Using EVAL for dynamic variable names 1

[jacktripper]

I've read a lot of posts relating to this, but I'm pretty new and not really getting anywhere.

I have a form with <textarea> fields with dynamic names such as "field1", "field2", etc. Those numbers could be anything, because they are indexes coming from a database.

When I post that form data to the next page, I know what the number is, but all I seem to be able to do is generate a string with the right variable name. Can't I use eval() to get the data being posted with that variable name? Eval just keeps saying its being used incorrectly.

What am I doing wrong here?

 

[sleipnir214]

I wouldn't use eval() in this instance.

Why not just use $_POST['field1'], $_POST['field2'], etc? It's easy to dynamically build a string that can be used as the index to an associative array.

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[kenrbnsn]

What does your code that generates the form look like? If we saw it, we might be able to suggest a better way of getting to your data.

Ken

 

[jacktripper]

I guess this is what I am trying to say. My form on page one is something like:

<form action="updateDB.php" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="thisOne" value="<? echo $row['thisOne']; ?>">
<textarea name="body<? echo $row['thisOne']"><? echo $row['mainBody']; ?></textarea>
</form>


ON the next page my attempted script currently looks something like this:

<?
$new_body = "\$body" . $thisOne;
UpdateDB($thisOne, $new_body));
?>

but instead of putting in my blob of textarea text, it just updates the database with text of the variable name itself.

I'm sure this is a pretty stupid thing on my part, but any help would be great.

 

[jacktripper]

Ignore my minor parse errors. That just my bad typing.

 

[sleipnir214]

Assuming that the variable $thisOne has a value, if your script performs:

<?
$new_body = $_POST['body' . $thisOne];
UpdateDB($thisOne, $new_body));
?>

Should do it.

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[jacktripper]

Thanks! That worked. I was looking for that $_POST command somewhere in the on-line manual. Thanks for explaining what that actually does....

 

[sleipnir214]

$_POST is not a PHP function. It is a PHP predefined variable and a superglobal array.

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