Dynamic Variable problem

[croakingtoad]

I have a form that is passing $_POST values to itself on submit.  The values are predictable based on the data in an array.  So what I'm trying to do is dynamically build the POST variables which I have done like this--

 

//removes characters in $chars from $array items
$chars = array(" ", "&", "(", ")", "/");
$trim = str_replace ($chars, "", $array[$i]);

//Build $_POST variable from array
$one = "$" . "_POST['" . "$trim" . "-1']";
$two = "$" . "_POST['" . "$trim" . "-2']";
$three = "$" . "_POST['" . "$trim" . "-3']";

 

The above works fine and creates a text string representing the var.  Where I run into the problem is executing that string as PHP.  Here's what I have that isn't working--

 

$uno = ${$one};
$dos = ${$two};
$tres = ${$three};

$message .= "$array[$i]";
$message .= "1st- $uno";
$message .= "2nd- $dos";
$message .= "3rd- $tres";

 

When I echo out $message none of the $uno, $dos or $tres vars show up.  Just blank.  When I echo out $one, $two or $three from the first set of code though I am getting a var like--  $_POST['allergy-1']

 

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

[Wildbug]

Try removing the single quotes since you're interpolating the generated variable in a double quoted string.

[no_one]

First, I think - is not a legal variable character. Correct me if I'm wrong.  I don't understand why you'd want to build the $_POST[] string.. why not just do this:

 

$one = $_POST[$trim . "_1"]; // and so on?

 

but if you must, try leaving the $ off the _POST .. then

 

$uno = ${$one}; // might work if $one = '_POST["x_1"]';

 

 

[croakingtoad]

Okay, I implemented your suggestions and here's what i have now-

for ($i = 0; $i < count($array); $i++) {

//removes characters in $chars from $array items
$chars = array(" ", "&", "(", ")", "/");
$trim = str_replace ($chars, "", $array[$i]);

//Build $_POST variable from array
$one = $_POST[$trim . "_1"];
$two = $_POST[$trim . "_2"];
$three = $_POST[$trim . "_3"];

//troubleshooting..
if ($i == 0) {
echo $_POST['AllergyImmunology-1'];
echo "1 = $one";
echo "2 = $two";
echo "3 = $three"; }

$uno = ${$one};
$dos = ${$two};
$tres = ${$three};

$message .= "$array[$i]";
$message .= "1st- $uno";
$message .= "2nd- $dos";
$message .= "3rd- $tres";

}

 

I still am not getting the values of $uno, etc. nor $one, etc. when I echo them out...?

[no_one]

Now that you're setting $one/etc to $_POST[$trim . "_X"] they will contain the value of that post variable, and not the string "$_POST[..]"

 

So, $uno = ${$one}; should give you an error along the lines of an invalid variable, unless say $_POST[] contained the name of a variable. heh. I don't really get what you're trying to accomplish.

 

One or the other I said.

 

Either:

$one =  "_POST['" . $trim . "_1']";
//...
$uno = ${$one};

 

OR just $one, and NO $uno.

 

$one = $_POST[$trim . "_1"];

 

I guess you'd have to give more information on your objective...

[croakingtoad]

What I'm trying to do is avoid having to write the name of every $_POST returned by the form to be processed (or in this case emailed with phpmail).  I know what the html input names are going to be because I dynamically create them using an array.  I then want to use the same array to create dynamic variables for the part of the script that will process the form submission.

 

Here is my array-

$array = array("Allergy & Immunology", "Anesthesiology", "Cardiology", "Chiropractic", "Dentistry", "Dermatology", "Emergency Medicine", "Endocrinology", "Family Practice", "Gastroenterology", "Geriatrics", "Hematology/Oncology", "Internal Medicine", "Neurology", "Nephrology", "Nurse Practitioner", "Obstetrics & Gynecology", "Ophthalmology", "Optometry", "Osteopathy", "Orthopaedic", "Surgery", "Otolaryngology (ENT)", "Pain Management", "Pediatrics", "Physician Assistant (PA)", "Plastic Surgery", "Physical Medicine", "Podiatry", "Pulmonary", "Psychiatry", "Rheumatology", "Surgery - Cardiac", "Surgery - General", "Surgery - Neurosurgery", "Surgery - Vascular", "Urology");

 

So here is what I'm using to iterate through the array and create the form inputs-

<form action="bedside-manner.php" name="form1" method="post">

<? 

$ip = $_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"];

for ($i = 0; $i < count($array); $i++) {

//removes characters in $chars from $array items
$chars = array(" ", "&", "(", ")", "/");
$trim = str_replace ($chars, "", $array[$i]);

if ($i & 2 != 0) { 
echo "<fieldset>"; } else {
echo "
<fieldset style=\"float: left;\">";	}
echo "
	<legend>$array[$i]</legend>
	<input type=\"text\" name=\"$trim_1\" size=\"30\" /> <label>1st</label> <br />
	<input type=\"text\" name=\"$trim_2\" size=\"30\" /> <label>2nd</label> <br />
	<input type=\"text\" name=\"$trim_3\" size=\"30\" /> <label>3rd</label>
</fieldset>
";
}

?>
<div style="clear: both;"> </div>
<input type="hidden" value="<? echo $ip; ?>" name="ip" />
<input type="submit" value="Submit" name="submit" />

</form>

<? } ?>

 

Then when the user submits the form, I am trying to do the below to capture the $_POST values without having to explicitly define each of them.  I'd rather create dynamic variables to do the job for me like below (which still isn't working -

<?

if ( isset($_POST['submit']) ) {
$to = "foo@gmail.com";
$subject = "Best in Bedside Awards Submission";
$message = "
	From -

	$name
	$ip
	$email
	";

for ($i = 0; $i < count($array); $i++) {

//removes characters in $chars from $array items
$chars = array(" ", "&", "(", ")", "/");
$trim = str_replace ($chars, "", $array[$i]);

//Dynamically build $_POST variables from array
$one = $_POST[$trim . "_1"];
$two = $_POST[$trim . "_2"];
$three = $_POST[$trim . "_3"];

//troubleshooting..
if ($i == 0) {
echo $_POST['AllergyImmunology_1'];
echo "1 = $one";
echo "2 = $two";
echo "3 = $three"; }

$message .= "$array[$i]";
$message .= "1st- $one";
$message .= "2nd- $two";
$message .= "3rd- $three";

}

$headers .= "To: $to" . "\r\n";
$headers .= "From: $name <$email>" . "\r\n";
//mail($to, $subject, $message, $headers);*/
$thanks = "Thank you for your submission.  Be sure to watch for our Fall issue with The Best in Bedside Manners awards!";

echo "$message";

} else {

?>

 

Right now the output of the above bit of code when the form is submitted is simply--

1 = 2 = 3 = From - 70.188.0.64 Allergy & Immunology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Anesthesiology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Cardiology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Chiropractic1st- 2nd- 3rd- Dentistry1st- 2nd- 3rd- Dermatology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Emergency Medicine1st- 2nd- 3rd- Endocrinology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Family Practice1st- 2nd- 3rd- Gastroenterology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Geriatrics1st- 2nd- 3rd- Hematology/Oncology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Internal Medicine1st- 2nd- 3rd- Neurology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Nephrology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Nurse Practitioner1st- 2nd- 3rd- Obstetrics & Gynecology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Ophthalmology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Optometry1st- 2nd- 3rd- Osteopathy1st- 2nd- 3rd- Orthopaedic1st- 2nd- 3rd- Surgery1st- 2nd- 3rd- Otolaryngology (ENT)1st- 2nd- 3rd- Pain Management1st- 2nd- 3rd- Pediatrics1st- 2nd- 3rd- Physician Assistant (PA)1st- 2nd- 3rd- Plastic Surgery1st- 2nd- 3rd- Physical Medicine1st- 2nd- 3rd- Podiatry1st- 2nd- 3rd- Pulmonary1st- 2nd- 3rd- Psychiatry1st- 2nd- 3rd- Rheumatology1st- 2nd- 3rd- Surgery - Cardiac1st- 2nd- 3rd- Surgery - General1st- 2nd- 3rd- Surgery - Neurosurgery1st- 2nd- 3rd- Surgery - Vascular1st- 2nd- 3rd- Urology1st- 2nd- 3rd-