Checkbox array/looping SQL query

[ripcurlksm]

Hello, I have a form with multiple checkbox's and if a user selects the box, a dropdown menu appears. Based on what options they pick, I want to create an array of their selections and assemble a SQL query (where $x=1 AND $y=2 AND $z=3, etc..).

Here is my form which have 3 drop down menus:

	<form name="form1" method="post" action="">
		Difficulty: <input type="checkbox" onclick="document.getElementById('difficulty').disabled=!this.checked" />
		<select disabled="disabled" id="difficulty">
  			<option value="hard">Hard</option>
  			<option value="easy">Easy</option>
		</select>
		<br>
		Direction: <input type="checkbox" onclick="document.getElementById('direction').disabled=!this.checked" />
		<select disabled="disabled" id="direction">
  			<option value="left">Left</option>
  			<option value="right">Right</option>
		</select>
		<br>
		Color: <input type="checkbox" onclick="document.getElementById('color').disabled=!this.checked" />
		<select disabled="disabled" id="color">
  			<option value="left">Red</option>
  			<option value="right">Green</option>
		</select>		
    </form>	

Pending on which variables are selected in the checkboxs above, it should create an array to be assembled to query the database. If all three variables were selected from the focm above, my SQL would look like this:

SELECT * FROM resort WHERE direction='left' AND difficulty='easy' AND color='red' 

Here is my php statement which is essentially trying to assemble the above SQL statement. This is what I need help with. I'm not sure how to pass the variables so it would know that that "difficulty" box had "Easy" selected and the "direction" box had "right" selected. the array would loop and assemble a SQL statement so that it would say WHERE difficulty='easy' AND direction='right' for example. If only one checkbox was selected, it would only print one WHERE statement, or if three was selected it would print WHERE and two AND statements..

<?php
    
$arr = $_POST['value'];
$id =  $_POST['id'];

$select="SELECT * FROM resort";

$where="";

    foreach ($arr as &$value) 
    {
    echo "WHERE $id='$value' AND";
    }
?>

Can you help explain to me how to pass the specific variable $difficulty='easy' into a while statement so I can build my SQL query?

[Dan Grossman]

First, give your form elements names, or you won't be able to receive the values in PHP.

$sql = "SELECT * FROM resort WHERE 1=1";

if (!empty($_GET['difficulty'])) {
  $sql .= " AND difficulty = '" . mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['difficulty']) . "'";
}

if (!empty($_GET['direction'])) {
  $sql .= " AND direction = '" . mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['direction']) . "'";
}

if (!empty($_GET['color'])) {
  $sql .= " AND color = '" . mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['color']) . "'";
} 

Please excuse any typos... my shift key is broken.

[ripcurlksm]

Thanks Dan, that works wonderfully!

[logic_earth]

I would do something like this just to reduce code repeat.

$sql = 'SELECT * FROM resort WHERE 1=1';

$fields = array('difficulty', 'direction', 'color');
foreach ($fields as $field) {

    if (!isset($_GET[$field]) || empty($_GET[$field])) {
        continue;
    }

    $_GET[$field] = mysql_real_escape_string($_GET[$field])
    $sql .= sprintf(" AND %s = '$s'", $field, $_GET[$field]);

} 

Doesn't matter tho does the same thing.

[ripcurlksm]

Thank you very much I will check it out