Create array from php form field using foreach then save to json file

Question

I'm trying to save the field values of a PHP form to a json file. I've tried a few solutions from this site which helped but I ran into an issue where it's not grabbing the field values and not returning any errors (I checked the logs). I am new to PHP so I'm probably making a noob mistake.

I am trying to use the solution posted here https://stackoverflow.com/a/17923066/1747477

Also, I need to replace the nested array with index "bundled_plugins" that is already present in the JSON file and not append it to the existing nested array. I'm using array_push but I know I need to use array_replace but I don't know how to target a specific index. If someone can point me in the right direction?

FORM

<form action="<?php $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]; ?>" method="post" role="form">

<div class="form-group">

    <label for="plugin1">Plugin 1</label>
    <input type="url" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's download URL" name="plugin[1][download]" id="plugin1_download" placeholder="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/plugin-name.latest-stable.zip" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_1_download; ?>" pattern="https://.*" size="100" required>

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <input type="text" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's basename" name="plugin[1][file]" id="plugin1_file" placeholder="directory-name/primary.php" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_1_file; ?>" size="100" required>

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <label for="plugin2">Plugin 2</label>
    <input type="url" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's download URL" name="plugin[2][download]" id="plugin2_download" placeholder="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/plugin-name.latest-stable.zip" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_2_download; ?>" pattern="https://.*" size="100">

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <input type="text" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's basename" name="plugin[2][file]" id="plugin2_file" placeholder="directory-name/primary.php" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_2_file; ?>" size="100">

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <label for="plugin3">Plugin 3</label>
    <input type="url" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's download URL" name="plugin[3][download]" id="plugin3_download" placeholder="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/plugin-name.latest-stable.zip" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_3_download; ?>" pattern="https://.*" size="100">

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <input type="text" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's basename" name="plugin[3][file]" id="plugin3_file" placeholder="directory-name/primary.php" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_3_file; ?>" size="100">

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <label for="plugin4">Plugin 4</label>
    <input type="url" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's download URL" name="plugin[4][download]" id="plugin4_download" placeholder="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/plugin-name.latest-stable.zip" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_4_download; ?>" pattern="https://.*" size="100">

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <input type="text" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's basename" name="plugin[4][file]" id="plugin4_file" placeholder="directory-name/primary.php" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_4_file; ?>" size="100">

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <label for="plugin5">Plugin 5</label>
    <input type="url" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's download URL" name="plugin[5][download]" id="plugin5_download" placeholder="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/plugin-name.latest-stable.zip" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_5_download; ?>" pattern="https://.*" size="100">

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <input type="text" class="form-control" title="Enter the plugin's basename" name="plugin[5][file]" id="plugin5_file" placeholder="directory-name/primary.php" value="<?php echo $settings->bundled_plugin_5_file; ?>" size="100">

</div>

<div class="form-group">

    <button id="bundle_plugins" type="submit" name="bundle_plugins" class="btn btn-md btn-success">Save</button>

</div>

PHP FUNCTION

public function bundle_plugins() {

    $settings = "settings.json";
    $arr_data = array();

    $plugins = array();
    foreach($_POST['plugin'] as $key => $val) {
        $plugins[] = array(
            'download' => $_POST['plugin'][$key],
            'file' => $_POST['plugin'][$key]
        );
    }

    // Get data from existing json file
    $jsondata = file_get_contents($settings);

    // Converts json data into array
    $arr_data = json_decode($jsondata, true);

    // Push user data to array
    array_push($arr_data, $plugins);

    // Convert updated array to JSON
    $jsondata = json_encode($arr_data, JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);

    //write json data into data.json file
    if(file_put_contents($settings, $jsondata)) {
        echo "<div class='alert alert-success' role='alert'>Plugins successfully bundled!</div>";
    }
    else {
        echo "<div class='alert alert-danger' role='alert'><strong>ERROR</strong> Please check you have entered the plugin download URL and basename correctly and try again.</div>";
    }

}

JSON

{
    "bundled_plugins": [
        {
            "download": "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/classic-editor.latest-stable.zip",
            "file": "classic-editor/classic-editor.php"
        },
        {
            "download": "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/defender-security.latest-stable.zip",
            "file": "defender-security/wp-defender.php"
        }
    ]
}

EDIT:

{
    "bundled_plugins": [
        {
            "download": "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/classic-editor.latest-stable.zip",
            "file": "classic-editor/classic-editor.php"
        },
        [
            {
                "download": "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/classic-editor.latest-stable.zip",
                "file": "classic-editor/classic-editor.php"
            },
            {
                "download": "",
                "file": ""
            },
            {
                "download": "",
                "file": ""
            },
            {
                "download": "",
                "file": ""
            },
            {
                "download": "",
                "file": ""
            }
        ]
    ]
}

EDIT 2:

This is the json file if I switch to array_replace. The bundled_plugins index is removed.

[
    {
        "download": "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/classic-editor.latest-stable.zip",
        "file": "classic-editor/classic-editor.php"
    },
    {
        "download": "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/test.latest-stable.zip",
        "file": "classic-editor/test.php"
    }
]

SOLUTION

public function bundle_plugins() {

        $settings = "settings.json";
        $arr_data = array();
        
        $plugins = array();
        foreach($_POST['plugin'] as $key => $val) {
            if( !empty($_POST['plugin'][$key]['download']) && !empty($_POST['plugin'][$key]['file'])) {
                $plugins['bundled_plugins'][] = $_POST['plugin'][$key];
            }
        }

        // Get data from existing json file
        $json = file_get_contents($settings);

        // Converts json data into array
        $arr_data = json_decode($json, true);

        // Push user data to array
        $arr_data = array_replace($arr_data, $plugins);

        // Convert updated array to JSON
        $json = json_encode($arr_data, JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);

        //write json data into data.json file
        if(file_put_contents($settings, $json)) {
            echo "<div class='alert alert-success' role='alert'>Plugins successfully bundled!</div>";
        }
        else {
            echo "<div class='alert alert-danger' role='alert'><strong>ERROR</strong> Please check you have entered the plugin download URL and basename correctly and try again.</div>";
        }

    }

1. is there really a input type="url" type? 2. You need $_POST['plugin'][$key]['file'] and $_POST['plugin'][$key]['download'] — AbraCadaver
– AbraCadaver, Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 15:24
@AbraCadaver apparently so w3schools.com/tags/att_input_type_url.asp. Will try your suggestion. — Hans Desjarlais
– Hans Desjarlais, Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 15:32
@AbraCadaver Tried it but still getting same results. No change and no errors... something to do with this $_POST['plugin'][$key]['file'] most likely the issue. Not grabbing the input values. — Hans Desjarlais
– Hans Desjarlais, Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 15:41
Do you ever call bundle_plugins()? What echo do you get at the end of it? — AbraCadaver
– AbraCadaver, Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 15:43

AbraCadaver · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-24 17:18:23Z

1

First you are ignoring the POST plugin keys download and file. Second just merge the new array into the existing one:

foreach($_POST['plugin'] as $key => $val) {
    $plugins[] = array(
        'download' => $_POST['plugin'][$key]['download'],
        'file' => $_POST['plugin'][$key]['file']
    );
}

// Get data from existing json file
$jsondata = file_get_contents($settings);

// Converts json data into array
$arr_data = json_decode($jsondata, true);

$arr_data = array_merge($arr_data['bundled_plugins'], $plugins);

The loop could be simpler since the keys are already in the POST:

foreach($_POST['plugin'] as $key => $val) {
    $plugins[] = $_POST['plugin'][$key];
}

Or maybe just if you don't need to do anything else: $plugins = $_POST['plugin'];

But, you probably want to check the the POST values are !empty() before adding to the $plugins array and also check $plugins array before merging so you don't get empties.

edited Aug 24, 2020 at 17:18

answered Aug 24, 2020 at 17:13

AbraCadaver

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2 Comments

Hans Desjarlais Over a year ago

Your code suggestions work nicely. I switched to array_replace which works but strips out the bundled_plugins index. See my EDIT 2 in the question.

Hans Desjarlais Over a year ago

Finally figured it out after some trial and error. Posted the final solution. Thanks for all your help!

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