Web Design

314

Insert New Data into a Table with PHP (continued)

Create the PHP Script

1 In your editor, open a new
PHP page.

2 Delete any existing code your
editor might add so that the
page is completely blank.

3 Type <?php.

4 Type include(“?”);,
replacing? with the path to
your database connection
script.

5 Type $formfield1 = $_
POST[‘formfield1’];,
replacing formfield1 with the
name of the first field from
the form.

6 Repeat Step 5 to create
shorter variable names for
the remaining form fields.

7 Type $query = “INSERT
INTO table (field1,
field2) VALUES
(‘$formfield1’,
‘$formfield2’)”;,
replacing table with the name
of the table, field1 and field2
with the names of the
database fields, and $formfield1,
$formfield2 with the variables
created in Steps 5 and 6.

Insert New Data into a Table with PHP (continued)

O

nce you have created your form, you must create the PHP page to process the form. In this case,

the page must contain a SQL INSERT INTO statement to add the record to the database. The

INSERT INTO statement takes the name of the table, followed by a list of the fields into which

you will be adding data. You then use the VALUES keyword followed by a list of the form fields that

contain the new data. Once complete, you can use the PHP header() function to redirect your

user to a page that displays the records in the table.

1

4

6

8

9

3

5

7

8 Type $data =

mysql_query($query);.

9 Type header(“location:

?”);, replacing? with the

path to a page that displays

the table’s data.

Note: See the section “Display the

Contents of a Table on a Web Page”

earlier in this chapter for details on

creating this page.