form field displaying as 'undefined' in MySQL

[webguync]

Hi, I am using PHP and JQuery to submit info from a form into a MySQL DB. One of the fields in not picking up the data correctly as simply displays 'undefined'. The info is being stored in PHP via Sessions. I think this problem occurred before and was fixed, but now is happening again for some reason. The field is question is called 'editor_name'.

 

<?php
session_start();
$con = mysql_connect("localhost","user_name","pw") or die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
mysql_select_db("DBName") or die(mysql_error());
$_SESSION['editor_name'] = $row->editor_name;
$editor_name = $_SESSION['editor_name'];

$editor_name=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['editor_name']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A1=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer1']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A2=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer2']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A3=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer3']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A4=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer4']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A5=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer5']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A6=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer6']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A7=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer7']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A8=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer8']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A9=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer9']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A10=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer10']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A11=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer11']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$A12=mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Answer12']); //This value has to be the same as in the HTML form file
$sql="INSERT INTO Responses (`username`,`Answer1`,`Answer2`,`Answer3`,`Answer4`,`Answer5`,`Answer6`,`Answer7`,`Answer8`,`Answer9`,`Answer10`,`Answer11`,`Answer12`) VALUES ('$editor_name','$A1','$A2','$A3','$A4','$A5','$A6','$A7','$A8','$A9','$A10','$A11','$A12')"; /*form_data is the name of the MySQL table where the form data will be saved.
name and email are the respective table fields*/
if (!mysql_query($sql,$con)) {
die('Error: ' . mysql_error());
}

else{

echo "Your information has been submitted successfully.";

}
mysql_close($con);
?>

 

the form code

<?php
ini_set("display_errors","1");
ERROR_REPORTING(E_ALL);
session_start();
$con = mysql_connect("localhost","uname","pw") or die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());

mysql_select_db("DBName") or die(mysql_error());


// Same checking stuff all over again.
if(isset($_POST['submit'])) {
   if(empty($_POST['username']) || empty($_POST['password']) ) {
    echo "<h2 style='color:#FF0000;font-weight:bold;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:'12px';>Please fill in both your username and password to access the editor exam.<br /> You will be redirected back to the login screen in 5 seconds.</h2>";
  echo "<meta http-equiv='refresh' content='5; url=EditorLogin.php'>";
                exit;
   }
   // Create the variables again.
   
   $username = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['username']);
   $password = $_POST['password'];

   // Encrypt the password again with the md5 hash. 
   // This way the password is now the same as the password inside the database.
   //$pwid = md5($pwid);

   // Store the SQL query inside a variable. 
   // ONLY the username you have filled in is retrieved from the database.
   $query = "SELECT username,password,editor_name
           FROM   Editor_Candidates
           WHERE
           password = '$password'
           AND
           username='$username'";

   $result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
   if(mysql_num_rows($result) == 0) { 
      // Gives an error if the username/pw given does not exist.
      // or if something else is wrong.
     echo "<h2 style='color:#ff0000;font-weight:bold;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:'11px';>You have entered a username or password that does not match our database records. please try again.<br /> You will be redirected back to the login screen in 5 seconds.</h2> " . mysql_error();
echo "<meta http-equiv='refresh' content='5; url=EditorLogin.php'>";
exit();
/*
this would benefit from a redirect to a page giving better information to
the user and maybe logging some errors.
*/
   } else {
      // Now create an object from the data you've retrieved.
      $row = mysql_fetch_object($result);
      // You've now created an object containing the data.
      // You can call data by using -> after $row.
      // For example now the password is checked if they're equal.

      // By storing data inside the $_SESSION superglobal,
      // you stay logged in until you close your browser.

   $_SESSION['editor_name'] = $row->editor_name;
     $_SESSION['username'] = $username;
      $_SESSION['sid'] = session_id(); 
      // Make it more secure by storing the user's IP address.
      $_SESSION['ip'] = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
      // Now give the success message.
      // $_SESSION['username'] should print out your username.

//move this to after your redirect further below..
//Update record with current time IF the account has never logged in before


$dat = time() + 3600;
$query = "UPDATE Editor_Candidates
          SET login_timestamp = DATE_ADD(NOW(), INTERVAL 2 HOUR)
          WHERE username = '$username'
            AND password = '$password'"; 
//echo $query; //for debugging test 
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error()); 

//Check if query ran successfully
      
   }
}

// Start a session. If not logged in will be redirected back to login screen.

if(!isset($_SESSION['username'])){
header("Location:EditorLogin.php");
exit;
}



?>

 

and the JQuery stuff

$(function() {
  $('.error').hide();

  $(".button").click(function() {
	// validate and process form
	// first hide any error messages
    $('.error').hide();

      var editor_name = $("input#editor_name").val();

  var Answer1 = $("textarea#Answer1").val();
	if (Answer1 == "") {
      $("label#Q1_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer1").focus();
      return false;
    }
	var Answer2 = $("textarea#Answer2").val();
	if (Answer2 == "") {
      $("label#Q2_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer2").focus();
      return false;
    }
		var Answer3 = $("textarea#Answer3").val();
	if (Answer3 == "") {
      $("label#Q3_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer3").focus();
      return false;
    }
	var Answer4 = $("textarea#Answer4").val();
	if (Answer4 == "") {
      $("label#Q4_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer4").focus();
      return false;
    }
	var Answer5 = $("textarea#Answer5").val();
	if (Answer5 == "") {
      $("label#Q5_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer5").focus();
      return false;
    }
	var Answer6 = $("textarea#Answer6").val();
	if (Answer6 == "") {
      $("label#Q6_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer6").focus();
      return false;
    }
	var Answer7 = $("textarea#Answer7").val();
	if (Answer7 == "") {
      $("label#Q7_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer7").focus();
      return false;
    }
	var Answer8 = $("textarea#Answer8").val();
	if (Answer8 == "") {
      $("label#Q8_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer8").focus();
      return false;
    }
	var Answer9 = $("textarea#Answer9").val();
	if (Answer9 == "") {
      $("label#Q9_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer9").focus();
      return false;
    }
var Answer10 = $("textarea#Answer10").val();
	if (Answer10 == "") {
      $("label#Q10_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer10").focus();
      return false;
    }
var Answer11 = $("textarea#Answer11").val();
	if (Answer11 == "") {
      $("label#Q11_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer11").focus();
      return false;
    }
var Answer12 = $("textarea#Answer12").val();
	if (Answer12 == "") {
      $("label#Q12_error").show();
      $("textarea#Answer12").focus();
      return false;
    }



var dataString = 'editor_name='+ editor_name + '&Answer1='+ Answer1 + '&Answer2=' + Answer2 + '&Answer3=' + Answer3 + '&Answer4=' + Answer4 + '&Answer5=' + Answer5 + '&Answer6=' + Answer6 +  '&Answer7=' + Answer7 + '&Answer8=' + Answer8 + '&Answer9=' + Answer9 + '&Answer10=' + Answer10 + '&Answer11=' + Answer11 + '&Answer12=' + Answer12;

	$.ajax({
      type: "POST",
      url: "bin/process.php",
      data: dataString,

      success: function() {
        $('#contact_form').html("<div id='message'></div>");
        $('#message').html("<h2>Your answers were successfully submitted!</h2>")
        .append("<p>We will be in touch.</p>")
        .hide()
        .fadeIn(1500, function() {
          $('#message').append("<img id='checkmark' src='images/check.png' />");
        });
      }
     });
    return false;
});
});
runOnLoad(function(){
  $("textarea#Q1").select().focus();
});

[Mchl]

'undefined' is being displayed by JavaScript when variable contains no value.

[ChemicalBliss]

Check your browser error log, in firefox its under tools-.error console.

 

It will probably say this line is the culprit:

var editor_name = $("input#editor_name").val();

 

In the form HTML (which i cant see from the code u posted), is there an <INPUT tag named with the id "editor_name'? try an alert(editor_name); see what it says.

 

-cb-

[webguync]

no there isn't currently an input field, b/c I am extracting the editor_name from the DB using SQL and storing it in a Session. I tried using a hidden field with input and assigning it an id 'editor_name', but that didn't seem to work either.

[ChemicalBliss]

Ok well from the code it suggests you get the editor name from a method of $row.

 

$row->editor_name

 

what is $row, why is it coming from there?

 

 

2--

 

var editor_name = $("input#editor_name").val();

 

This is looking for a field you said isnt there, so its not needed if you are using a predifined editor name in php.

-cb-

[webguync]

when I take this line out of the JS validation the form doesn't submit.

  var editor_name = $("input#editor_name").val();

 

apparently I need to have a var for every var in the datastring, but since I am not actually using input#editor name, not sure what I should do.

 

I don't think I needed this line so I took it out.

 

$_SESSION['editor_name'] = $row->editor_name;

[webguync]

should a hidden field work in this case? If so how would I code that?

[ChemicalBliss]

Ok well from the code it suggests you get the editor name from a method of $row.

 

$row->editor_name

 

what is $row, why is it coming from there?

 

-cb-

 

Tell us everything.

 

-cb-

[webguync]

here is the php part that processes the data and selects from MySQL

<?php
ini_set("display_errors","1");
ERROR_REPORTING(E_ALL);
session_start();
$con = mysql_connect("localhost","uname","pw") or die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());

mysql_select_db("DBName") or die(mysql_error());


// Same checking stuff all over again.
if(isset($_POST['submit'])) {
   if(empty($_POST['username']) || empty($_POST['password']) ) {
    echo "<h2 style='color:#FF0000;font-weight:bold;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:'12px';>Please fill in both your username and password to access the editor exam.<br /> You will be redirected back to the login screen in 5 seconds.</h2>";
  echo "<meta http-equiv='refresh' content='5; url=EditorLogin.php'>";
                exit;
   }
   // Create the variables again.
   
   $username = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['username']);
   $password = $_POST['password'];

   // Encrypt the password again with the md5 hash. 
   // This way the password is now the same as the password inside the database.
   //$pwid = md5($pwid);

   // Store the SQL query inside a variable. 
   // ONLY the username you have filled in is retrieved from the database.
   $query = "SELECT username,password,editor_name
           FROM   Editor_Candidates
           WHERE
           password = '$password'
           AND
           username='$username'";

   $result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
   if(mysql_num_rows($result) == 0) { 
      // Gives an error if the username/pw given does not exist.
      // or if something else is wrong.
     echo "<h2 style='color:#ff0000;font-weight:bold;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:'11px';>You have entered a username or password that does not match our database records. please try again.<br /> You will be redirected back to the login screen in 5 seconds.</h2> " . mysql_error();
echo "<meta http-equiv='refresh' content='5; url=EditorLogin.php'>";
exit();
/*
this would benefit from a redirect to a page giving better information to
the user and maybe logging some errors.
*/
   } else {
      // Now create an object from the data you've retrieved.
      $row = mysql_fetch_object($result);
      // You've now created an object containing the data.
      // You can call data by using -> after $row.
      // For example now the password is checked if they're equal.

      // By storing data inside the $_SESSION superglobal,
      // you stay logged in until you close your browser.

   $_SESSION['editor_name'] = $row->editor_name;
     $_SESSION['username'] = $username;
      $_SESSION['sid'] = session_id(); 
      // Make it more secure by storing the user's IP address.
      $_SESSION['ip'] = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
      // Now give the success message.
      // $_SESSION['username'] should print out your username.

//move this to after your redirect further below..
//Update record with current time IF the account has never logged in before


$dat = time() + 3600;
$query = "UPDATE Editor_Candidates
          SET login_timestamp = DATE_ADD(NOW(), INTERVAL 2 HOUR)
          WHERE username = '$username'
            AND password = '$password'"; 
//echo $query; //for debugging test 
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error()); 

//Check if query ran successfully
      
   }
}

// Start a session. If not logged in will be redirected back to login screen.

if(!isset($_SESSION['username'])){
header("Location:EditorLogin.php");
exit;
}



?>

 

I am storing the value of editor_name in a SESSION Var, and want to have that info submit into the DB when the form is submitted.

 

[ChemicalBliss]

remove ths line from your original script:

$_SESSION['editor_name'] = $row->editor_name;

 

-cb-