PHP Check Box delete Script

[mallenium115]

I am trying to delete my articles with selected checkboxes but I am having a little issue. When I click the delete button nothing happens, I am not sure where to append the variable, can someone help?

<?php

//include database

require_once('db_config.php');

$tbl_name="articles"; // Table name

$sql="SELECT * FROM $tbl_name";

$result=mysql_query($sql);

$count=mysql_num_rows($result);

//Provide the user with the number of articles in the database

//space string

$counttxt = "There are";

echo $counttxt;

print_r($count); $print = print 'articles in this database';

echo $print;

?>

<table width="400" border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0">

<tr>

<td><form name="form1" method="post" action="">

<table width="900" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC">

<tr>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> </td>

<td colspan="4" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>Select the articles you would like delete.</strong> </td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">#</td>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>ID</strong></td>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>Title</strong></td>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>Content</strong></td>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>Frontpage</strong></td>

</tr>

<?php

while($rows=mysql_fetch_array($result)){

?>

<tr>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><input name="checkbox[]" type="checkbox" id="checkbox[]" value="<? echo $rows['articleID']; ?>"></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['articleID']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['title']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['content']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['frontpage']; ?></td>

</tr>

<?php

}

?>

<tr>

<td colspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><input name="delete" type="submit" id="delete" value="Delete"></td>

</tr>

<?

//set the delete variable

$delete = (isset($_POST['checkbox']));

//use isset to check if the variable has been set or not

if ($delete){

$sql = "DELETE FROM $tbl_name WHERE id='$del_id'";

$result = mysql_query($sql);

echo 'You are deleting this article';

print_r($result);

// Check if delete button active, start this

for($i=0;$i<$count;$i++){

$del_id = $checkbox[$i];

//print out the checkbox

}

// if successful redirect to delete_multiple.php

if($result){

echo 'You have deleted the article(s)';

//echo "<meta http-equiv=\"refresh\" content=\"0;URL=delete_multiple.php\">";

}

}

//mysql_close();

?>

</table>

</form>

</td>

</tr>

</table>

articles_list.phpFetching info...

[ElliottLan]

off the top of my head you might need to change input name="checkbox[]" to input name="checkbox".

You probably also need to put the entire table inside 'form' tags which state where the submit button will post to.

I mean you probably need to state where the form will post to so something like <form name="form1" method="post" action="<?php $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] ?>">

EDIT:

also change this: $sql = "DELETE FROM $tbl_name WHERE id='$del_id'";

to this: $sql = "DELETE FROM $tbl_name WHERE id='$delete'";

EDIT2:

Your also forgot an apostrophe on line 50.

This one works fine: http://pastebin.com/smsde5Z8

You will need to sanitize the table checkbox inputs with mysql_escape_string or something otherwise people could put anything in there and submit it - and kindly drop all your data for you!

See here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/129677/whats-the-best-method-for-sanitizing-user-input-with-php

[mallenium115]

Thank you I'm making the changes now.

[mallenium115]

Once that's changed what should I do with the $del_id variable?

[ElliottLan]

just copy and paste http://pastebin.com/smsde5Z8 and it will work :p

The delete line needs to be this: $sql = "DELETE FROM $tbl_name WHERE id='$delete'";

[ElliottLan]

The one on the left is yours and the one on the right is mine: http://diffchecker.com/VYH9asz

line 33 and line 50 are the important ones.

[mallenium115]

Sorry to disturb you but I have one more quesiton I've set the variable to the input name but it only deletes the record with an ID of 1 all the time.

<?php

//include database

require_once('db_config.php');

$tbl_name="articles"; // Table name

$sql="SELECT * FROM $tbl_name ORDER BY articleID";

$result=mysql_query($sql);

$count=mysql_num_rows($result);

//Provide the user with the number of articles in the database

echo "There are ".$count." articles in this database";

?>

<table width="400" border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0">

<tr>

<td><form name="form1" method="post" action="">

<table width="900" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC">

<tr>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> </td>

<td colspan="4" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>Select the articles you would like delete.</strong> </td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">#</td>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>ID</strong></td>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>Title</strong></td>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>Content</strong></td>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><strong>Frontpage</strong></td>

</tr>

<?php

while($rows=mysql_fetch_array($result)){

?>

<tr>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><input name="checkbox" type="checkbox" id="checkbox" value="<? echo $rows['articleID']; ?>"></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['articleID']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['title']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['content']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['frontpage']; ?></td>

</tr>

<?php

}

?>

<tr>

<td colspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><input name="delete" type="submit" id="delete" value="Delete"></td>

</tr>

<?

//set the delete variable

$del_id = (isset($_POST['checkbox']));

//use isset to check if the variable has been set or not

if ($del_id){

$sql = "DELETE FROM $tbl_name WHERE articleID='".$del_id."'";

echo $sql;

$result = mysql_query($sql);

//$art_del = "You are deleting this article";

//echo ".$art_del.";

print_r($result);

// Check if delete button active, start this

for($i=0;$i<$count;$i++){

$del_id = $checkbox[$i];

//print out the checkbox

}

// if successful redirect to delete_multiple.php

if($result){

//echo 'You have deleted the article(s)';

//echo "<meta http-equiv=\"refresh\" content=\"0;URL=delete_multiple.php\">";

}

}

//mysql_close();

?>

</table>

</form>

</td>

</tr>

</table>

[Klownicle]

The reason it is only deleteing one, is because you arn't looping through your SQL to delete the article ID's for each id. The difference of checkbox[] and checkbox as the above people have mentioned to be changed. You were right with sending it as "name=checkbox[]". Because then php interrupts the post data as a array. And thats what you would want. By using "name=checkbox" with multiple id's only one id is being sent back.

[mallenium115]

Thank you so once I revert back to checkbox[] it should work normally, how about the logic and structure of the form is everything alright so far?

[Klownicle]

  On 20/03/2012 at 19:35, mallenium115 said:

Thank you so once I revert back to checkbox[] it should work normally, how about the logic and structure of the form is everything alright so far?

Once you revert checkbox back to checkbox[], php will see the post data with the article ids as a $_POST[checkbox] array. Then you need to modify your DELETE sql to do a FOREACH $_POST[checkbox] to delete each ID and execute each SQL. There are cleaner ways to use a DELETE sql with only 1 sql. But as a learning experience, get with what you need working first. Then optimize later.

I'd modify you're code but i'm not fond of diving in. Id rather re-write it all or explain it to you how to re-write it lol.

[mallenium115]

I'd prefer the explaination so I can learn more. Thank you for the help I truly appreciate the support. I'm new at complex php scripting, basically creating an CMS for my internship. can you give me an example of the sql to work from?

[Klownicle]

  On 20/03/2012 at 19:52, mallenium115 said:

I'd prefer the explaination so I can learn more. Thank you for the help I truly appreciate the support. I'm new at complex php scripting, basically creating an CMS for my internship. can you give me an example of the sql to work from?

<?php
// Check if Post Data was Sent, else just echo out a Form to the Viewer.  If post was sent $_POST is valid and don't echo out a form.
if (!$_POST) {
  echo "<form method=\"post\">";
  echo "<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"checkbox[]\" value=\"001\">Value 1<br/>";
  echo "<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"checkbox[]\" value=\"002\">Value 2<br/>";
  echo "<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"checkbox[]\" value=\"003\">Value 3<br/>";
  echo "<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\">";
}
else {
  // See if checkbox[] Data is in POST Data and has Values, if so Continue.
  if (count($_POST[checkbox]) != 0) {
   // Lets loop through each checkbox[] value and preform a DELETE on it.
   foreach ($_POST[checkbox] as $key => $value) {
	// Here we check our field if its valid, this is a simple charecter type check.  We Verify its a digit.
	if (ctype_digit($value)) {
	 $sql = "DELETE FROM $tbl_name WHERE articleID=$value";
	 // mysql_query($sql);
	 // Print out that a query was executed for the assoicated articleID.
	 echo "articleID=$value" . ":  Executed Query.<br/>";
	}
	else {
	 // We should kill the script, invalid non digit data was sent in the form.
	 die("Invalid Data Sent.");
	}
   }
   echo "Finished Deleteing Articles from Form.";
  }
}
?>
[/CODE]

I commented out the mysql_query part just because I don't have a database to test against and what not. But that gives you a idea of what i'm talking about. Feel free to PM some messenger (aim etc) details I don't mind answering a q for someone once and awhile :).

Also missing from this is db_config and $tbl_name. Heh.

[mallenium115]

Okay so in my case what would I set my checkbox value to for the POST?

if (!$_POST) {

echo "<form method=\"post\">";

echo "<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"checkbox[]\" value=\"001\">Value 1<br/>";

}

<tr>

<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><input name="checkbox[]" type="checkbox" id="checkbox[]" value="<? echo $rows['articleID']; ?>"></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['articleID']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['title']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['content']; ?></td>

<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['frontpage']; ?></td>

</tr>

<?php

}

?>

<tr>

<td colspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><input name="delete" type="submit" id="delete" value="Delete"></td>

</tr>

<?

?>

[Xoligy]

Please use the bbcode thats supplied in this case its

[CODE@]
code here do not add the "@" sign.
[/CODE]