phpMyAdmin Tables - Adding Records

To insert a new record to the table you created in the previous page select the Insert link at the top of the page:

 

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phpMyAdmin Database Fields

You have four Fields in your table from the previous lesson Although they are set out in rows in the images, the rows are actually the Columns you saw earlier – the Fields. Each Field needs a name. So go ahead and type the following for your Field names:

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Create a database with phpMyAdmin

You can create all of your database tables and queries using PHP code. But before doing that, it's a good idea to get an understanding of just what it is you'll be creating. If you're new to the world of databases, then here's a simple primer.

What is a database and what do they look like?

A database is a way to store lots of information. You might want to store the names and addresses of all your contacts, or save usernames and passwords for your online forum. Or maybe customer information.
When you create a database, you're creating a structure like this:

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Getting values out of PHP functions

When you're creating your own functions, you may notice that they can be broken down in to two categories: functions that you can leave, and just let them do their jobs; and functions where you need to get an answer back. As an example, here's the two different categories in action:

print ("Get on with it!");
$string_length = strlen($string_length);

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Check for blank Textboxes with PHP

f you remember the script that we wanted to create earlier it was this:

1. Get the text that a user entered in a textbox on a form
2. Trim any blank spaces from the left and right of the text
3. Check that what you have left is not a blank string

So we want to check that the textbox doesn't just contain this "". There has to be something in it, like "Bill Gates". Here's a script that does all three items on our list:

<?PHP

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PHP Functions and Arguments

Arguments

Functions can be handed variables, so that you can do something with what's inside of them. You pass the variable over to your functions by typing them inside of the round brackets of the function name.

<?PHP

$error_text = "Error message";
display_error_message($error_text);

function display_error_message($error_text) {

print $error_text;

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PHP Functions

What is a Function?

A function is just a segment of code, separate from the rest of your code. You separate it because it's nice and handy, and you want to use it not once but over and over. It's a chunk of code that you think is useful, and want to use again. Functions save you from writing the code over and over. Here's an example.
Suppose you need to check text from a textbox. You want to trim any blank spaces from the left and right of the text that the user entered. So if they entered this:

" Bill Gates "

You want to turn it into this:

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Sorting PHP Array values

There may be times when you want to sort the values inside of an array. For example, suppose your array values are not in alphabetical order. Like this one:

$full_name = array();

$full_name["Roger"] = "Waters";
$full_name["Richard"] = "Wright";
$full_name["Nick"] = "Mason";
$full_name["David"] = "Gilmour";

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Geting Values from Arrays

Here's an example for you to try:

<?php

$seasons = array("Autumn", "Winter", "Spring", "Summer");
print $seasons[0];

?>

The array is the same one we set up before To get at what is inside of an array, just type the key number you want to access. In the above code, we're printing out what is held in the 0 position (Key) in the array. You just type the key number between the square brackets of your array name:

print $Array_Name[0];

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How to Set up a PHP Array

First you type out what you want your array to be called ($Order_Number, in the array above) and, after an equals sign, you type this:

array( );

So setting up an array just involves typing the word array followed by a pair of round brackets. This is enough to tell PHP that you want to set up the array. But there's nothing in the array yet. All we're doing with our line of code is telling PHP to set up an array, and give it the name $Order_Number.
You can use two basic methods to put something into an array.

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PHP Arrays

You know what a variable is – just a storage area where you hold numbers and text. The problem is, a variable will hold only one value. You can store a single number in a variable, or a single string. An array is like a special variable, which can hold more than one number, or more than one string, at a time. If you have a list of items (like a list of customer orders, for example), and you need to do something with them, then it would be quite cumbersome to do this:

$Order_Number1 = "Black shoes";

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The PHP break statement

There are times when you need to break out of a loop before the whole thing gets executed. Or, you want to break out of the loop because of an error your user made. In which case, you can use the break statement. Fortunately, this involves nothing more than typing the word break. Here’s some not very useful code that demonstrates the use of the break statement:

$TeacherInterrupts = true;
$counter = 1;

while ($counter < 11) {

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PHP Do ... While loops

This type is loop is almost identical to the while loop except that the condition comes at the end:

do

statement

while (condition)

The difference is that your statement gets executed at least once. In a normal while loop, the condition could be met before your statement gets executed.

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PHP While Loops

Instead of using a for loop, you have the option to use a while loop. The structure of a while loop is more simple than a for loop, because you’re only evaluating the one condition. The loop goes round and round while the condition is true. When the condition is false, the programme breaks out of the while loop. Here’s the syntax for a while loop:

while (condition) {

statement

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PHP For Loops

So what’s a loop then? A loop is something that goes round and round. If I told you to move a finger around in a loop, you’d have no problem with the order (unless you have no fingers!) In programming, it’s exactly the same. Except a programming loop will go round and round until you tell it to stop. You also need to tell the programme two other things - where to start your loop, and what to do after it’s finished one lap (known as the update expression).
You can programme without using loops. But it’s an awful lot easier with them. Consider this.
You want to add up the numbers 1 to 4: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4. You could do it like this:

$answer = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4;

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PHP and HTML Checkboxes

Note one thing about the HTML checkbox elements: they all have different NAME values (ch1, ch2 ch3, etc). When we coded for the Radio Buttons, we gave the buttons the same NAME. That's because only one option can be selected with Radio Buttons. Because the user can select more than one option with Checkboxes, it makes sense to give them different NAME values, and treat them as separate entities (but some advocate treating them just like Radio Buttons).
In your PHP code, the technique is to check whether each checkbox element has been checked or not. It's more or less the same as for the radio Buttons. First we set up five variable and set them all the unchecked, just like we did before:

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PHP and HTML Radio Buttons

Make sure you save your work as radioButton.php, as that's where we're posting the Form – to itself.

To get the value of a radio button with PHP code, again you access the NAME attribute of the HTML form elements. In the HTML above, the NAME of the Radio buttons is the same – "gender". The first Radio Button has a value of "male" and the second Radio Button has a value of female. When you're writing your PHP code, it's these values that are returned. Here's some PHP code. Add it to the HEAD section of your HTML:

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The HTML ACTION attribute and PHP

You don't have to submit your form data to the same PHP page, as we've been doing. You can send it to an entirely different PHP page. To see how it works, try this:
Create the following page, and call it basicForm2.php. This is your HTML. Notice the ACTION attribue.

<html>
<head>
<title>A BASIC HTML FORM</title>
</head>

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PHP Submit buttons

In the previous lesson you saw how to get text from a textbox when a Submit button on a form was clicked. However, when you first load the page the text still displays.
The reason why the text displays when the page is first loaded is because the script executes whether the button is clicked or not. This is the problem you face when a PHP script is on the same page as the HTML, and is being submitted to itself in the ACTION attribute.

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PHP and Text Boxes on HTML Forms

If you've been following along from the in the previous lesson then your basicForm.php now has a METHOD and ACTION set. We're going to use these to process text that a user has entered into a text box. The METHOD attribute tells you how form data is being sent, and the ACTION attribute tells you where it is being sent. To get at the text that a user entered into a text box, the text box needs a NAME attribute. You then tell PHP the NAME of the textbox you want to work with. Our text box hasn't got a NAME yet, so change HTML TO THIS

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