var_dump of an array shows just one variable

[makamo66]

The var_dump of the $cart_items array is supposed to show an array of $cart_items with the quantities added together for the same id but it doesn't even show an array, it just shows one value.

session_start();
$cart_items = $_SESSION["cart_items"];
if ( $cart_items == null ) {
    $cart_items = array();
}
if ( isset($_REQUEST["element_id"]) ) {
    $id = $_REQUEST["element_id"];
}

if ( isset($_REQUEST["quantity"]) ) {
    $quantity = $_REQUEST["quantity"];
}

if ( isset($id)  && isset($quantity) ) {
if (isset($cart_items[$id])) {
          $cart_items[$id] += $quantity;

} else {
    $cart_items[$id] = $quantity;
}
}
var_dump($cart_items);

 
 

[requinix]

Exactly what does it show?

[Barand]

Do not use $_REQUEST.

Use either $_POST or $_GET depending on your form's method attribute. (In this case, as you are updating the cart data, it should be POST.)

session_start();
$cart_items = $_SESSION["cart_items"] ?? [];
$id = $_POST["element_id"] ?? 0;
$quantity = $_POST["quantity"] ?? 0;

if ($id && $quantity) {
    if (!isset($cart_items[$id])) {
        $cart_items[$id]  = 0;
    }
    $cart_items[$id] += $quantity;
}

var_dump($cart_items);

 

[mac_gyver]

i'm going with the code never copies the (unnecessary) $cart_items variable back to the session variable, so the code starts over each time it gets executed. just use $_SESSION["cart_items"] everywhere and forget about the $cart_items variable.

[makamo66]

Thank you for your helpful input. I implemented the code that you provided and used $_SESSION["cart_items"] instead of $cart_items and now it works!