CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpforms
Stephen Watkins
Stephen Watkins

Reputation: 25765

Complex PHP Form Data

I have a form with a multi-level tree of one to many relationships. For example:

Match -> Phase 1 -> Phase Property 1
      -> Phase 1 -> Phase Property 2

      -> Phase 2 -> Phase Property 1
      -> Phase 2 -> Phase Property 2
      -> Phase 2 -> Phase Property 3

      -> Phase 3 -> Phase Property 1
      -> Phase 3 -> Phase Property 2

So, on the front-end I am able to add many phases to a match and many phase properties to a phase.

In the PHP back-end, I would like to be able to represent this data in a multi-dimensional array, so that I can loop through all the phases and then loop through each phase's properties. Ideally, I would like to stay away from managing Ids/names through JavaScript.

I know I can receive an array in PHP using something like this:

<input type="text" name="phases[]" />

But, how do I continue this pattern for the properties? Can I do something like:

<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[][]" />

and then somehow "link" each property to the right phase?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 503

Answers (4)

ViNce
ViNce

Reputation: 61

If the input fields appear on a static page, then you should already know how much input fields you are going to make on the server side. So why is using fields like:

<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[0][]" />
<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[0][]" />
<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[1][]" />

such a bad thing? If the fields are being dynamically (client-side) generated then there shouldn't be a problem naming them dynamically aswell. You seem to be constraining yourself too much for no apparent reason.

Upvotes: 2

Andreas Wong
Andreas Wong

Reputation: 60536

When you render the UI (HTML), you could just use php to loop over and outputs the input?

$phases = 3;
$phasesProperty = array(
    array(1, 2),
    array(1, 2, 3),
    array(1, 2)
);

for($i = 0; $i < $phases; $i++) {
    foreach($phasesProperty[$i] as $j) {
        printf('<input type="text" name="Match[Phase%d][PhaseProperty%d]" />', $i, $j);
    }
}

Upvotes: 0

Alin P.
Alin P.

Reputation: 44346

You can't use (actually you can, but it doesn't help you)

<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[][]" />

because PHP has no way of knowing how you want your items grouped. It will add each item into a separate group.

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => Item 1
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => Item 2
        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [0] => Item 3
        )

    [3] => Array
        (
            [0] => Item 4
        )
)

There isn't anything special about using [] in parameters. They behave exactly as the [] operator in PHP. For example:

$arr[][] = 'Item 1';
$arr[][] = 'Item 2';
$arr[][] = 'Item 3';
$arr[][] = 'Item 4';
print_r($arr);

would have the same output I posted above.

Upvotes: 1

shamittomar
shamittomar

Reputation: 46692

Yes, you can do like:

<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[Phase1][Property1]" />
<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[Phase1][Property2]" />
<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[Phase1][Property3]" />
<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[Phase2][Property1]" />
<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[Phase2][Property2]" />
<input type="text" name="phaseProperties[Phase2][Property3]" />

And in backend PHP, you will get phaseProperties like this:

Array
(
[Phase1] => Array
(
[Property1] => a
[Property2] => b
[Property3] => c
)

[Phase1] => Array
(
[Property1] => d
[Property2] => e
[Property3] => f
)

)

Upvotes: 1

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