Adding to database

[infolondon]

Hi

I am sure this is a simple question to most of you, but is causing me real problems.
I am creating a kinda news section for my web site using PHP and MYSQL, and want to Categorise every news story to be one or more types of news.
I am able to enter news stories into the database OK, but am having problems with the type of news issue.

I am using checkboxes on my submit form. If I check one check box, I want one record inserted into a typeofnews table, but if two check boxes are checked I want two records added to that table. (The typeofnews table is a joining table between a story table and a type table)

I looked at some of the other posts including the one at http://www.sitepointforums.com/showt...hreadid=25691, but although I thought this was helping me I can't get it to work.

I wonder if someone could take a look at this code and point me in the right direction.

if ("SUBMIT" == $submitstory) {
    foreach($newstype as $val) {
            $sql2 = ("INSERT INTO typeofnews (type_ID, news_ID)
                VALUES ('$val', '$storyid')");
                      if (mysql_query($sql2)) {
                        echo("<CENTER>The type of story has been added.</CENTER>");
            
            } else {
                        echo("<P>Error adding type of news: " .
                             mysql_error() . "</P>");
                                      }
                    }
     ) 

Thanks

Keith

[Renegade]

What your trying to do sounds ok, but what exactly is your question? Its late and I might have missed it

I have a question for you though, why does one story need to be a part of more than one group? Seems to me it should be in one or the other....*shug*

[Skunk]

Need a bit more code - where is the $newstype array defined?

Whenever I do something like this I use variable variables (the thing were if $var = 'bwaf', $$var = whatever $bwaf equals). I'll generate a form with a check box for each of the news types, and name each one "newstypeX" where X is the ID of the news type. Then when the form is submnitted I loop through all of the news types checking to see if the variable $newstypeX (where X is again the ID) has been set using variable variables.

[infolondon]

Hi

I am sorry it has taken me so long to reply. I was hit by the Nimda virus.

Well the good news is that I have fixed the problem and got it to work. The problem was that I was using the wrong type of bracket to close the code shown in my previous message.

In answer to the other questions. The reason why a news story might need to be in more than one category is because a news story about last weeks World trade centre disarter, for example, might be in the categories of "disarter" and "New York".

Thanks for trying to help.

Keith