Insert $_POST associative array into database PHP

Question

How would I go by inserting a assoc array into a MySQL database.

When I print_r($_POST), I get this:

Array
(
    [first_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => James
            [1] => Will
            [2] => Jackie
        )

    [last_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => Bond
            [1] => Smith
            [2] => Chan
        )
)

What I have in mind is something like this.

INSERT INTO actors(first_name, last_name) VALUES ('val1','val2'), ('val1','val2'), ('val1', ....

or something like this.

$sql="INSERT INTO actors(first_name, last_name)VALUES(:first_name,:last_name)";
$stmt=$db->prepare($sql);
$stmt->bindValue(':first_name', $_POST['first_name']);//Here I get a "Array to string conversion" error 
$stmt->bindValue(':last_name', $_POST['last_name']);// Here I get a "Array to string conversion" error

foreach($_POST as $row){
$stmt->execute($row);//Here I get a "PDOStatement::execute() expects parameter 1 to be array, string given" error
}

I know there are many questions similar to this, I have viewed them all and tried the ones I could understand.

Here is the html form I'm trying to use to post to the database:

<form method="post">
    <input type="text" name="first_name[]" placeholder="First Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="last_name[]" placeholder="Last Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="first_name[]" placeholder="First Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="last_name[]" placeholder="Last Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="first_name[]" placeholder="First Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="last_name[]" placeholder="Last Name"/>
    <input type="submit" name="add_actor" value="Submit"/>
</form>

Hi, why don't u just loop ur values $stmt->bindValue(':first_name', $_POST['first_name']);$stmt->bindValue(':last_name', $_POST['last_name']); .. Doesn't it work ? — phpfresher
– phpfresher, Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 10:15
I get a "Array to string conversion" error with and without loop — Ikhlak S.
– Ikhlak S., Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 10:23
even in the loop ?? Once try like this.. foreach($_POST['first_name'] as $key=>$value){$stmt->bindValue(':first_name', $value);$stmt->bindValue(':last_name', $_POST['last_name'][$key]);} — phpfresher
– phpfresher, Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 10:26

CiaranSynnott · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-13 09:46:17Z

3

How about something like

foreach($_POST["first_name"] as $k=>$v){

  $f_name = $v;
  $l_name = $_POST["last_name"][$k];

  $sql="INSERT INTO actors(first_name, last_name)VALUES($f_name, $l_name)";
  // James Bond
}

I would do some sort of validation however to count the values being posted.

answered Nov 13, 2015 at 9:46

CiaranSynnott

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1 Comment

Narendrasingh Sisodia Over a year ago

Looping a query is not a feasible solution

Luca Giardina · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-13 11:04:14Z

1

This is what you want!

$sql="INSERT INTO actors(first_name, last_name)VALUES";

do{
    $actors_name = array_shift($_POST['first_name']);
    $actors_surname = array_shift($_POST['last_name']);
    if($actors_name || $actors_surname)
        $sql.="(".mysqli_real_escape_string($actors_name).",".
                mysqli_real_escape_string($actors_surname)."),";
}
while($actors_name || $actors_surname);

//CUT LAST COMMA FOR A CORRECT QUERY
$sql = substr($sql, 0, -1);

edited Nov 13, 2015 at 11:04

answered Nov 13, 2015 at 9:49

Luca Giardina

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2 Comments

Luca Giardina Over a year ago

mh i probably misunderstood

Ikhlak S. Over a year ago

using json_encode, I get a value like ["james"] in my table

Fabrizio Caldarelli · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-13 09:45:10Z

0

I'll change how you pass data, setting index before parameter name

<form method="post">
    <input type="text" name="[0][first_name]" placeholder="First Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="[0][last_name]" placeholder="Last Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="[1][first_name]" placeholder="First Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="[1][last_name]" placeholder="Last Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="[2][first_name]" placeholder="First Name"/>
    <input type="text" name="[2][last_name]" placeholder="Last Name"/>
    <input type="submit" name="add_actor" value="Submit"/>
</form>

Now you can correctly execute statement:

foreach($_POST as $row){
$stmt->execute($row);//Here I get a "PDOStatement::execute() expects parameter 1 to be array, string given" error
}

answered Nov 13, 2015 at 9:45

Fabrizio Caldarelli

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1 Comment

Ikhlak S. Over a year ago

this would work ...but not for those fields that are added dynamically with javascript.

r3wt · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-13 10:34:52Z

0

you need to use a for loop to iterate the the arrays in unison. pretty simple stuff here. $i is an integer that increments, so its always selecting the next incremental row. 1 problem is that the indexes will be out of order on one side if any of the fields were left blank, so this design is flawed from the jump.

$sql="INSERT INTO actors(first_name, last_name)VALUES(:first_name,:last_name)";

$num_rows = count($_POST['first_name']) + count($post['last_name']) / 2;

for($i=0;$i<$num_rows;$i++)
{   
    $stmt=$db->prepare($sql);
    $stmt->bindValue(':first_name', $_POST['first_name'][$i]);
    $stmt->bindValue(':last_name', $_POST['last_name'][$i]);
    $stmt->execute();
}

answered Nov 13, 2015 at 10:34

r3wt

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1 Comment

Ikhlak S. Over a year ago

is this tested? I get errors Invalid parameter number: parameter was not defined. if try $stmt->execute($sql); then I get errors saying Undefined offset: 1 and PDOStatement::execute() expects parameter 1 to be array

Basheer Kharoti · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-13 10:41:26Z

0

I assume that your first name and last name values are on the same indexes but on different arrays so you can concat them using array_map function something like

$array1 = array('first' => array('basheer','salman'));
$array2= array('lastname' => array('kahn','ali'));

$result_array = array();

array_map('concate', $array1, array_values($array2));
function concate($array1, $array2){
    global $result_array;
    foreach($array1 as $key => $val) {
        $result_array[] = '(' . $val . ',' . $array2[$key] . ')';
    }
}
print_r(implode(',',$result_array));//(basheer,kahn),(salman,ali)

And your sql query will look like something

INSERT INTO actors(first_name, last_name) VALUES implode(',', $result_array)

edited Nov 13, 2015 at 10:41

answered Nov 13, 2015 at 10:26

Basheer Kharoti

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