CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpmysql
user16174
user16174

Reputation: 59

PHP Error With Form - Undefined index

I am trying to use a form to insert a new row into a MySQL database. I apologies if my code is poor, I am still very much a beginner in PHP.

Here is my current code:

    <?php
$page ="Add New Member";
require('header.php');
require('authentication.php');

if (isset($_POST)){
    $first_name = $_POST['first_name'];
    $last_name = $_POST['last_name'];
    $email = $_POST['email'];
    $mobile_number = $_POST['number'];
    $programme = $_POST['programme'];

    $db->query('INSERT INTO members (first_name, last_name, email, mobile_number, programme)
VALUES ($first_name, $last_name, $email, $mobile_number, $programme');
}

?>
<br />
               <div class="col-lg-8 col-lg-offset-2 col-md-8 col-md-offset-2">
                    <div class="panel panel-default">
                        <div class="panel-heading">
                            Add New Member
                        </div>
                        <div class="panel-body">
                            <div class="row">
                                <div class="col-lg-6">
                                    <form method="post">
                                        <div class="form-group">
                                            <label>Membership Number</label>
                                            <input name="mem_number" class="form-control" type="text" autocomplete="off" readonly value="<?php foreach($db->query('SELECT id FROM members ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 1') as $row) {
                    echo $row['id']+1;}?>">
                                            <p class="help-block">This is automatically assigned.</p>
                                        </div>
                                        <div class="form-group">
                                            <label>First Name</label>
                                            <input type="text" name="first_name" class="form-control" autocomplete="off">
                                            <p class="help-block">Enter your first name here.</p>
                                        </div>
                                        <div class="form-group">
                                            <label>Last Name</label>
                                            <input type="text" name="last_name" class="form-control" autocomplete="off">
                                            <p class="help-block">Enter your last name here.</p>
                                        </div>
                                        <div class="form-group">
                                            <label>Email</label>
                                            <input type="email" name="email" class="form-control" autocomplete="off">
                                            <p class="help-block">Enter your email address here.</p>
                                        </div>
                                        <div class="form-group">
                                            <label>Mobile Number</label>
                                            <input type="text" name="phone_number" class="form-control" autocomplete="off">
                                            <p class="help-block">Enter your phone number here.</p>
                                        </div>
                                        <div class="form-group">
                                            <label>Programme</label>
                                            <select class="form-control" name="programme">
                                                <option>Bootcamp</option>
                                                <option>28 Day Fat Blaster</option>
                                            </select>
                                        </div>
                                        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Add Member</button>
                                        <button type="reset" class="btn btn-default">Reset Button</button>
                                    </form>
                                </div>
                                <!-- /.col-lg-6 (nested) -->

                            </div>
                            <!-- /.row (nested) -->
                        </div>
                        <!-- /.panel-body -->
                    </div>
                    <!-- /.panel -->
                </div>
                <!-- /.col-lg-12 -->

When I submit the form, I get the following error:

[Fri Oct 03 14:34:01.561508 2014] [:error] [pid 3813] [client 127.0.0.1:41855] PHP Notice:  Undefined index: first_name in /var/www/html/addmember.php on line 7, referer: http://localhost/members.php
    [Fri Oct 03 14:34:01.561613 2014] [:error] [pid 3813] [client 127.0.0.1:41855] PHP Notice:  Undefined index: last_name in /var/www/html/addmember.php on line 8, referer: http://localhost/members.php
    [Fri Oct 03 14:34:01.561639 2014] [:error] [pid 3813] [client 127.0.0.1:41855] PHP Notice:  Undefined index: email in /var/www/html/addmember.php on line 9, referer: http://localhost/members.php
    [Fri Oct 03 14:34:01.561663 2014] [:error] [pid 3813] [client 127.0.0.1:41855] PHP Notice:  Undefined index: number in /var/www/html/addmember.php on line 10, referer: http://localhost/members.php
    [Fri Oct 03 14:34:01.561686 2014] [:error] [pid 3813] [client 127.0.0.1:41855] PHP Notice:  Undefined index: programme in /var/www/html/addmember.php on line 11, referer: http://localhost/members.php
    [Fri Oct 03 14:34:30.224432 2014] [:error] [pid 3836] [client 127.0.0.1:41856] PHP Notice:  Undefined index: number in /var/www/html/addmember.php on line 10, referer: http://localhost/addmember.php

Now I understand that this means that $_POST['first_name'] is not defined, but I thought that it would be defined when it is posted.

My question is, what am I doing wrong?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 3334

Answers (3)

Funk Forty Niner
Funk Forty Niner

Reputation: 74217

The following line is incorrect and is missing quotes in a few places, including for your VALUES variables, and a missing bracket ).

$db->query('INSERT INTO members (first_name, last_name, email, mobile_number, programme) 
VALUES ($first_name, $last_name, $email, $mobile_number, $programme');

change it to:

$db->query("INSERT INTO members (first_name, last_name, email, mobile_number, programme) 
VALUES ('$first_name', '$last_name', '$email', '$mobile_number', '$programme')");

Your select is also missing values for them, so you will not get anything back from it.

<select class="form-control" name="programme">
    <option value="bootcamp">Bootcamp</option>
    <option value="fatblaster">28 Day Fat Blaster</option>
</select>

Suggestion:

Instead of if(isset($_POST)) use if(isset($_POST['submit'])){...} while using an input instead of a button.

I.e.:

<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Add Member">

it's more efficient than if(isset($_POST))

Upvotes: 1

Alex Quintero
Alex Quintero

Reputation: 1179

In this cases is useful to print the results of $_POST to debug/know the structure.

if( $_POST ) {
    die( print_r($_POST) );
    // or use
    // die( var_dump($_POST) );
}

This way, you know what's inside $_POST.

And here:

$db->query('INSERT INTO members (first_name, last_name, email, mobile_number, programme) VALUES ($first_name, $last_name, $email, $mobile_number, $programme)');

You should be using double quotes and bracking the variables:

$db->query("INSERT INTO members (first_name, last_name, email, mobile_number, programme) VALUES ('{$first_name}', '{$last_name}', '{$email}', '{$mobile_number}', '{$programme}')");

In fact, you should be using prepared statements and parameter bindings:

$db->query('INSERT INTO members (first_name, last_name, email, mobile_number, programme) VALUES (:first_name, :last_name, :email, :mobile_number, :programme)');

Upvotes: 2

ʰᵈˑ
ʰᵈˑ

Reputation: 11375

Your errors are being triggered with these lines;

$first_name = $_POST['first_name'];
$last_name = $_POST['last_name'];
$email = $_POST['email'];
$mobile_number = $_POST['number'];
$programme = $_POST['programme'];

Therefore, you can do a simple check

$first_name = array_key_exists('first_name', $_POST) ? $_POST['first_name'] : "";
  • Checking the POST may also be a good idea in case the client modifies the HTML markup to not POST a form input (with the same name), throwing an error.
  • You should always check keys exists in an array before using them.
  • You should validate and sanitize all your inputs.

Now on to your query.

As these are string, you must treat them as such, by quoting them.

$db->query("INSERT INTO members (first_name, last_name, email, mobile_number, programme)
VALUES ('{$first_name}', '{$last_name}', '{$email}', '{$mobile_number}', '{$programme}')");

Your programme input

You're missing value for your options

<select class="form-control" name="programme">
  <option value="bootcamp">Bootcamp</option>
  <option value="28_day_fat_blaster">28 Day Fat Blaster</option>
</select>

Upvotes: 1

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