creating a function!

[oobradersoo]

could some one help with:

creating a function to help you output each number, the number of times the number is … each on a separate line.

So if I entered numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 in my form then the output would be:

 

2 2

3 3 3

4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5

 

 

 

[.josh]

what have you tried?

[oobradersoo]

i have made a form which adding up each value which is entered. but i want to know if there is a way instead of adding up which is entered it will output it like i stated above. just asking for pointers really?

[.josh]

use a loop to count from $min (e.g. 1) to $max (e.g. 10). Or if it's a list of arbitrary numbers, loop through those instead. Use str_repeat for the repetition n times.

[oobradersoo]

thanks mate

[oobradersoo]

i get what your saying but if a user had 4 boxes to type in how can you tell it to echo out amount of times she has entered?

[.josh]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Do you mean 4 input fields where you can enter in 4 numbers, and then repeat those 4 numbers how ever many times the number is? Be more specific about what you are wanting to do. Show what code you do have, etc.

[oobradersoo]

"" Do you mean 4 input fields where you can enter in 4 numbers, and then repeat those 4 numbers how ever many times the number is? "" yes that's exactly what it is

theirs my code which i am wanting to change

<form action="form.php" method="POST">
		<input type="hidden" name="id" value="1234" />
		number 1:<input type="number" name="number1" value="<?php echo $number1;?>"/>
		<br>		
		number 2:<input type="number" name="number2" value="<?php echo $number2;?>"/>
		<br>
		number 3:<input type="number" name="number3" value="<?php echo $number3;?>"/>
		<br>
		number 4:<input type="number" name="number4" value="<?php echo $number4;?>"/>
	<input type="submit" value="submit"/>
</form>

<?php
		if(null==($number1 && $number2 && $number3 && $number4)){
		echo "Please fill in form above?";
		}
		elseif(!(is_numeric($_POST['number1']) && is_numeric($_POST['number2'])  && is_numeric($_POST['number3']) && is_numeric($_POST['number4']))){
		echo "please put numbers in form";
		}
		elseif(isset($_POST['number1']) && isset($_POST['number2']) && isset($_POST['number3']) && isset($_POST['number4'])){
		echo "Answer: " . ($number1+$number2+$number3+$number4);
		}
?>

[.josh]

Okay so there are a number of improvements that can be made to your existing script, but I see a difference between what you're asking for and what you're actually doing. Are you asking to just add the 4 numbers up and show the total, or are you wanting to repeat each number n times?

 

In other words,

 

let's say the user enters in 4 numbers: 2, 4, 5, 6

 

Do you want to give the user back this: 17 (the total)

 

Or do you want to give the user back this:

 

2 2
4 4 4 4
5 5 5 5 5
6 6 6 6 6 6

Those are 2 different things...

[oobradersoo]

i want the user to have on his screen

1
22
333
4444

[.josh]

<form action="" method="POST">
		<input type="hidden" name="id" value="1234" />
		number 1:<input type="number" name="number[1]" value="<?php echo $_POST['number'][1];?>"/>
		<br>		
		number 2:<input type="number" name="number[2]" value="<?php echo $_POST['number'][2];?>"/>
		<br>
		number 3:<input type="number" name="number[3]" value="<?php echo $_POST['number'][3];?>"/>
		<br>
		number 4:<input type="number" name="number[4]" value="<?php echo $_POST['number'][4];?>"/>
	<input type="submit" value="submit"/>
</form>

<?php
if ($_POST) {
  // trim any whitespace
  $numbers = array_map('trim',$_POST['number']);
  // filter out numbers not entered in
  $numbers = array_filter($numbers);
  // if there aren't 4 numbers, echo out error
  if ( count($numbers) != 4 ) {
    echo "Please fill in form above?";
  // there are 4 numbers, echo out results
  } else {
    // for each number...
    foreach ($numbers as $num) {
      // cast to integer just in case someone alters your form's input type
      $num = (int) $num;
      echo str_repeat($num.' ',abs($num)) . '<br/>';
    }
  }
}

?>

Okay so this is a better way to write the script (but there are more improvements that could be made).

 

1) notice in the input fields, 2 changes. First is instead of using individual input names like "number1" "number2" etc. You should use an array. This will allow you to loop through the input or use built-in functions to loop through it, instead of having to evaluate each one individually. the 2nd thing is the input field value. You were previously using $number1, $number2, etc.. which you never actually define anywhere. If this was working for you, that must mean you have register globals turned on and that is BAD. Whoever is in charge of your server needs to turn off register globals, as this is a HUGE security risk.

 

2) look how i replaced your form validation. Since the input fields are put into an array instead of individual variables, you can significantly decrease the code by using functions that will walk through the array, and also loop through the array.

 

3) finally is the part that actually outputs the repeated numbers. a simple loop made possible by using an array for your form fields. First thing to note is that I cast the value to an integer type. This is to keep php from throwing an error if someone alters your form to submit something other than a number (very easy to do). Also note that I added abs around how many times to repeat the number in str_repeat(). This is because currently your form allows you to enter in negative numbers, and you can't repeat a string negative number of times. So abs() will give the absolute value, so for example if you enter in -4, it will repeat -4 four times.

[oobradersoo]

there is a reason the form is like i have set it out. is there a way i can keep the form the same and do what i have asked?

[.josh]

Yes. I've given you everything you need and then some. If you want to insist on doing it like that, then apply some critical thinking to pick the relevant parts of the code out and adapt it to your own.