help with inserting data into mysql

[dekon]

could someone help me i can't seem to insert data into mysql table and don't know whats gone wrong

//create_cat.php  

include 'mysql.php';  
include 'header.php';  
echo '<h2>Create a topic</h2>';  

if($_SESSION['loggedIn'] == false)  
{  
    //the user is not signed in  
    echo 'Sorry, you have to be <a href="signin.php">signed in</a> to create a topic.';  
}  
else  
{  
    //the user is signed in  
    if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] != 'POST')  
    {  

        //dropdown is being used here where we'll retrieve the catagories from the database for use in the dropdown  
        $sql = "SELECT 
                    id, 
                    name, 
                    description 
                FROM 
                    catagories";  
        $result = mysql_query($sql);  
        if(!$result)  
        {  
           //query did not work
            echo 'Error while selecting from database. Please try again later.'; 
        } 
        else 
        { 
            if(mysql_num_rows($result) == 0) 
            { 
                //there are no catagories, so a topic can't be posted  
                if($_SESSION['user_level'] == 1)  
                {  
                    echo 'You have not created catagories yet.';  
                }  
                else  
                {  
                    echo 'Before you can post a topic, you must wait for an admin to create some catagories.';  
                }  
            }  
            else  
            {  
                echo '<form method="post" action=""> 
                    Subject: <input type="text" name="subject" /> 
                    Category:';  
                echo '<select name="cat">';  
                    while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))  
                    {  
                        echo '<option value="' . $row['id'] . '">' . $row['name'] . '</option>';  
                    }  
                echo '</select>';  
                echo 'Message: <textarea name="post_content" /></textarea> 
                    <input type="submit" value="Create topic" /> 
                 </form>';  
            }  
        }  
    }  

 

 

[Maq]

We need more information.  What happens?  Are there errors?  Do you have error reporting turned on?

[dekon]

An error occured while inserting your data. Please try again later.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 'by) VALUES('session state help', ' at line 5 
 

this is the error i keep getting

[Barand]

Echo the sql query string so we can see it

[Jessica]

Yeah I don't see any code that would generate SQL containing a "VALUES". All you have shown us is a SELECT.

[dekon]

<?php  

//create_cat.php  

include 'mysql.php';  

include 'header.php';  

echo '<h2>Create a topic</h2>';  


if($_SESSION['loggedIn'] == false)  

{  

    //the user is not signed in  

    echo 'Sorry, you have to be <a href="signin.php">signed in</a> to create a topic.';  

}  

else  

{  

    //the user is signed in  

    if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] != 'POST')  

    {  


        //dropdown is being used here where we'll retrieve the catagories from the database for use in the dropdown  

        $sql = "SELECT 

                    id, 

                    name, 

                    description 

                FROM 

                    catagories";  

        $result = mysql_query($sql);  

        if(!$result)  

        {  

           //query did not work

            echo 'Error while selecting from database. Please try again later.'; 

        } 

        else 

        { 

            if(mysql_num_rows($result) == 0) 

            { 

                //there are no catagories, so a topic can't be posted  

                if($_SESSION['user_level'] == 1)  

                {  

                    echo 'You have not created catagories yet.';  

                }  

                else  

                {  

                    echo 'Before you can post a topic, you must wait for an admin to create some catagories.';  

                }  

            }  

            else  

            {  

                echo '<form method="post" action=""> 

                    Subject: <input type="text" name="subject" /> 

                    Category:';  

                echo '<select name="cat">';  

                    while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))  

                    {  

                        echo '<option value="' . $row['id'] . '">' . $row['name'] . '</option>';  

                    }  

                echo '</select>';  

                echo 'Message: <textarea name="post_content" /></textarea> 

                    <input type="submit" value="Create topic" /> 

                 </form>';  

            }  

        }  

    }  

    else  

    {  

        //start the transaction  

        $query  = "BEGIN WORK;";  

        $result = mysql_query($query);  

        if(!$result)  

        {  

            //Damn! the query failed, quit  

            echo 'An error occured while creating your topic. Please try again later.';  

        }  

        else  

        {  

            //the form has been posted, so save it  

            //insert the topic into the topics table first, then we'll save the post into the posts table  

            $sql = "INSERT INTO 

                        topics(subject, 

                               date, 

                               cat, 

                               by) 

                   VALUES('" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['subject']) . "', 

                               NOW(), 

                               " . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['cat']) . ", 

                               " . $_SESSION['user_id'] . " 

                               )"; 

            $result = mysql_query($sql); 

            if(!$result) 

            { 

                //something went wrong, display the error 

                echo 'An error occured while inserting your data. Please try again later.' . mysql_error(); 

                $sql = "ROLLBACK;"; 

                $result = mysql_query($sql); 

            } 

[Jessica]

"by" is a reserved word in MySQL. You should either change the column name (preferable) or use backticks around it.