PHP or Jquery to populate form fields?

Question

As I am new to this I would like your advice.
So far I have figured out two ways to populate form fields.
Say this is my html:

 <input id="test" name="test" type="text">

As you see the id of each field matches the name.
When it's time to populate the field from Sql i could either do:

PHP:

 <input id="test" name="test" type="text" value="<?php if(isset($SqlRequested['test'){echo $SqlRequested['test'];}">

and similarily write all the fields of my form...
or add this in the head part
JQUERY:

<script>
 <?php  echo "$(document).ready(function(){";
        foreach ($SqlRequested as $id => $value){
                echo "$('#" . $id . "').val(\"" . $value . "\");"
                echo "};"
         echo "});"
 ?>
 </script>

besides the fact that the jQuery gives me some problems when the fields contain "enter/return" in them (which could be fixed by using .html or .text i guess)

Which one would you suggest, what are the drawbacks or pro's of each method?
Any improovements to the code?
Is there some other way i am missing?
Any suggestions on easily fixing the little problem mentioned above?

Thanx in advance.

Edit: I just noticed the jQuery .populate, which im guessing is something like my second way, you just need to get your data in a format of {'id':'value',...}

Lucifer · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-05 10:35:34Z

3

You should use PHP to render the page as someone without javascript wouldn't get the values of your javascript version.

PHP: Pros: All browsers will get what you want them to get. The output HTML is arguably more correct as it has the value that the user expects in it

Cons: ...Increased server load....by such a small amount that it should probably not even be a con

JS: Pros: ...

Cons: Non JS enabled browsers won't see the values you expect.

Improvements: Write a function in PHP that will auto echo your value if it exists to cut down on duplicate typing. Something like:

function echoValue($value) {
global $SqlRequested;
    if(isset($value)){
        echo $value;
    }
}

Or if you wanted:

function echoValue($value) {
global $SqlRequested;
    if(isset($SqlRequested[$value])){
        echo $SqlRequested[$value];
    }
}

edited Apr 5, 2012 at 10:35

Lucifer

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answered Apr 5, 2012 at 6:56

Blair McMillan

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11 Comments

krasatos Over a year ago

so adding this function to the top of my page my html should be <input id="test" name="test" type="text" value="<?php echoValue('test');?>"> correct?

Blair McMillan Over a year ago

Not quite, I've updated the code because it wasn't right. Using the example code there now it would be <input id="test" name="test" type="text" value="<?php echoValue($SqlRequested['test']);?>">. If you wanted to use <input id="test" name="test" type="text" value="<?php echoValue('test');?>"> you would use the second version of the function.

krasatos Over a year ago

Thank you, that makes sense to me. Is there some way for php to read the id/name of the input that the code is in? something like (in my own imaginative language): <input id="test" name="test" type="text" value="<?php echoValue($(this.id)) ?>"> or am i asking too much? :)

Flukey Over a year ago

Genuine quesiton: Who wouldn't have javascript? An example?

Blair McMillan Over a year ago

Asking too much for how it is currently :) The only way for that to possibly happen would be to have an array in PHP of all of the fields that you want to output and then use PHP to render the actual HTML as well. If you want to go down this line, have a look for "PHP form classes". I'm guessing this will be a bit of an overkill for what you are doing currently though.

|

user1303559 · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-05 07:41:26Z

0

Nice question - all of this methods using in different frameworks, cms etc. Most "simple" and direct method is

value="<?php echoValue('test');?>"

Most powerful and "complex" is use framework like knockout.js for render forms.

And yes - "Who wouldn`t have javascript?"

Axiom - All have javascript.

answered Apr 5, 2012 at 7:41

user1303559

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