Reusing form for input and edit with pulldown menu

PHP
1

Hi,
I have a form which I use for both inputting and editing data.
This works fine for data that is just a text or a number. But how should I deal with a pulldown menu?
When I edit the data I would like to see the current value but also have the option of changing.
Here is my form.html.php As you can see I have made an attempt with the first menu which is the unit menu, but I know that it is incorrect. For the other non pulldown forms I can just use,

value=“<?php htmlout($part);?>”

and so value will either be an empty string ’ ’ when the form is used for input or the actual value if the form is being used for editing.
Here is the form.html…php

<?php include_once $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] .
    '/artgibney/includes/helpers.inc.php'; ?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title><?php htmlout($pageTitle); ?></title>
  <style>
table,th,td
{
border-collapse:collapse;
}
th, td
{
padding:6px;
}
        td { text-align: center; width: 40px; overflow: hidden;  white-space: nowrap;}
        tr.separated {
              border-top: 1px solid black;
                     }
</style>
  </head>
  <body>
  <p><a href="..">physCMS home</a> &#8658; <a href="/artgibney/admin/teachingpoints/">Teaching Points</a></p>
    <h1>Add teaching points</h1>
    <form action="?<?php htmlout($action); ?>" method="post">
      <table>
      <th>Unit</th>
      <th>Year</th>
      <th>Exam</th>
      <th>Question</th>
      <th>Part</th>
      <th>Sub-part</th>
      <th>Curr No.</th>
      <th>Question type</th>
      <tr>
      <td>
                  <?php if($unit == ''):?>
                            <select id="unit" name="unit">
                            <option value="1">1</option>
                            <option value="2">2</option>
                            <option value="3">3</option>
                            <option value="4">4</option>
                            <option value="5">5</option>
                            <option value="6">6</option>                  
                            </select>
                         <?php elseif: ?>
                            <?php $value = $unit; ?>
                            <select id="unit" name="unit">
                            <option value="1">1</option>
                            <option value="2">2</option>
                            <option value="3">3</option>
                            <option value="4">4</option>
                            <option value="5">5</option>
                            <option value="6">6</option>                  
                            </select>
                         <?php endif;?>
      </td>
      <td>
                            <select id="year" name="year">
                            <option value="2009">2009</option>
                            <option value="2010">2010</option>
                            <option value="2011">2011</option>
                            <option value="2012">2012</option>
                            <option value="2013">2013</option>
                            <option value="2014">2014</option> 
                            <option value="2015">2015</option>                 
                            </select>
      </td>
      <td>
                            <select id="exam" name="exam">
                            <option value="January">January</option>
                            <option value="June">June</option>                 
                            </select>
      </td>
      <td>
        <input type="number" name="question" min="1" max="22" value="<?php htmlout($question);?>">
      </td>
      <td>
        <input type="text" name="part" value="<?php htmlout($part);?>">
      </td>
      <td>
        <input type="text" name="subpart" value="<?php htmlout($subpart);?>">
      </td>
      <td>
        <input type="number" name="currno" min="1" max="138" value="<?php htmlout($currno);?>" >
        <!-- <textarea id="currno" name="topic" rows="1" cols="5"><?php htmlout($currno); ?></textarea>
        <input type="hidden" name="id" value="<?php htmlout($id); ?>"> -->
      </td>
      <td>
        <!-- <input type="tex" name="questiontype"> -->
                <select id="questiontype" name="questiontype">
                  <option value="multiplechoice">Multiple choice</option>
                  <option value="calculation">Calculation</option>
                  <option value="shortanswer">Short answer</option>   
                  <option value="longanswer">Long answer</option>       
                </select>
      </td>
      </tr>
      </table>
      <table>
      <th>Topic</th>
      <th>Sub-topic</th>
      <th>Teaching point</th>
      <tr>
      <td>
        <textarea id="topic" name="topic" rows="3" cols="40"><?php htmlout($topic); ?></textarea>
      </td>
      <td>
        <textarea id="subtopic" name="subtopic" rows="3" cols="40"><?php htmlout($subtopic); ?></textarea>
      </td>
      <td>
        <textarea id="tp" name="tp" rows="3" cols="40"><?php htmlout($tp); ?></textarea>
      </td> 
      </tr>
      </table>
        <input type="submit" value="<?php htmlout($button); ?>">
    </form>
  </body>
</html>

And here is an excerpt from my controller index.php

if (isset($_GET['add']))
{
  $pageTitle = 'New Topics';
  $action = 'addform';
  $unit = '';
  $year = '';
  $exam = '';
  $question = '';
  $part = '';
  $subpart = '';
  $currno = '';
  $topic = '';
  $subtopic = '';
  $tp = '';
  $questiontype = '';
  $id = '';
  $button = 'Add topics';

  include $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/artgibney/includes/db.inc.php';

  try
  {
    $result = $pdo->query('SELECT id, unit, year, exam, question, part, subpart, currno, topic, subtopic, tp, questiontype FROM teachingpts');
  }
  catch (PDOException $e)
  {
    $error = 'Error fetching data from teachingpoints addddd table.';
    include 'error.html.php';
    exit();
  }
  include 'form.html.php';
  exit();
}

if (isset($_GET['addform']))
{
  include $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/artgibney/includes/db.inc.php';

  try
  {
    $sql = 'INSERT INTO teachingpts SET
        id = :id,
        unit = :unit,
        year = :year,
        exam = :exam,
        question = :question,
        part = :part,
        subpart = :subpart,
        currno = :currno,
        topic = :topic,
        subtopic = :subtopic,
        tp = :tp,
        questiontype = :questiontype';
    $s = $pdo->prepare($sql);
    //$s->bindParam(':id', $_POST['id']);
    $s->bindParam(':id', $_POST['id']);
    $s->bindParam(':unit', $_POST['unit']);
    $s->bindParam(':year', $_POST['year']);
    $s->bindParam(':exam', $_POST['exam']);
    $s->bindParam(':question', $_POST['question']);
    $s->bindParam(':part', $_POST['part']);
    $s->bindParam(':subpart', $_POST['subpart']);
    $s->bindParam(':currno', $_POST['currno']);
    $s->bindParam(':topic', $_POST['topic']);
    $s->bindParam(':subtopic', $_POST['subtopic']);
    $s->bindParam(':tp', $_POST['tp']);
    $s->bindParam(':questiontype', $_POST['questiontype']);
    $s->execute();    
  }
  catch (PDOExceptin $e)
  {
    $error = 'Error adding submitted teachpoints ADDFORM table data.';
    include 'error.html.php';
    exit();
  }

    include $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/artgibney/includes/db.inc.php';

  try
  {
    $result = $pdo->query('SELECT id, unit, year, exam, question, part, subpart, currno, topic, subtopic, tp, questiontype FROM teachingpts');
  }
  catch (PDOException $e)
  {
    $error = 'Error fetching data from teachingpoints table.';
    include 'error.html.php';
    exit();
  }

  foreach ($result as $row)
  {
 $teachingpts[] = array('id' => $row['id'], 'unit' => $row['unit'], 'year' => $row['year'], 'exam' => $row['exam'], 'question' => $row['question'], 'part' => $row['part'], 'subpart' => $row['subpart'], 'currno' => $row['currno'], 'topic' => $row['topic'], 'subtopic' => $row['subtopic'], 'tp' => $row['tp'], 'questiontype' => $row['questiontype']);
  }
   
  //include 'form.html.php';
  header('Location: .');
  exit();
}

if (isset($_POST['action']) and $_POST['action'] == 'Edit')
{
  include $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/artgibney/includes/db.inc.php';

  try
  {
    $sql = 'SELECT id, unit, year, exam, question, part, subpart, currno, topic, subtopic, tp, questiontype FROM teachingpts WHERE id = :id';
    $s = $pdo->prepare($sql);
    $s->bindParam(':id', $_POST['id']);
    $s->execute();
  }
  catch (PDOException $e)
  {
    $error = 'Error fetching teachingpoints row details.';
    include 'error.html.php';
    exit();
  }
  $row = $s->fetch();

  $pageTitle = 'Edit a row of the teaching points table';
  $action = 'editform';
  $id = $row['id'];
  $unit = $row['unit'];
  $year = $row['year'];
  $exam = $row['exam'];
  $question = $row['question'];
  $part = $row['part'];
  $subpart = $row['subpart'];
  $currno = $row['currno'];
  $topic = $row['topic'];
  $subtopic = $row['subtopic'];
  $tp = $row['tp'];
  $questiontype = $row['questiontype'];
  $button = 'Update teaching points';

  // Build the list of topic rows
  try
  {
    $result = $pdo->query('SELECT id, unit, year, exam, question, part, subpart, currno, topic, subtopic, tp, questiontype FROM teachingpts');
  }
  catch (PDOException $e)
  {
    $error = 'Error fetching list of teaching points.';
    include 'error.html.php';
    exit();
  }

  foreach ($result as $row)
  {
 $teachingpts[] = array('id' => $row['id'], 'unit' => $row['unit'], 'year' => $row['year'], 'exam' => $row['exam'], 'question' => $row['question'], 'part' => $row['part'], 'subpart' => $row['subpart'], 'currno' => $row['currno'], 'topic' => $row['topic'], 'subtopic' => $row['subtopic'], 'tp' => $row['tp'], 'questiontype' => $row['questiontype']);
  }

  include 'form.html.php';
  exit();
}

if (isset($_GET['editform']))
{
  include $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/artgibney/includes/db.inc.php';
  
  try
  {
    $sql = 'UPDATE teachingpts SET
        id = :id,
        unit = :unit,
        year = :year,
        exam = :exam,
        question = :question,
        part = :part,
        subpart = :subpart,
        currno = :currno,
        topic = :topic,
        subtopic = :subtopic,
        tp = :tp,
        questiontype = :questiontype';
    $s = $pdo->prepare($sql);
    $s->bindParam(':id', $_POST['id']);
    $s->bindParam(':unit', $_POST['unit']);
    $s->bindParam(':year', $_POST['year']);
    $s->bindParam(':exam', $_POST['exam']);
    $s->bindParam(':question', $_POST['question']);
    $s->bindParam(':part', $_POST['part']);
    $s->bindParam(':subpart', $_POST['subpart']);
    $s->bindParam(':currno', $_POST['currno']);
    $s->bindParam(':topic', $_POST['topic']);
    $s->bindParam(':subtopic', $_POST['subtopic']);
    $s->bindParam(':tp', $_POST['tp']);
    $s->bindParam(':questiontype', $_POST['questiontype']);
    $s->execute();
  }
  catch (PDOException $e)
  {
    $error = 'Error updating submitted teaching points.';
    include 'error.html.php';
    exit();
  }

  header('Location: .');
  exit();
}

if (isset($_POST['action']) and $_POST['action'] == 'Delete')
{
  include $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/artgibney/includes/db.inc.php';

  // Delete the joke
  try
  {
    $sql = 'DELETE FROM teachingpts WHERE id = :id';
    $s = $pdo->prepare($sql);
    $s->bindValue(':id', $_POST['id']);
    $s->execute();
  }
  catch (PDOException $e)
  {
    $error = 'Error deleting teachingpts table data.';
    include 'error.html.php';
    exit();
  }

  header('Location: .');
  exit();
}

  try
  {
    $result = $pdo->query('SELECT id, unit, year, exam, question, part, subpart, currno, topic, subtopic, tp, questiontype FROM teachingpts');
  }
  catch (PDOException $e)
  {
    $error = 'Error fetching list of teacgingpoints.';
    include 'error.html.php';
    exit();
  }

  foreach ($result as $row)
  {
    //$teachingpts[] = array('id' => $row['id'], 'tp' => $row['tp'], 'currno' => $row['currno'], 'unit' => $row['unit']);
    $teachingpts[] = array('id' => $row['id'], 'unit' => $row['unit'], 'year' => $row['year'], 'exam' => $row['exam'], 'question' => $row['question'], 'part' => $row['part'], 'subpart' => $row['subpart'], 'currno' => $row['currno'], 'topic' => $row['topic'], 'subtopic' => $row['subtopic'], 'tp' => $row['tp'], 'questiontype' => $row['questiontype']);
  }

include 'searchform.html.php';

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
thanks,
Shane

2

I’m not sure I understand the problem. Do you just want a defined option selected by default? If so, you just add selected to the option that has the corresponding value. It’s annoying, I know.

For example, you have this:

<select id="questiontype" name="questiontype">
    <option value="multiplechoice">Multiple choice</option>
    <option value="calculation">Calculation</option>
    <option value="shortanswer">Short answer</option>   
    <option value="longanswer">Long answer</option>       
</select>

What I would do instead is form an associated array of choices:

$options = [
    'multiplechoice'    => 'Multiple Choice',
    'calculation'       => 'Calculation',
    'shortanswer'       => 'Short answer',
    'longanswer'        => 'Long answer'
];

and loop through them, checking the desired value with those in the array:

<select name="questiontype" id="questiontype">
    <?php foreach($options as $key=>$option):
        $selected = ($questiontype == $key) ? 'selected' : '';
        echo "<option value='$key' $selected>$option</option>";
    endforeach; ?>
</select>
3

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. I was trying this,

 <select id="unit" name="unit">
                            <option selected="selected">
                            <?php htmlout($unit);?>
                            <option value="1">1</option>
                            <option value="2">2</option>
                            <option value="3">3</option>
                            <option value="4">4</option>
                            <option value="5">5</option>
                            <option value="6">6</option>                  
                            </select>

But this repeats the selected value. I don’t think this will happen with your method.
I had to reaquainted myself with the ternary operator ? : But I think I see what your code does now. If no key has a value after going through the $options array then set $select equal to the empty string ’ '.
Just going to try it now.
Fantastic, thanks for this,
Shane

4

Works perfectly,
Thank you very much for this.
Shane

5

Hi,
I am re-examining this bit of code, which I thought I understood. But I can’t figure out what is the variable $questiontype Is this a dummy variable or some kind of place holder?

</td>
      <?php 
      $questions = ['multiplechoice' => 'Multiple Choice', 'calculation' => 'Calculation', 'shortanswer' => 'Short answer', 'longanswer' => 'Long answer'];
      ?>
      <td>
                <select name="questiontype" id="questiontype">
                     <?php foreach($questions as $key=>$option):
                           $selected = (**$questiontype** == $key) ? 'selected' : '';
                           echo "<option value='$key' $selected>$option</option>";
                      endforeach; ?>
                </select>
      </td>

My understanding of that line with the tenary operator is that it checks that $questiontype is equal to $key and if it is, then $selected is set to ‘selected’ and if $questiontype is not equal to $key then it is set equal to an empty variable ’ '.
Thanks,
Shane

6

I just grabbed that variable from the list you had above. You would just change it with whatever variable holds the possible values for that select field.

If it helps, this:

$selected = ($questiontype == $key) ? 'selected' : '';

is equivalent to this:

if($questiontype == $key):
    $selected = 'selected';
else:
    $selected = '';    
endif;

or just:

$selected = '';
if($questiontype == $key)
    $selected = 'selected';

Don’t let the ternary operator trip you up though, just use what works for you. I prefer it as it’s easier for me to read through but it’s certainly not “better”!

7

Hi,
I forgot that $questiontype is an array. But what i also didn’t realise is that when you use foreach to step through each row of an array, in this case $questions, you are also stepping through each row of any array inside the foreach loop.
Thanks for taking the time to explain this, it was driving me a little crazy.
Shane
PS Actually $questiontype is not an array it has a single value, which is whatever question type that question has in the edit form. so therefore the foreach is not stepping through each array inside of it.

8

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