the action page. For example, how would I do an update, because I can't do it like this:

<cfoutput query="members">

<cfquery datasource="#dsn#" name="update">
UPDATE tablename
SET attribute = '#form.#memberID#_#groupID#_3#'
WHERE memberID = '#memberID#'
</cfquery>

 

[GUJUm0deL]

You can loop over the form variables to update. Something like:

<!--- LOOP OVER THE FORM FIELDS --->
<cfloop from="1" to="x" step="1" index="FileNumber">
	<!--- CHECK TO SEE IF THE FIELD IS NOT NULL --->
	<cfif form["#memberID#_#groupID#_" & FileNumber] NEQ "">
		<!--- UPDATE THE TABLE ONE BY ONE --->
		<cfquery name="" datasource="">
			UPDATE	tablename
			SET		attribute = '#memberID#_#groupID#_#FileNumber#'
			WHERE	memberID = <cfqueryparam cfsqltype="cf_sql_integer" value="#trim(memberID)#" maxlength="4" null="no">
		</cfquery>
	</cfif>
</cfloop>

_____________________________
Just Imagine.

http://www.imajinarts.com

 

[hpvic03]

so you don't have to specify the Form scope when setting the attribute field? i.e the "Form." before Form.formname?

 

[overmodulation]

You can name the attributes att1,att2 and att3 and have hidden inputs with the values of #memberID# and #GroupID# in each form. that way you can have an update statement like this:

UPDATE tablename
SET attribute='#FORM.att1#'
WHERE MemberID=#FORM.memberID#

 

[hpvic03]

that last one will not work. the idea is to have one submit button to submit all the text fields - so I can only have one form. So #form.memberID# would be different for every text field, and thus unaccessible.

 

[overmodulation]

Not true... what I do when I want to process a bunch of records with one submit, I name the field according to its ID and then loop through a list with an Evaluate() statement like this...

<!--- FORM --->
<cfform action="action.cfm?update=yes" method="post">
<table>
<cfoutput query="qMembers">
 <tr>
  <td>
    <!--- ATTRIBUTE --->
    <cfinput type="text" name="a#MemberID#" />
    <!--- Member ID --->
    <input type="hidden" name="ID" value="#MemberID#" />
    <!--- GROUP ID --->
    <input type="hidden" name="GroupID" value="#GroupID#" />
  </td>
 </tr>
</cfoutput>
 <tr>
  <td colspan="3">
   <input type="submit" name="btnGo" value="go" />
  </td>
 </tr>
<table>
</cfform>

<!--- PROCESSING --->
<cfif isDefined("url.update")>
 <cfloop index="i" List="#Form.ID#">
  <cfset ID=#Evaluate("#i#")#>
  <cfif IsDefined("ID")>
   <cfoutput>
     <cfset myAtt=#Evaluate("a" & "#ID#")#>

      <cfquery name="qUpdate" datasource="myDb">
        UPDATE myTable
        SET myAtt = #myAtt#
        WHERE (MemberID = #ID#)
      </cfquery>				
    </cfoutput>
   </cfif>
 </cfloop>
 <h3 style="font-family:Arial;" align="center">Records  Updated!</h3>
</cfif>

I promise it works. I use it to update

 

[cfStarlight]

hpvic03,

Assuming your group members attribute table has a unique id (which it should) this is very simple.

In your cfoutput, use #CurrentRow# to name the fields sequentially: field1, field2, field3, ... etc

--- psuedo code ---
<form ..>
   <cfoutput query="yourQuery">
     <input name="attribute#CurrentRow#" 
          type="text" 
          value="#attributeColumn#">
     <input name="uniqueID#CurrentRow#" 
          type="hidden" 
          value="#uniqueIDColumn#">
   </cfoutput>
   <!--- save number of rows in hidden field --->
   <cfoutput>
     <input type="hidden" 
            name="numOfRows" 
            value="#yourQuery.recordCount#">
   </cfoutput>
</form>

On the action page, loop from 1 to #form.numOfRows# and extract the form field values, using the uniqueID to update each record.

--- psuedo code ---
<cfloop from="1" to="#form.numOfRows#" index="i">
   <cfset attributeValue = form["attribute"& i]>
   <cfset uniqueIDValue = form["uniqueID"& i]>
   
   <cfquery datasource="#dsn#" name="update">
      UPDATE tablename
      SET attribute = <cfqueryparam value="#attributeValue#" 
                      cfsqltype="your column type">
      WHERE memberID = <cfqueryparam value="#uniqueIDValue#" 
                       cfsqltype="your column type">
   </cfquery>
</cfloop>

 

[hpvic03]

Thanks everbody for your help! You are what makes this forum so great!!

So here's what I ended up learning/using:

Using form with brackets will allow me to use the form scope, but with a variable inside.

So on my action page I looped through my form items then did

<cfif form[uniqueID] neq "">

..sql action..

</cfif>

And it was easiest for me to name my form items by their unique ID's, although everyone else's methods would have worked.

Thanks again!!