Re: Custom function for inserting values into MySQL

Daevid Vincent wrote: > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Shawn McKenzie [mailto:nospam@mckenzies.net] >> Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 4:59 PM >> To: Daevid Vincent >> Cc: 'Allen McCabe'; 'PHP General' >> Subject: Re: [PHP] Custom function for inserting values into MySQL >> >> Daevid Vincent wrote: >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: Shawn McKenzie [mailto:nospam@mckenzies.net] >>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 6:20 AM >>>> To: Allen McCabe; PHP General >>>> Subject: Re: [PHP] Custom function for inserting values into MySQL >>>> >>>> In your example, I would name my form inputs similar to name >>>> ="data[user_id]". >>>> >>>> Then you just pass the $_POST['data'] array to your function. >>>> >>>> -Shawn >>>> >>>> Allen McCabe wrote: >>>>> You raise some good points. I always name my input fields >> after the >>>>> entity names ( eg. input type="hidden" name ="user_id" >> value=" ?php >>>>> echo $resultRow['user_id'] ? " ). >>>>> >>>>> I suppose I am still in the phase of learning efficiency, >>>> and perhaps >>>>> trying to 'get out it' by writing functions that I can >> just call and >>>>> pass parameters instead of fully learning the core concepts. >>>>> >>>>> I just think functions are so damn cool :) >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I'll echo what the others have said about the >>>> parameters. For me >>>>> personally, if I am passing more than three parameters >>>> (sometimes even >>>>> three) I rethink my function. I'm not sure what you envision >>>>> using this >>>>> function for, but the approach I use for forms and >>>> databases is always >>>>> arrays. I get an array from my forms, I insert that >>>> array into the >>>>> database, and of course I fetch arrays out of the >>>> database. These are >>>>> all indexed the same with the index as the field name >>>> of the table so >>>>> it's easy. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Thanks! >>>>> -Shawn >>>>> http://www.spidean.com >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>> There are pro's and cons to this type of thing. In general >> that is how I do >>> it too, but you have to be aware of security and >> organization. It's not >>> always smart to expose your DB field names directly so you >> might want to >>> obscure them for some critical values. If your passing from >> one controlled >>> function/method to another then this isnt an issue so much. >>> >>> I also follow the ruby/rails ideal where tables are plural >> names ("users") >>> and classes are singular names ("user.class.php"). Tables >> always have fields >>> for 'id','created_on','timestamp','enabled'. >>> Except in >> 'glue table' cases >>> (1:n or n:m). Classes extend a base class which handles a >> lot of the minutea >>> including the magic __get() and __set() routines as well as >> knowing what >>> table they should be through introspection (ie. Their own >> file name). >>> No need to name your fields as arrays. $_POST is already an >> array. You've >>> just added more complexity/dimensions. When you submit your >> form just pass >>> $_POST to your function instead. In the function, is where >> you should do any >>> normalizing, scrubbing and unsetting (as per good MVC ideology)... >>> >> The way I normally do it I learned from the CakePHP framework which is >> very similar to (I think an attempt at a clone of) Rails. >> I'm not sure >> if they do it the same way in Rails, but as you were mentioning, in a >> Cake view of a form they use the table name as the array name >> (name="Users[username]"). Internally to the framework this may make >> things easier, but imagine you have a page with 2 or more forms that >> update different tables, or if your form had some fields that >> you wanted to check after submission but are not DB fields. > > The $_POST array will ONLY contain the key/values for the FORM that > contained the submit button. > > <form name="form_add"> > <input type="text" name="foo" value="bar"> > <input type="submit" name="action" value="Add"> > </form> > > > <form name="form_update"> > <input type="text" name="bee" value="boo"> > <input type="submit" name="action" value="Update"> > </form> > > So if you click the 'Add' button, you get back: > $_POST['foo'] => 'bar', $_POST['action'] => > 'Add' > > if you click the 'Update' button, you get back: > $_POST['bee'] => 'boo', $_POST['action'] => > 'Update' > > where's the confusion? You can only submit one form on a page at a time. > >> Why would you use the entire POST array? > > Presumably, anything in the form is of some value to your database and you'd > want it. Otherwise why is it in the form? > I guess I was going for multiple tables and not multiple forms. Consider a form that takes input for a Users table and a Groups table. As for the inputs not needed by the DB, there are too many examples I could give with lots of inputs, but here is the simplest example I can think of: username password captcha rememberme Presumably you don't need the captcha or rememberme in the DB. To each his own. -- Thanks! -Shawn http://www.spidean.com