Setting a Variable within a Form (Html/JScript/Php)

Sharp101 · March 2007

Hey Someone

I'm writing some code to sort some lists with drag and drop, then enter your name into a text field, and it sends info to a php script which displays how many elements in each list. (link to requirements here)

Anyway, it has to all be done a certain way, and I've done everything except I have to set a hidden form element to a certain string to send off to the php script, and Its not working. It is a requirement to do this though post, and using $_Request (am I doing that part right? I'm a little confused to what $_Request is)

The line in question is commented around, without that line it will pop up with the correct string, but with it in it wont do anything.

If anyone wants me to spoiler this for the sake of the form, I will.

The JS/Html

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
		"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"> 

<title>CPS630 Lab 2</title>

<style type="text/css">
.hidden {
visibility:hidden;
margin-top:-20px;
}
</style>

&lt;script type="text/javascript" src="/dojoSrc/dojo.js"></script>
&lt;script type="text/javascript">
	dojo.require("dojo.dnd.*");
	dojo.require("dojo.event.*");
	dojo.require("dojo.widget.*");
	dojo.require("dojo.widget.Button");
		
	function byId(id){
		return document.getElementById(id);
	}
	
	function updateVars(){
		var dl = byId("clothList");
	var lis2 = dl.getElementsByTagName("li");
	var list2Count = lis2.length - 1;
	var dl = byId("foodList");
	var lis3 = dl.getElementsByTagName("li");
	var list3Count = lis3.length - 1;
	
	var countToSend = "Food:"+list2Count+";Clothes:"+list3Count;
	
	/////////////////////////////
	// document.myForm.lists.value = countToSend;
	////////////////
	alert(countToSend);
	}
	
	function buttonPressed()
	{

		updateVars();
		
		dojo.io.bind({
					   url: 'getCount.php',
					   handler: buttonCallback,
					   formNode: dojo.byId('myForm')
					});
	}
	
	function buttonCallback(type, data, evt)
	  {
		if (type == 'error')
		  alert('Error when retrieving data from the server!');
		else{
		  updateStatus(data);

		  }
	  }
	  
   function updateStatus(msg)
	{		
	if(elem = document.getElementById("statusmessage"))
		elem.innerHTML = msg;
	}

	function init(){
		// list one
		var dl = byId("mainList");
		new dojo.dnd.HtmlDropTarget(dl, ["li11", "li12", "li2", "li3"]);
		var lis = dl.getElementsByTagName("li");
		for(var x=0; x<lis.length; x++){
		if(x<4)
			new dojo.dnd.HtmlDragSource(lis[x], "li11");
		else
			new dojo.dnd.HtmlDragSource(lis[x], "li12");
			
		}

		// list two
		var dl = byId("clothList");
		new dojo.dnd.HtmlDropTarget(dl, ["li11"]);
		var lis = dl.getElementsByTagName("li");
		for(var x=0; x<lis.length; x++){
			new dojo.dnd.HtmlDragSource(lis[x], "li2");
		}

		// list three
		var dl = byId("foodList");
		new dojo.dnd.HtmlDropTarget(dl, ["li12"]);
		var lis = dl.getElementsByTagName("li");
		for(var x=0; x<lis.length; x++){
			new dojo.dnd.HtmlDragSource(lis[x], "li3");
		}
		var sumbitButton = dojo.widget.byId('sumbitButton');
		dojo.event.connect(sumbitButton, 'onClick', 'buttonPressed')
	}

	dojo.event.connect(dojo, "loaded", "init");
</script>
<p>Drag Items from The Main List into the coresponding lists below. Clothing Items will only be accepted by the Clothing list, and Food Items will only be accepted by the Food List.</p>

<p><b>Main List</b></p>
<ul id="mainList">
	<li>Pants</li>
	<li>Shirts</li>
	<li>Shoes</li>
	<li>Socks</li>
	<li>Peanuts</li>
	<li>Hamburgers</li>
	<li>Candy</li>
	<li>Bread</li>
</ul>

<p>List One: <b>Clothing</b></p>
<ul id="clothList">
<li class="hidden">test</li>
</ul>

<p>List Two: <b>Food</b></p>
<ul id="foodList">
<li class="hidden">test</li>
</ul>
<form id="myForm" method="post">
		<input type="text" id="name" name="name" />
		<input type="hidden" id="lists" name="lists" />
</form>
		<button dojoType="button" id="sumbitButton">DOJO BUTTONS ARE COOL</button>

<br /><br />
		<div id="statusmessage"></div>

I've also tried

<input type="hidden" id="lists" name="lists" value=countToSend />

but that doesn't work either.

the php:

<?php
/****************
// getCount.php
****************/
ereg('((([a-z]|[A-Z]|[0-9]|_)*):([0-9]*);)((([a-z]|[A-Z]|[0-9]|_)*):
([0-9]*);)', $_REQUEST['lists'], $matches);
header('Content-type: text/plain');
printf("Thanks {$_REQUEST['name']}.<br />Your Lists: $matches[2]
($matches[4]) and $matches[6] ($matches[8])<br />");
?>

This is due tonight, and I'm so damn close.

blincoln · March 2007

Have you tried in your PHP enumerating everything that's in the $REQUEST variable to see if your web page is even passing it anything?

Æthelred · March 2007

Why are you using $_REQUEST? Use $_POST.

Sharp101 · March 2007

Æthelred wrote: »

Why are you using $_REQUEST? Use $_POST.

It is a requirement to do this though post, and using $_Request

The php script is given to us and we cannot change it (we just hand in out html file)

I'll try printing out what the php is receiving now.

Sharp101 · March 2007

ok so using this php script (trying to print different ways)

<?php

$names = $_POST['name'];

header('Content-type: text/plain');
echo test;
echo $names;
echo test2;
echo $_REQUEST['lists'];

?>

prints nothing.

<?php

$names = $_POST['name'];

header('Content-type: text/plain');
echo </br>test;
echo $names;
echo test2;
echo $_REQUEST['lists'];

?>

prints out

test; echo $names; echo test2; echo $_REQUEST; ?>

so, I dont think it's sending anything, or/and the php and/or the html isn't working properly

any ideas?

blincoln · March 2007

There should be a way to enumerate *everything* in $_REQUEST. I don't usually work in PHP, so I can't remember offhand. I'll try to dig it up later.

Sharp101 · March 2007

yeah, but there is even a farther problem....

a simple script like this

<?php
$testVar = "wee";

print "<br />$testVar;";
?>

will just print out

$testVar;" ?>

(note the ?> at the end....)

so somethings very wrong.

Æthelred · March 2007

You don't have a semicolon at the end of your second line.

edit: okay now you do. Try using echo instead of print mebbe. Also, get rid of the first semicolon in the fourth line.

Janin · March 2007

That code gave me a syntax error. I corrected it to this code, and it worked fine on my system. Try copy-pasting this code onto the server - if it doesn't work right, talk to your instructor.

<?php
$testVar = "wee";

print "<br />$testVar";
?>

Sharp101 · March 2007

ok, so that doesn't work. (I see my fucked up ;'s now)

Something must be wrong with my server set up.

but, the line of code
<input type="hidden" id="lists" name="lists" value=countToSend />

should work (combined with my original code up top) right?

I'm thinking I'm just going to hand this in and talk to my professor tomorrow.

Penny Arcade

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