[SOLVED] Password generator not working with MySQL

[bettina702]

Hi,

I am a total newbie when it comes to PHP/MySQL. 

 

The project that I am working on requires me to generate a password, insert it and overwrite it in MySQL and then e-mail it out.  For the most part it is working, I am e-mailing it and something is being inserted into MySQL, but the field is blank.  Its as if the password generator isn't working or I am just missing something in my code.  Please take a look.  Any help is appreciated at this point!

 

<?php

$link = mysql_connect("a","b","c");
if (!$link) {
die('I cannot connect to the database beacuse: ' . mysql_error());
}

$db_selected = mysql_select_db("my_db" , $link);
if (!$db_selected) {
die("Can't connect: " . mysql_error());
}


function generatePassword ($length = 5)
{

  // start with a blank password
  $password = "";

  // define possible characters
  $possible = "0123456789bcdfghjkmnpqrstvwxyz"; 
    
  // set up a counter
  $i = 0; 
    
  // add random characters to $password until $length is reached
  while ($i < $length) { 

    // pick a random character from the possible ones
    $char = substr($possible, mt_rand(0, strlen($possible)-1), 1);
        
    // we don't want this character if it's already in the password
    if (!strstr($password, $char)) { 
      $password .= $char;
      $i++;
    }

  }

  // done!
  return $password;

}


mysql_query("INSERT INTO Table (field) VALUES('$password')")
or die('I cannot insert into the Database because: ' . mysql_error());


$today = date("l, F j, Y");

$message = <<<ENDFORM
Here is the new password for {$today}.  Password = {$password}. Visit "http://www.domain.com" and log in.
...
ENDFORM;


$recipient1 = "Me <[email protected]>";
$recipient2 = "Me <[email protected]>";

$subject = "The Code for {$today}";

$headers .= "To: $recipent1"."\r\n";
$headers .= "From: $recipient2"."\r\n";
$headers .= "Bcc: $recipient2, $recipient1"."\r\n";
$headers .= "Reply-To: $recipient2"."\r\n";
$headers .= "X-Mailer: PHP-Mailer";

mail( "$recipient1, $recipient2", $subject, $message, $headers);


mysql_close();
?>

[jackpf]

It doesn't look like you're calling the function to create the password.

[bettina702]

Hi Jack,

 

Can you tell me how I do that?

 

Thanks!!

[jackpf]

Like this - $password = generatePassword();

 

You also spelt recipient wrong in your headers (line 49)

 

No problem

[bettina702]

Awesome, that worked!!

 

Now the next part of the issue:  Overwriting the previous password.  I know the INSERT INTO thing is not how one does that.  I tried using UPDATE this way:

 

mysql_query("UPDATE table SET field WHERE field=1")
or die('I cannot insert into the Database because: ' . mysql_error());

 

But it gives me this error message:

 

I cannot insert into the Database because: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'WHERE password=1' at line 1

 

Can you help me with that?

[jackpf]

Yeah, you need to set `field` to something. Look at your code. How does mysql know what to update `field` to?

 

Try something like this:

mysql_query("UPDATE table SET `password`='$password' WHERE field=1");

[bettina702]

OK.  I have it e-mailing now, but the code does not overwrite MySQL:

 

mysql_query("UPDATE table SET column='$password' WHERE column='1'")

[jackpf]

Put or die(mysql_error()); after the query. And are you sure there's a field called column with a value of 1?

[bettina702]

And are you sure there's a field called column with a value of 1?

 

What I mean by  column='1' is that I want the new password to overwrite the old one that is located in the one and only field in the database.  Clearly thats not working.  How do I get the new password to overwrite the old one?

[jackpf]

That's not what the query does. What it does is updates the record that has "1" as the value of `column`. Maybe you should have a look at mysql update syntax.

 

Try this

mysql_query("UPDATE table SET column='$password' LIMIT 1");

[bettina702]

Fantastic.  Its working now.  Thanks so much Jack!!

[jackpf]

Np

[fenway]

That's not what the query does. What it does is updates the record that has "1" as the value of `column`. Maybe you should have a look at mysql update syntax.

 

Try this

mysql_query("UPDATE table SET column='$password' LIMIT 1");

 

Fantastic.  Its working now.  Thanks so much Jack!!

 

Um... no where clause?

[jackpf]

the one and only field in the database

....?

[fenway]

the one and only field in the database

....?

Oh.

[jackpf]

Lol