Re: [mv] Using checkboxes to write multiple values to one field

[Ed LaFrance <edlafrance@printexusa.com>]

******    message to minivend-users from Ed LaFrance <edlafrance@printexusa.com>     ******

Bill -

Would you mind sharing a little of the code from the page where you use 
checkboxes?

I tried removing the trailing spaces from my fields and I am still getting 
only the first checked option in the database.  Note that I have verified 
this by exporting the database and looking at its contents, and by checking 
for values in the field using [if  value] logic.

Also note that if I do this

<input type=checkbox name=myfield value="A B"> Option A B
<input type=checkbox name=myfield value="C "> Option C
<input type=checkbox name=myfield value="D "> Option D

Minivend saves and retrieves "A B" repeatedly without problems.  I can also 
change the form element to a text field and type in as many space-separated 
items as I want, and they are saved and retrieved without trouble.  Maybe I 
am misunderstanding this, but I don't think the spaces are the source of my 
trouble.

- Ed L.


At 10:32 AM 4/3/00 -0700, you wrote:
>******    message to minivend-users from Bill Randle 
><billr@exgate.tek.com>     ******
>
>Ed LaFrance wrote:
> >
> > ******    message to minivend-users from Ed LaFrance 
> <edlafrance@printexusa.com>     ******
> >
> > Does anyone know how to use checkboxes to write multiple values to one
> > arbitrary database field with minivend 3.1x?
> >
> > As an example:
> >
> > <input type=checkbox name=myfield value="A "> Option A
> > <input type=checkbox name=myfield value="B "> Option B
> > <input type=checkbox name=myfield value="C "> Option C
> >
> > ...if the user checks all three of these on the form, a form processing
> > program which follows HTML conventions should interpret the submission as
> > "myfield=A B C ".  It appears that minivend is not doing this; instead, it
> > is using the first received name/value pair and ignoring the rest, so all
> > it sees is "myfield=A ".
> >
> > I can't find any info on this in the docs or the list archives.  Anyone
> > have any ideas?
>
>Ed,
>
>I'm using a form with multiple checkboxes and it works fine. I think you
>may be getting thrown off by the end result you see. Minivend does
>see and process all of the selected options. What it does, though, is
>effectively replace the space with a '\0' byte when storing the value.
>So, if you print out the value as a string, it will end after the first
>item.
>
>The trick is to replace those '\0' bytes with spaces before you print
>the value and before you store it in your database. E.g.:
>
>         [perl arg="cgi scratch"]
>                 $myfield = $Safe{cgi}->{myfield};  # or $CGI->{myfield} 
> in mv4
>                 $myfield =~ s/\0+/ /g;
>                 $Safe{scratch}->{myfield} = $myfield;  # or 
> $Scratch->{myfield} in mv4
>         [/perl]
>
>Add a few more lines and you can even sort the results:
>
>         [perl arg="cgi scratch"]
>                 $myfield = $Safe{cgi}->{myfield};  # or $CGI->{myfield}
>                 $myfield =~ s/\0+/ /g;
>                 @myfield = split / /, $myfield;
>                 $myfield = join ' ', sort @myfield;
>                 $Safe{scratch}->{myfield} = $myfield;  # or 
> $Scratch->{myfield} in mv4
>         [/perl]
>
>You can now access the space seperated results using [scratch myfield]. 
>You can,
>of course, use something other than space as the replacement field 
>seperator. In
>your case, since you have a space as part of the option value, you may want to
>use '|', ';' or similar as your seperator. Just replace the / / and ' ' with
>the character of your choice.
>
>Also, you can use [checkbox] to remember previous selections, as in:
>         <input type=checkbox name=myfield value="A " [checked 
> name=myfield multiple=1
>value="A "]> Option A
>
>         -Bill
>-
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