How to make multiple checkboxes work with php and sql

Question

How would I pass an array of multiple checkboxes and values through php, saving to a sql database, as well as being able to pull up the saved data back on the client side?

For example, I have an array that saves checkbox values in the way of '"checked"""checked""""', but not only do I want to save the checked value, I also want to save the form data, as follows :

Apples : Checked
Oranges : Not Checked
Bananas : Checked
Tomatoes : Checked

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, please answer with context of how to do, not just code - still learning!

Here is the code THAT WORKS for this question

processing code :

$salesman = $data['data-invoice-salesman']; // this is an array
                $salesman_array = array(); // create new array
                $salesman_names = array(1 => "User1",2 => "User2",3 => "User3",4 => "User4",5 => "User");
                for($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++){ // loop from 1 to 5
                if(in_array($i, $salesman)){ // if value exists (has been selected), stack 'checked', if not, stack ''.
                    $salesman_array[$salesman_names[$i]] = "checked";
                } else {
                    $salesman_array[$salesman_names[$i]] = "";
                }
                }
                $salesman_json = mysqli_real_escape_string($this->_con, json_encode($salesman_array)); // encode the array into JSON and then escape it.

form code THAT WORKS :

<?php
        $salesmand = json_decode($invoice['Invoice']['salesman'], true);
        $salesman_names = array(1 => "User1",2 => "User2",3 => "User3",4 => "User4",5 => "User5");
            foreach ($salesman_names AS $i => $name) {
                if ($salesman[$name] == "checked") {
                    echo '<input type="checkbox" name="data-invoice-salesman[]" value="'.$i.'" checked/> '.$name.'<br>';
                } else {
                    echo '<input type="checkbox" name="data-invoice-salesman[]" value="'.$i.'" /> '.$name.'<br>';
                }
            }
        ?>
            </div>

$data['data-invoice-salesman'] should be $_POST['data-invoice-salesman']. Other than that, it looks like it should work. Although storing JSON strings in a database doesn't seem like a great idea. — Barmar
– Barmar, Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 21:34
@Barmar It works to save the checkbox value, not the name of each input. Why would storing JSON strings be a bad idea(they are escaped)? — Steven
– Steven, Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 21:35
IT's not a security issue, just a general database design problem. You can't easily search for a particular value, for instance. — Barmar
– Barmar, Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 21:37
It can, but it's a very poor way to do it. It can't take advantage of an index. Learn about proper database normalization. — Barmar
– Barmar, Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 21:42

Barmar · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-31 22:17:26Z

1

Add an array that maps the indexes to the name:

$salesman_names = array(
    1 => "Joe Smith",
    2 => "Fred Flintston",
    3 => "George Jetson",
    4 => "John Hamm",
    5 => "Alan Smithee"
);

Then in your loop, you can do:

$salesman_array[$salesan_names[$i]] = "checked";

The JSON that's saved in the database might then look like:

{"Joe Smith":"checked", "Fred Flintson": "", "George Jetson","checked", "John Hamm":"", "Alan Smithee":""}

To display the checkboxes, you would refer to the $salesman_array when displaying it:

$salesman = json_decode($invoice['Invoice']['salesman'], true);
foreach ($salesman_names AS $i => $name) {
    if ($salesman[$name] == "checked") {
        echo '<input type="checkbox" name="data-invoice-salesman[]" value="'.$i.'" checked/> '.$name.'<br>';
    } else {
        echo '<input type="checkbox" name="data-invoice-salesman[]" value="'.$i.'" /> '.$name.'<br>';
    }
}

edited Dec 31, 2015 at 22:17

answered Dec 31, 2015 at 21:46

Barmar

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6 Comments

Steven Over a year ago

would I not need another column in my db called "products"?

Barmar Over a year ago

I don't really understand your application. This is what you said the names of the checkboxes are, but then your PHP loop calls them salesmen.

Steven Over a year ago

Sorry, the fruit example had nothing to do with my code, my actual code will have 5 salesman names, as well as need the capability to save/retrieve the salesman, and the status of the checkbox

Steven Over a year ago

do i replace my $i = $k+1; code with the $salesman array? can you include placement of where your code fits in with mine?

Barmar Over a year ago

Added that to the answer

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