Working with Commas

[verdrm]

Can someone provide an example of INSERTING and SELECTING text with commas?

 

For example:

 

If I have a form, and I want to insert four names into a MySQL column but separate them by commas, how do I insert, and then query and break up the string?

[Bauer418]

$names = explode(',', $_POST['name_field']);
array_walk($names, create_function('$value, $key', 'return trim($value);'));

This will take a string from a posted field (couldn't quite understand if you want the user to enter them comma-separated, or if you want them that way in the DB) and then split it into an array (and trim each item in the array to remove unnecessary spaces)

[verdrm]

Thanks. I would like the commas to be added automatically. How do I SELECT data and split it up?

 

For example:

 

we now have: John, Ted, Chris, Ed

 

How do I split that up into:

 

John

Ted

Chris

Ed

 

 

[Bauer418]

That's what the code above should do, just replace $_POST['name_field'] with the var containing the data.

[roopurt18]

verdrm, what you are doing is not the best way to store data in a DB unless you are experienced and know what you're doing.

 

Are you familiar with the concept of database normalization?  If you're not, then what you want to ask is, "How should I design my tables to do XYZ?"

[verdrm]

I'm not too familiar with it but can you be more specific as to why that is not the best way to store a little bit of data?