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PHP 5 Tutorial
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PHP is a server scripting language, and a powerful tool for making dynamic and
interactive Web pages.
PHP is a widely-used, free, and efficient alternative to competitors such as
Microsoft's ASP.
Easy Learning with "Show PHP"
Our "Show PHP" tool makes it easy to learn PHP, it shows both the PHP source code and
the HTML output of the code.
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
echo "My first PHP script!";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Click on the "Run example" button to see how it works.
Start learning PHP now!
PHP 5 vs. PHP 7
PHP 7 is the newest version of PHP.
PHP 7 is much faster than the previous popular stable release!
PHP 7 has improved Error Handling, supports stricter Type Declarations and supports new
operators, methods and properties.
Go To PHP 7 »
PHP Exercises
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Insert the missing part of the code below to output "Hello World".
"Hello World";
Submit Answer »
PHP Examples
Learn by examples! This tutorial supplements all explanations with clarifying examples.
Go to PHP Examples!
PHP 5 References
At W3Schools you will find complete references of all PHP functions:
Array functions
Calendar functions
Date functions
Directory functions
Error functions
Filesystem functions
Filter functions
FTP functions
HTTP functions
LibXML functions
Mail functions
Math functions
Misc functions
MySQLi functions
SimpleXML functions
String functions
XML Parser functions
Zip functions
PHP 5 Quiz Test
Test your PHP skills at W3Schools!
Start PHP Quiz!
PHP 5 Exam - Get Your Diploma!
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PHP 5 Introduction
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PHP scripts are executed on the server.
What You Should Already Know
Before you continue you should have a basic understanding of the following:
HTML
CSS
JavaScript
If you want to study these subjects first, find the tutorials on our Home page.
What is PHP?
PHP is an acronym for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor"
PHP is a widely-used, open source scripting language
PHP scripts are executed on the server
PHP is free to download and use
PHP is an amazing and popular language!
It is powerful enough to be at the core of the biggest blogging system on the web
(WordPress)!
It is deep enough to run the largest social network (Facebook)!
It is also easy enough to be a beginner's first server side language!
What is a PHP File?
PHP files can contain text, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP code
PHP code are executed on the server, and the result is returned to the browser as
plain HTML
PHP files have extension ".php"
What Can PHP Do?
PHP can generate dynamic page content
PHP can create, open, read, write, delete, and close files on the server
PHP can collect form data
PHP can send and receive cookies
PHP can add, delete, modify data in your database
PHP can be used to control user-access
PHP can encrypt data
With PHP you are not limited to output HTML. You can output images, PDF files, and even
Flash movies. You can also output any text, such as XHTML and XML.
Why PHP?
PHP runs on various platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, etc.)
PHP is compatible with almost all servers used today (Apache, IIS, etc.)
PHP supports a wide range of databases
PHP is free. Download it from the official PHP resource: www.php.net
PHP is easy to learn and runs efficiently on the server side
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PHP 5 Installation
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What Do I Need?
To start using PHP, you can:
Find a web host with PHP and MySQL support
Install a web server on your own PC, and then install PHP and MySQL
Use a Web Host With PHP Support
If your server has activated support for PHP you do not need to do anything.
Just create some .php files, place them in your web directory, and the server will
automatically parse them for you.
You do not need to compile anything or install any extra tools.
Because PHP is free, most web hosts offer PHP support.
Set Up PHP on Your Own PC
However, if your server does not support PHP, you must:
install a web server
install PHP
install a database, such as MySQL
The official PHP website (PHP.net) has installation instructions for PHP:
http://php.net/manual/en/install.php
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Refrigeration
Coowor
industrial
evaporator
freezer
evaporator、
compressor unit
for refrigeration
manufacturer
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PHP 5 Syntax
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A PHP script is executed on the server, and the plain HTML result is sent back to the
browser.
Basic PHP Syntax
A PHP script can be placed anywhere in the document.
A PHP script starts with <?php and ends with ?>:
<?php
// PHP code goes here
?>
The default file extension for PHP files is ".php".
A PHP file normally contains HTML tags, and some PHP scripting code.
Below, we have an example of a simple PHP file, with a PHP script that uses a built-in PHP
function "echo" to output the text "Hello World!" on a web page:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My first PHP page</h1>
<?php
echo "Hello World!";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Note: PHP statements end with a semicolon (;).
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Comments in PHP
A comment in PHP code is a line that is not read/executed as part of the program. Its only
purpose is to be read by someone who is looking at the code.
Comments can be used to:
Let others understand what you are doing
Remind yourself of what you did - Most programmers have experienced coming back
to their own work a year or two later and having to re-figure out what they did.
Comments can remind you of what you were thinking when you wrote the code
PHP supports several ways of commenting:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
// This is a single-line comment
# This is also a single-line comment
/*
This is a multiple-lines comment block
that spans over multiple
lines
*/
// You can also use comments to leave out parts of a code line
$x = 5 /* + 15 */ + 5;
echo $x;
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
PHP Case Sensitivity
In PHP, NO keywords (e.g. if, else, while, echo, etc.), classes, functions, and user-defined
functions are case-sensitive.
In the example below, all three echo statements below are legal (and equal):
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
ECHO "Hello World!<br>";
echo "Hello World!<br>";
EcHo "Hello World!<br>";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
However; all variable names are case-sensitive.
In the example below, only the first statement will display the value of the $color variable
(this is because $color, $COLOR, and $coLOR are treated as three different variables):
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
$color = "red";
echo "My car is " . $color . "<br>";
echo "My house is " . $COLOR . "<br>";
echo "My boat is " . $coLOR . "<br>";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Insert the missing part of the code below to output "Hello World".
"Hello World";
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PHP 5 Variables
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Variables are "containers" for storing information.
Creating (Declaring) PHP Variables
In PHP, a variable starts with the $ sign, followed by the name of the variable:
Example
<?php
$txt = "Hello world!";
$x = 5;
$y = 10.5;
?>
Run example »
After the execution of the statements above, the variable $txt will hold the value Hello
world!, the variable $x will hold the value 5, and the variable $y will hold the value
10.5.
Note: When you assign a text value to a variable, put quotes around the value.
Note: Unlike other programming languages, PHP has no command for declaring a
variable. It is created the moment you first assign a value to it.
Think of variables as containers for storing data.
PHP Variables
A variable can have a short name (like x and y) or a more descriptive name (age,
carname, total_volume).
Rules for PHP variables:
A variable starts with the $ sign, followed by the name of the variable
A variable name must start with a letter or the underscore character
A variable name cannot start with a number
A variable name can only contain alpha-numeric characters and underscores (A-z, 0-
9, and _ )
Variable names are case-sensitive ($age and $AGE are two different variables)
Remember that PHP variable names are case-sensitive!
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Output Variables
The PHP echo statement is often used to output data to the screen.
The following example will show how to output text and a variable:
Example
<?php
$txt = "W3Schools.com";
echo "I love $txt!";
?>
Run example »
The following example will produce the same output as the example above:
Example
<?php
$txt = "W3Schools.com";
echo "I love " . $txt . "!";
?>
Run example »
The following example will output the sum of two variables:
Example
<?php
$x = 5;
$y = 4;
echo $x + $y;
?>
Run example »
Note: You will learn more about the echo statement and how to output data to the
screen in the next chapter.
PHP is a Loosely Typed Language
In the example above, notice that we did not have to tell PHP which data type the
variable is.
PHP automatically converts the variable to the correct data type, depending on its value.
In other languages such as C, C++, and Java, the programmer must declare the name
and type of the variable before using it.
PHP Variables Scope
In PHP, variables can be declared anywhere in the script.
The scope of a variable is the part of the script where the variable can be
referenced/used.
PHP has three different variable scopes:
local
global
static
Global and Local Scope
A variable declared outside a function has a GLOBAL SCOPE and can only be accessed
outside a function:
Example
<?php
$x = 5; // global scope
function myTest() {
// using x inside this function will generate an error
echo "<p>Variable x inside function is: $x</p>";
}
myTest();
echo "<p>Variable x outside function is: $x</p>";
?>
Run example »
A variable declared within a function has a LOCAL SCOPE and can only be accessed
within that function:
Example
<?php
function myTest() {
$x = 5; // local scope
echo "<p>Variable x inside function is: $x</p>";
}
myTest();
// using x outside the function will generate an error
echo "<p>Variable x outside function is: $x</p>";
?>
Run example »
You can have local variables with the same name in different functions, because local
variables are only recognized by the function in which they are declared.
PHP The global Keyword
The global keyword is used to access a global variable from within a function.
To do this, use the global keyword before the variables (inside the function):
Example
<?php
$x = 5;
$y = 10;
function myTest() {
global $x, $y;
$y = $x + $y;
}
myTest();
echo $y; // outputs 15
?>
Run example »
PHP also stores all global variables in an array called $GLOBALS[index]. The index holds
the name of the variable. This array is also accessible from within functions and can be
used to update global variables directly.
The example above can be rewritten like this:
Example
<?php
$x = 5;
$y = 10;
function myTest() {
$GLOBALS['y'] = $GLOBALS['x'] + $GLOBALS['y'];
}
myTest();
echo $y; // outputs 15
?>
Run example »
PHP The static Keyword
Normally, when a function is completed/executed, all of its variables are deleted.
However, sometimes we want a local variable NOT to be deleted. We need it for a further
job.
To do this, use the static keyword when you first declare the variable:
Example
<?php
function myTest() {
static $x = 0;
echo $x;
$x++;
}
myTest();
myTest();
myTest();
?>
Run example »
Then, each time the function is called, that variable will still have the information it
contained from the last time the function was called.
Note: The variable is still local to the function.
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Create a variable named txt and assign the value "Hello" .
= " ";
Submit Answer »
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PHP 5 echo and print Statements
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In PHP there are two basic ways to get output: echo and print .
In this tutorial we use echo (and print ) in almost every example. So, this chapter
contains a little more info about those two output statements.
PHP echo and print Statements
echo and print are more or less the same. They are both used to output data to the
screen.
The differences are small: echo has no return value while print has a return value of 1
so it can be used in expressions. echo can take multiple parameters (although such
usage is rare) while print can take one argument. echo is marginally faster than
print .
The PHP echo Statement
The echo statement can be used with or without parentheses: echo or echo() .
Display Text
The following example shows how to output text with the echo command (notice that the
text can contain HTML markup):
Example
<?php
echo "<h2>PHP is Fun!</h2>";
echo "Hello world!<br>";
echo "I'm about to learn PHP!<br>";
echo "This ", "string ", "was ", "made ", "with multiple parameters.";
?>
Run example »
Display Variables
The following example shows how to output text and variables with the echo statement:
Example
<?php
$txt1 = "Learn PHP";
$txt2 = "W3Schools.com";
$x = 5;
$y = 4;
echo "<h2>" . $txt1 . "</h2>";
echo "Study PHP at " . $txt2 . "<br>";
echo $x + $y;
?>
Run example »
The PHP print Statement
The print statement can be used with or without parentheses: print or print() .
Display Text
The following example shows how to output text with the print command (notice that
the text can contain HTML markup):
Example
<?php
print "<h2>PHP is Fun!</h2>";
print "Hello world!<br>";
print "I'm about to learn PHP!";
?>
Run example »
Display Variables
The following example shows how to output text and variables with the print
statement:
Example
<?php
$txt1 = "Learn PHP";
$txt2 = "W3Schools.com";
$x = 5;
$y = 4;
print "<h2>" . $txt1 . "</h2>";
print "Study PHP at " . $txt2 . "<br>";
print $x + $y;
?>
Run example »
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PHP 5 Data Types
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PHP Data Types
Variables can store data of different types, and different data types can do different
things.
PHP supports the following data types:
String
Integer
Float (floating point numbers - also called double)
Boolean
Array
Object
NULL
Resource
PHP String
A string is a sequence of characters, like "Hello world!".
A string can be any text inside quotes. You can use single or double quotes:
Example
<?php
$x = "Hello world!";
$y = 'Hello world!';
echo $x;
echo "<br>";
echo $y;
?>
Run example »
PHP Integer
An integer data type is a non-decimal number between -2,147,483,648 and
2,147,483,647.
Rules for integers:
An integer must have at least one digit
An integer must not have a decimal point
An integer can be either positive or negative
Integers can be specified in three formats: decimal (10-based), hexadecimal (16-
based - prefixed with 0x) or octal (8-based - prefixed with 0)
In the following example $x is an integer. The PHP var_dump() function returns the data
type and value:
Example
<?php
$x = 5985;
var_dump($x);
?>
Run example »
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PHP Float
A float (floating point number) is a number with a decimal point or a number in
exponential form.
In the following example $x is a float. The PHP var_dump() function returns the data type
and value:
Example
<?php
$x = 10.365;
var_dump($x);
?>
Run example »
PHP Boolean
A Boolean represents two possible states: TRUE or FALSE.
$x = true;
$y = false;
Booleans are often used in conditional testing. You will learn more about conditional
testing in a later chapter of this tutorial.
PHP Array
An array stores multiple values in one single variable.
In the following example $cars is an array. The PHP var_dump() function returns the data
type and value:
Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo","BMW","Toyota");
var_dump($cars);
?>
Run example »
You will learn a lot more about arrays in later chapters of this tutorial.
PHP Object
An object is a data type which stores data and information on how to process that data.
In PHP, an object must be explicitly declared.
First we must declare a class of object. For this, we use the class keyword. A class is a
structure that can contain properties and methods:
Example
<?php
class Car {
function Car() {
$this->model = "VW";
}
}
// create an object
$herbie = new Car();
// show object properties
echo $herbie->model;
?>
Run example »
PHP NULL Value
Null is a special data type which can have only one value: NULL.
A variable of data type NULL is a variable that has no value assigned to it.
Tip: If a variable is created without a value, it is automatically assigned a value of NULL.
Variables can also be emptied by setting the value to NULL:
Example
<?php
$x = "Hello world!";
$x = null;
var_dump($x);
?>
Run example »
PHP Resource
The special resource type is not an actual data type. It is the storing of a reference to
functions and resources external to PHP.
A common example of using the resource data type is a database call.
We will not talk about the resource type here, since it is an advanced topic.
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PHP 5 Strings
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A string is a sequence of characters, like "Hello world!".
PHP String Functions
In this chapter we will look at some commonly used functions to manipulate strings.
Get The Length of a String
The PHP strlen() function returns the length of a string.
The example below returns the length of the string "Hello world!":
Example
<?php
echo strlen("Hello world!"); // outputs 12
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be: 12.
Count The Number of Words in a String
The PHP str_word_count() function counts the number of words in a string:
Example
<?php
echo str_word_count("Hello world!"); // outputs 2
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be: 2.
Reverse a String
The PHP strrev() function reverses a string:
Example
<?php
echo strrev("Hello world!"); // outputs !dlrow olleH
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be: !dlrow olleH.
Search For a Specific Text Within a String
The PHP strpos() function searches for a specific text within a string.
If a match is found, the function returns the character position of the first match. If no
match is found, it will return FALSE.
The example below searches for the text "world" in the string "Hello world!":
Example
<?php
echo strpos("Hello world!", "world"); // outputs 6
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be: 6.
Tip: The first character position in a string is 0 (not 1).
Replace Text Within a String
The PHP str_replace() function replaces some characters with some other characters
in a string.
The example below replaces the text "world" with "Dolly":
Example
<?php
echo str_replace("world", "Dolly", "Hello world!"); // outputs Hello
Dolly!
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be: Hello Dolly!
Complete PHP String Reference
For a complete reference of all string functions, go to our complete PHP String Reference.
The PHP string reference contains description and example of use, for each function!
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Get the length of the string "Hello World!".
echo ("Hello World!");
Submit Answer »
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PHP 5 Constants
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Constants are like variables except that once they are defined they cannot be
changed or undefined.
PHP Constants
A constant is an identifier (name) for a simple value. The value cannot be changed during
the script.
A valid constant name starts with a letter or underscore (no $ sign before the constant
name).
Note: Unlike variables, constants are automatically global across the entire script.
Create a PHP Constant
To create a constant, use the define() function.
Syntax
define(name, value, case-insensitive)
Parameters:
name: Specifies the name of the constant
value: Specifies the value of the constant
case-insensitive: Specifies whether the constant name should be case-insensitive.
Default is false
The example below creates a constant with a case-sensitive name:
Example
<?php
define("GREETING", "Welcome to W3Schools.com!");
echo GREETING;
?>
Run example »
The example below creates a constant with a case-insensitive name:
Example
<?php
define("GREETING", "Welcome to W3Schools.com!", true);
echo greeting;
?>
Run example »
Constants are Global
Constants are automatically global and can be used across the entire script.
The example below uses a constant inside a function, even if it is defined outside the
function:
Example
<?php
define("GREETING", "Welcome to W3Schools.com!");
function myTest() {
echo GREETING;
}
myTest();
?>
Run example »
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PHP 5 Operators
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PHP Operators
Operators are used to perform operations on variables and values.
PHP divides the operators in the following groups:
Arithmetic operators
Assignment operators
Comparison operators
Increment/Decrement operators
Logical operators
String operators
Array operators
PHP Arithmetic Operators
The PHP arithmetic operators are used with numeric values to perform common
arithmetical operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication etc.
Operator Name Example Result Show it
+ Addition $x + $y Sum of $x and $y Show it »
- Subtraction $x - $y Difference of $x and $y Show it »
* Multiplication $x * $y Product of $x and $y Show it »
Show it »
/ Division $x / $y Quotient of $x and $y
% Modulus $x % $y Remainder of $x divided Show it »
by $y
** Exponentiation $x ** $y Result of raising $x to the
$y'th power (Introduced
in PHP 5.6)
PHP Assignment Operators
The PHP assignment operators are used with numeric values to write a value to a
variable.
The basic assignment operator in PHP is "=". It means that the left operand gets set to
the value of the assignment expression on the right.
Assignment Same as... Description Show it
x=y x=y The left operand gets set to the value of Show it »
the expression on the right
x += y x=x+y Addition Show it »
x -= y x=x-y Subtraction Show it »
x *= y x=x*y Multiplication Show it »
x /= y x=x/y Division Show it »
x %= y x=x%y Modulus Show it »
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PHP Comparison Operators
The PHP comparison operators are used to compare two values (number or string):
Operator Name Example Result Show it
== Equal $x == $y Returns true if $x is equal to Show it »
$y
=== Identical $x === Returns true if $x is equal to Show it »
$y $y, and they are of the
same type
!= Not equal $x != $y Returns true if $x is not Show it »
equal to $y
<> Not equal $x <> $y Returns true if $x is not Show it »
equal to $y
!== Not identical $x !== $y Returns true if $x is not Show it »
equal to $y, or they are not
of the same type
> Greater than $x > $y Returns true if $x is greater Show it »
than $y
< Less than $x < $y Returns true if $x is less Show it »
than $y
>= Greater than or $x >= $y Returns true if $x is greater Show it »
equal to than or equal to $y
<= Less than or $x <= $y Returns true if $x is less Show it »
equal to than or equal to $y
PHP Increment / Decrement Operators
The PHP increment operators are used to increment a variable's value.
The PHP decrement operators are used to decrement a variable's value.
Operator Name Description Show it
++$x Pre-increment Increments $x by one, then returns $x Show it »
$x++ Post-increment Returns $x, then increments $x by one Show it »
--$x Pre-decrement Decrements $x by one, then returns $x Show it »
$x-- Post- Returns $x, then decrements $x by one Show it »
decrement
PHP Logical Operators
The PHP logical operators are used to combine conditional statements.
Operator Name Example Result Show it
and And $x and $y True if both $x and $y are Show it »
true
or Or $x or $y True if either $x or $y is Show it »
true
xor Xor $x xor $y True if either $x or $y is Show it »
true, but not both
&& And $x && $y True if both $x and $y are Show it »
true
|| Or $x || $y True if either $x or $y is Show it »
true
! Not !$x True if $x is not true Show it »
PHP String Operators
PHP has two operators that are specially designed for strings.
Operator Name Example Result Show it
. Concatenation $txt1 . $txt2 Concatenation of Show it »
$txt1 and $txt2
.= Concatenation $txt1 .= $txt2 Appends $txt2 to Show it »
assignment $txt1
PHP Array Operators
The PHP array operators are used to compare arrays.
Operator Name Example Result Show it
+ Union $x + $y Union of $x and $y Show it »
== Equality $x == $y Returns true if $x and $y Show it »
have the same key/value
pairs
=== Identity $x === $y Returns true if $x and $y Show it »
have the same key/value
pairs in the same order and
of the same types
!= Inequality $x != $y Returns true if $x is not equal Show it »
to $y
<> Inequality $x <> $y Returns true if $x is not equal Show it »
to $y
!== Non-identity $x !== $y Returns true if $x is not Show it »
identical to $y
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Multiply 10 with 5 , and output the result.
echo 10 5;
Submit Answer »
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PHP 5 if...else...elseif Statements
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Conditional statements are used to perform different actions based on different
conditions.
PHP Conditional Statements
Very often when you write code, you want to perform different actions for different
conditions. You can use conditional statements in your code to do this.
In PHP we have the following conditional statements:
if statement - executes some code if one condition is true
if...else statement - executes some code if a condition is true and another code
if that condition is false
if...elseif....else statement - executes different codes for more than two
conditions
switch statement - selects one of many blocks of code to be executed
PHP - The if Statement
The if statement executes some code if one condition is true.
Syntax
if (condition) {
code to be executed if condition is true;
}
The example below will output "Have a good day!" if the current time (HOUR) is less than
20:
Example
<?php
$t = date("H");
if ($t < "20") {
echo "Have a good day!";
}
?>
Run example »
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PHP - The if...else Statement
The if....else statement executes some code if a condition is true and another code if
that condition is false.
Syntax
if (condition) {
code to be executed if condition is true;
} else {
code to be executed if condition is false;
}
The example below will output "Have a good day!" if the current time is less than 20, and
"Have a good night!" otherwise:
Example
<?php
$t = date("H");
if ($t < "20") {
echo "Have a good day!";
} else {
echo "Have a good night!";
}
?>
Run example »
PHP - The if...elseif....else Statement
The if....elseif...else statement executes different codes for more than two
conditions.
Syntax
if (condition) {
code to be executed if this condition is true;
} elseif (condition) {
code to be executed if this condition is true;
} else {
code to be executed if all conditions are false;
}
The example below will output "Have a good morning!" if the current time is less than 10,
and "Have a good day!" if the current time is less than 20. Otherwise it will output "Have
a good night!":
Example
<?php
$t = date("H");
if ($t < "10") {
echo "Have a good morning!";
} elseif ($t < "20") {
echo "Have a good day!";
} else {
echo "Have a good night!";
}
?>
Run example »
PHP - The switch Statement
The switch statement will be explained in the next chapter.
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Output "Hello World" if $a is greater than $b.
$a = 50;
$b = 10;
> {
echo "Hello World";
}
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PHP 5 switch Statement
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The switch statement is used to perform different actions based on different
conditions.
The PHP switch Statement
Use the switch statement to select one of many blocks of code to be executed.
Syntax
switch (n) {
case label1:
code to be executed if n=label1;
break;
case label2:
code to be executed if n=label2;
break;
case label3:
code to be executed if n=label3;
break;
...
default:
code to be executed if n is different from all labels;
}
This is how it works: First we have a single expression n (most often a variable), that is
evaluated once. The value of the expression is then compared with the values for each
case in the structure. If there is a match, the block of code associated with that case is
executed. Use break to prevent the code from running into the next case automatically.
The default statement is used if no match is found.
Example
<?php
$favcolor = "red";
switch ($favcolor) {
case "red":
echo "Your favorite color is red!";
break;
case "blue":
echo "Your favorite color is blue!";
break;
case "green":
echo "Your favorite color is green!";
break;
default:
echo "Your favorite color is neither red, blue, nor green!";
}
?>
Run example »
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Create a switch statement that will output "Hello" if $color is "red", and
"welcome" if $color is "green".
($color) {
"red":
echo "Hello";
break;
"green":
echo "Welcome";
break;
}
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PHP 5 while Loops
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PHP while loops execute a block of code while the specified condition is true.
PHP Loops
Often when you write code, you want the same block of code to run over and over again
in a row. Instead of adding several almost equal code-lines in a script, we can use loops
to perform a task like this.
In PHP, we have the following looping statements:
while - loops through a block of code as long as the specified condition is true
do...while - loops through a block of code once, and then repeats the loop as long
as the specified condition is true
for - loops through a block of code a specified number of times
foreach - loops through a block of code for each element in an array
The PHP while Loop
The while loop executes a block of code as long as the specified condition is true.
Syntax
while (condition is true) {
code to be executed;
}
The example below first sets a variable $x to 1 ($x = 1). Then, the while loop will
continue to run as long as $x is less than, or equal to 5 ($x <= 5). $x will increase by 1
each time the loop runs ($x++):
Example
<?php
$x = 1;
while($x <= 5) {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
}
?>
Run example »
The PHP do...while Loop
The do...while loop will always execute the block of code once, it will then check the
condition, and repeat the loop while the specified condition is true.
Syntax
do {
code to be executed;
} while (condition is true);
The example below first sets a variable $x to 1 ($x = 1). Then, the do while loop will write
some output, and then increment the variable $x with 1. Then the condition is checked (is
$x less than, or equal to 5?), and the loop will continue to run as long as $x is less than,
or equal to 5:
Example
<?php
$x = 1;
do {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
} while ($x <= 5);
?>
Run example »
Notice that in a do while loop the condition is tested AFTER executing the statements
within the loop. This means that the do while loop would execute its statements at least
once, even if the condition is false the first time.
The example below sets the $x variable to 6, then it runs the loop, and then the
condition is checked:
Example
<?php
$x = 6;
do {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
} while ($x <= 5);
?>
Run example »
The for loop and the foreach loop will be explained in the next chapter.
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Output $i as long as $i is less than 6.
$i = 1;
($i < 6)
echo $i;
$i++;
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PHP 5 for Loops
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PHP for loops execute a block of code a specified number of times.
The PHP for Loop
The for loop is used when you know in advance how many times the script should run.
Syntax
for (init counter; test counter; increment counter) {
code to be executed;
}
Parameters:
init counter: Initialize the loop counter value
test counter: Evaluated for each loop iteration. If it evaluates to TRUE, the loop
continues. If it evaluates to FALSE, the loop ends.
increment counter: Increases the loop counter value
The example below displays the numbers from 0 to 10:
Example
<?php
for ($x = 0; $x <= 10; $x++) {
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
}
?>
Run example »
The PHP foreach Loop
The foreach loop works only on arrays, and is used to loop through each key/value pair
in an array.
Syntax
foreach ($array as $value) {
code to be executed;
}
For every loop iteration, the value of the current array element is assigned to $value and
the array pointer is moved by one, until it reaches the last array element.
The following example demonstrates a loop that will output the values of the given array
($colors):
Example
<?php
$colors = array("red", "green", "blue", "yellow");
foreach ($colors as $value) {
echo "$value <br>";
}
?>
Run example »
You will learn more about arrays in a later chapter.
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Create a loop that runs from 0 to 9.
($i = 0; $i < 10; ) {
echo $i;
}
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PHP 5 Functions
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The real power of PHP comes from its functions; it has more than 1000 built-in
functions.
PHP User Defined Functions
Besides the built-in PHP functions, we can create our own functions.
A function is a block of statements that can be used repeatedly in a program.
A function will not execute immediately when a page loads.
A function will be executed by a call to the function.
Create a User Defined Function in PHP
A user-defined function declaration starts with the word function :
Syntax
function functionName() {
code to be executed;
}
Note: A function name can start with a letter or underscore (not a number).
Tip: Give the function a name that reflects what the function does!
Function names are NOT case-sensitive.
In the example below, we create a function named "writeMsg()". The opening curly brace
( { ) indicates the beginning of the function code, and the closing curly brace ( } )
indicates the end of the function. The function outputs "Hello world!". To call the function,
just write its name followed by brackets ():
Example
<?php
function writeMsg() {
echo "Hello world!";
}
writeMsg(); // call the function
?>
Run example »
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PHP Function Arguments
Information can be passed to functions through arguments. An argument is just like a
variable.
Arguments are specified after the function name, inside the parentheses. You can add as
many arguments as you want, just separate them with a comma.
The following example has a function with one argument ($fname). When the
familyName() function is called, we also pass along a name (e.g. Jani), and the name is
used inside the function, which outputs several different first names, but an equal last
name:
Example
<?php
function familyName($fname) {
echo "$fname Refsnes.<br>";
}
familyName("Jani");
familyName("Hege");
familyName("Stale");
familyName("Kai Jim");
familyName("Borge");
?>
Run example »
The following example has a function with two arguments ($fname and $year):
Example
<?php
function familyName($fname, $year) {
echo "$fname Refsnes. Born in $year <br>";
}
familyName("Hege", "1975");
familyName("Stale", "1978");
familyName("Kai Jim", "1983");
?>
Run example »
PHP Default Argument Value
The following example shows how to use a default parameter. If we call the function
setHeight() without arguments it takes the default value as argument:
Example
<?php
function setHeight($minheight = 50) {
echo "The height is : $minheight <br>";
}
setHeight(350);
setHeight(); // will use the default value of 50
setHeight(135);
setHeight(80);
?>
Run example »
PHP Functions - Returning values
To let a function return a value, use the return statement:
Example
<?php
function sum($x, $y) {
$z = $x + $y;
return $z;
}
echo "5 + 10 = " . sum(5, 10) . "<br>";
echo "7 + 13 = " . sum(7, 13) . "<br>";
echo "2 + 4 = " . sum(2, 4);
?>
Run example »
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Create a function named myFunction .
{
echo "Hello World!";
}
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PHP 5 Arrays
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An array stores multiple values in one single variable:
Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
echo "I like " . $cars[0] . ", " . $cars[1] . " and " . $cars[2] . ".";
?>
Run example »
What is an Array?
An array is a special variable, which can hold more than one value at a time.
If you have a list of items (a list of car names, for example), storing the cars in single
variables could look like this:
$cars1 = "Volvo";
$cars2 = "BMW";
$cars3 = "Toyota";
However, what if you want to loop through the cars and find a specific one? And what if
you had not 3 cars, but 300?
The solution is to create an array!
An array can hold many values under a single name, and you can access the values by
referring to an index number.
Create an Array in PHP
In PHP, the array() function is used to create an array:
array();
In PHP, there are three types of arrays:
Indexed arrays - Arrays with a numeric index
Associative arrays - Arrays with named keys
Multidimensional arrays - Arrays containing one or more arrays
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PHP Indexed Arrays
There are two ways to create indexed arrays:
The index can be assigned automatically (index always starts at 0), like this:
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
or the index can be assigned manually:
$cars[0] = "Volvo";
$cars[1] = "BMW";
$cars[2] = "Toyota";
The following example creates an indexed array named $cars, assigns three elements to
it, and then prints a text containing the array values:
Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
echo "I like " . $cars[0] . ", " . $cars[1] . " and " . $cars[2] . ".";
?>
Run example »
Get The Length of an Array - The count() Function
The count() function is used to return the length (the number of elements) of an array:
Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
echo count($cars);
?>
Run example »
Loop Through an Indexed Array
To loop through and print all the values of an indexed array, you could use a for loop,
like this:
Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
$arrlength = count($cars);
for($x = 0; $x < $arrlength; $x++) {
echo $cars[$x];
echo "<br>";
}
?>
Run example »
PHP Associative Arrays
Associative arrays are arrays that use named keys that you assign to them.
There are two ways to create an associative array:
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
or:
$age['Peter'] = "35";
$age['Ben'] = "37";
$age['Joe'] = "43";
The named keys can then be used in a script:
Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
echo "Peter is " . $age['Peter'] . " years old.";
?>
Run example »
Loop Through an Associative Array
To loop through and print all the values of an associative array, you could use a foreach
loop, like this:
Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
foreach($age as $x => $x_value) {
echo "Key=" . $x . ", Value=" . $x_value;
echo "<br>";
}
?>
Run example »
Multidimensional Arrays
Multidimensional arrays will be explained in the PHP advanced section.
Complete PHP Array Reference
For a complete reference of all array functions, go to our complete PHP Array Reference.
The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each function!
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Use the correct function to output the number of items in an array.
$fruits = array("Apple", "Banana" "Orange");
echo ;
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PHP 5 Sorting Arrays
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The elements in an array can be sorted in alphabetical or numerical order,
descending or ascending.
PHP - Sort Functions For Arrays
In this chapter, we will go through the following PHP array sort functions:
sort() - sort arrays in ascending order
rsort() - sort arrays in descending order
asort() - sort associative arrays in ascending order, according to the value
ksort() - sort associative arrays in ascending order, according to the key
arsort() - sort associative arrays in descending order, according to the value
krsort() - sort associative arrays in descending order, according to the key
Sort Array in Ascending Order - sort()
The following example sorts the elements of the $cars array in ascending alphabetical
order:
Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
sort($cars);
?>
Run example »
The following example sorts the elements of the $numbers array in ascending numerical
order:
Example
<?php
$numbers = array(4, 6, 2, 22, 11);
sort($numbers);
?>
Run example »
Sort Array in Descending Order - rsort()
The following example sorts the elements of the $cars array in descending alphabetical
order:
Example
<?php
$cars = array("Volvo", "BMW", "Toyota");
rsort($cars);
?>
Run example »
The following example sorts the elements of the $numbers array in descending numerical
order:
Example
<?php
$numbers = array(4, 6, 2, 22, 11);
rsort($numbers);
?>
Run example »
Sort Array (Ascending Order), According to Value -
asort()
The following example sorts an associative array in ascending order, according to the
value:
Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
asort($age);
?>
Run example »
Sort Array (Ascending Order), According to Key -
ksort()
The following example sorts an associative array in ascending order, according to the key:
Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
ksort($age);
?>
Run example »
Sort Array (Descending Order), According to Value
- arsort()
The following example sorts an associative array in descending order, according to the
value:
Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
arsort($age);
?>
Run example »
Sort Array (Descending Order), According to Key -
krsort()
The following example sorts an associative array in descending order, according to the
key:
Example
<?php
$age = array("Peter"=>"35", "Ben"=>"37", "Joe"=>"43");
krsort($age);
?>
Run example »
Complete PHP Array Reference
For a complete reference of all array functions, go to our complete PHP Array Reference.
The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each function!
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Use the correct array method to sort the $colors array alphabetically.
$colors = array("red", "green", "blue", "yellow");
;
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PHP 5 Global Variables - Superglobals
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Superglobals were introduced in PHP 4.1.0, and are built-in variables that are
always available in all scopes.
PHP Global Variables - Superglobals
Several predefined variables in PHP are "superglobals", which means that they are always
accessible, regardless of scope - and you can access them from any function, class or file
without having to do anything special.
The PHP superglobal variables are:
$GLOBALS
$_SERVER
$_REQUEST
$_POST
$_GET
$_FILES
$_ENV
$_COOKIE
$_SESSION
This chapter will explain some of the superglobals, and the rest will be explained in later
chapters.
PHP $GLOBALS
$GLOBALS is a PHP super global variable which is used to access global variables from
anywhere in the PHP script (also from within functions or methods).
PHP stores all global variables in an array called $GLOBALS[index]. The index holds the
name of the variable.
The example below shows how to use the super global variable $GLOBALS:
Example
<?php
$x = 75;
$y = 25;
function addition() {
$GLOBALS['z'] = $GLOBALS['x'] + $GLOBALS['y'];
}
addition();
echo $z;
?>
Run example »
In the example above, since z is a variable present within the $GLOBALS array, it is also
accessible from outside the function!
PHP $_SERVER
$_SERVER is a PHP super global variable which holds information about headers, paths,
and script locations.
The example below shows how to use some of the elements in $_SERVER:
Example
<?php
echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];
echo "<br>";
echo $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'];
echo "<br>";
echo $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'];
echo "<br>";
echo $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'];
echo "<br>";
echo $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'];
echo "<br>";
echo $_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'];
?>
Run example »
The following table lists the most important elements that can go inside $_SERVER:
Element/Code Description
$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] Returns the filename of the currently
executing script
$_SERVER['GATEWAY_INTERFACE'] Returns the version of the Common Gateway
Interface (CGI) the server is using
$_SERVER['SERVER_ADDR'] Returns the IP address of the host server
$_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'] Returns the name of the host server (such as
www.w3schools.com)
$_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE'] Returns the server identification string (such
as Apache/2.2.24)
$_SERVER['SERVER_PROTOCOL'] Returns the name and revision of the
information protocol (such as HTTP/1.1)
$_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] Returns the request method used to access
the page (such as POST)
$_SERVER['REQUEST_TIME'] Returns the timestamp of the start of the
request (such as 1377687496)
$_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'] Returns the query string if the page is
accessed via a query string
$_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT'] Returns the Accept header from the current
request
$_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_CHARSET'] Returns the Accept_Charset header from the
current request (such as utf-8,ISO-8859-1)
$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] Returns the Host header from the current
request
$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] Returns the complete URL of the page from
which the current page was called
$_SERVER['HTTPS'] Is the script queried through a secure HTTP
protocol
$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] Returns the IP address from where the user is
viewing the current page
$_SERVER['REMOTE_HOST'] Returns the Host name from where the user is
viewing the current page
$_SERVER['REMOTE_PORT'] Returns the port being used on the user's
machine to communicate with the web server
$_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME'] Returns the absolute pathname of the
currently executing script
$_SERVER['SERVER_ADMIN'] Returns the value given to the
SERVER_ADMIN directive in the web server
configuration file (if your script runs on a
virtual host, it will be the value defined for
that virtual host) (such as
someone@w3schools.com)
$_SERVER['SERVER_PORT'] Returns the port on the server machine being
used by the web server for communication
(such as 80)
$_SERVER['SERVER_SIGNATURE'] Returns the server version and virtual host
name which are added to server-generated
pages
$_SERVER['PATH_TRANSLATED'] Returns the file system based path to the
current script
$_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'] Returns the path of the current script
$_SERVER['SCRIPT_URI'] Returns the URI of the current page
PHP $_REQUEST
PHP $_REQUEST is used to collect data after submitting an HTML form.
The example below shows a form with an input field and a submit button. When a user
submits the data by clicking on "Submit", the form data is sent to the file specified in the
action attribute of the <form> tag. In this example, we point to this file itself for
processing form data. If you wish to use another PHP file to process form data, replace
that with the filename of your choice. Then, we can use the super global variable
$_REQUEST to collect the value of the input field:
Example
<html>
<body>
<form method="post" action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>">
Name: <input type="text" name="fname">
<input type="submit">
</form>
<?php
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
// collect value of input field
$name = $_REQUEST['fname'];
if (empty($name)) {
echo "Name is empty";
} else {
echo $name;
}
}
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
PHP $_POST
PHP $_POST is widely used to collect form data after submitting an HTML form with
method="post". $_POST is also widely used to pass variables.
The example below shows a form with an input field and a submit button. When a user
submits the data by clicking on "Submit", the form data is sent to the file specified in the
action attribute of the <form> tag. In this example, we point to the file itself for
processing form data. If you wish to use another PHP file to process form data, replace
that with the filename of your choice. Then, we can use the super global variable $_POST
to collect the value of the input field:
Example
<html>
<body>
<form method="post" action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>">
Name: <input type="text" name="fname">
<input type="submit">
</form>
<?php
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
// collect value of input field
$name = $_POST['fname'];
if (empty($name)) {
echo "Name is empty";
} else {
echo $name;
}
}
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
PHP $_GET
PHP $_GET can also be used to collect form data after submitting an HTML form with
method="get".
$_GET can also collect data sent in the URL.
Assume we have an HTML page that contains a hyperlink with parameters:
<html>
<body>
<a href="test_get.php?subject=PHP&web=W3schools.com">Test $GET</a>
</body>
</html>
When a user clicks on the link "Test $GET", the parameters "subject" and "web" are sent
to "test_get.php", and you can then access their values in "test_get.php" with $_GET.
The example below shows the code in "test_get.php":
Example
<html>
<body>
<?php
echo "Study " . $_GET['subject'] . " at " . $_GET['web'];
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Tip: You will learn more about $_POST and $_GET in the PHP Forms chapter.
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PHP 5 Form Handling
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The PHP superglobals $_GET and $_POST are used to collect form-data.
PHP - A Simple HTML Form
The example below displays a simple HTML form with two input fields and a submit
button:
Example
<html>
<body>
<form action="welcome.php" method="post">
Name: <input type="text" name="name"><br>
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email"><br>
<input type="submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
When the user fills out the form above and clicks the submit button, the form data is sent
for processing to a PHP file named "welcome.php". The form data is sent with the HTTP
POST method.
To display the submitted data you could simply echo all the variables. The "welcome.php"
looks like this:
<html>
<body>
Welcome <?php echo $_POST["name"]; ?><br>
Your email address is: <?php echo $_POST["email"]; ?>
</body>
</html>
The output could be something like this:
Welcome John
Your email address is john.doe@example.com
The same result could also be achieved using the HTTP GET method:
Example
<html>
<body>
<form action="welcome_get.php" method="get">
Name: <input type="text" name="name"><br>
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email"><br>
<input type="submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
and "welcome_get.php" looks like this:
<html>
<body>
Welcome <?php echo $_GET["name"]; ?><br>
Your email address is: <?php echo $_GET["email"]; ?>
</body>
</html>
The code above is quite simple. However, the most important thing is missing. You need
to validate form data to protect your script from malicious code.
Think SECURITY when processing PHP forms!
This page does not contain any form validation, it just shows how you can send and
retrieve form data.
However, the next pages will show how to process PHP forms with security in mind!
Proper validation of form data is important to protect your form from hackers and
spammers!
GET vs. POST
Both GET and POST create an array (e.g. array( key1 => value1, key2 => value2, key3
=> value3, ...)). This array holds key/value pairs, where keys are the names of the form
controls and values are the input data from the user.
Both GET and POST are treated as $_GET and $_POST. These are superglobals, which
means that they are always accessible, regardless of scope - and you can access them
from any function, class or file without having to do anything special.
$_GET is an array of variables passed to the current script via the URL parameters.
$_POST is an array of variables passed to the current script via the HTTP POST method.
When to use GET?
Information sent from a form with the GET method is visible to everyone (all variable
names and values are displayed in the URL). GET also has limits on the amount of
information to send. The limitation is about 2000 characters. However, because the
variables are displayed in the URL, it is possible to bookmark the page. This can be useful
in some cases.
GET may be used for sending non-sensitive data.
Note: GET should NEVER be used for sending passwords or other sensitive information!
When to use POST?
Information sent from a form with the POST method is invisible to others (all
names/values are embedded within the body of the HTTP request) and has no limits on
the amount of information to send.
Moreover POST supports advanced functionality such as support for multi-part binary
input while uploading files to server.
However, because the variables are not displayed in the URL, it is not possible to
bookmark the page.
Developers prefer POST for sending form data.
Next, lets see how we can process PHP forms the secure way!
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
If the form in the white section below gets submitted, how can you, in
welcome.php, output the value from the "first name" field?
<form action="welcome.php" method="get">
First name: <input type="text" name="fname">
</form>
<html>
<body>
Welcome <?php echo ; ?>
</body>
</html>
Submit Answer »
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PHP 5 Form Validation
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This and the next chapters show how to use PHP to validate form data.
PHP Form Validation
Think SECURITY when processing PHP forms!
These pages will show how to process PHP forms with security in mind. Proper
validation of form data is important to protect your form from hackers and
spammers!
The HTML form we will be working at in these chapters, contains various input fields:
required and optional text fields, radio buttons, and a submit button:
PHP Form Validation Example
* required field
Name: *
E-mail: *
Website:
Comment:
Gender: Female Male Other *
Submit
Your Input:
The validation rules for the form above are as follows:
Field Validation Rules
Name Required. + Must only contain letters and whitespace
E-mail Required. + Must contain a valid email address (with @ and .)
Website Optional. If present, it must contain a valid URL
Comment Optional. Multi-line input field (textarea)
Gender Required. Must select one
First we will look at the plain HTML code for the form:
Text Fields
The name, email, and website fields are text input elements, and the comment field is a
textarea. The HTML code looks like this:
Name: <input type="text" name="name">
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email">
Website: <input type="text" name="website">
Comment: <textarea name="comment" rows="5" cols="40"></textarea>
Radio Buttons
The gender fields are radio buttons and the HTML code looks like this:
Gender:
<input type="radio" name="gender" value="female">Female
<input type="radio" name="gender" value="male">Male
<input type="radio" name="gender" value="other">Other
The Form Element
The HTML code of the form looks like this:
<form method="post" action="<?php echo
htmlspecialchars($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]);?>">
When the form is submitted, the form data is sent with method="post".
What is the $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"] variable?
The $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"] is a super global variable that returns the filename of
the currently executing script.
So, the $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"] sends the submitted form data to the page itself, instead
of jumping to a different page. This way, the user will get error messages on the same
page as the form.
What is the htmlspecialchars() function?
The htmlspecialchars() function converts special characters to HTML entities. This
means that it will replace HTML characters like < and > with < and >. This
prevents attackers from exploiting the code by injecting HTML or Javascript code
(Cross-site Scripting attacks) in forms.
Big Note on PHP Form Security
The $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"] variable can be used by hackers!
If PHP_SELF is used in your page then a user can enter a slash (/) and then some Cross
Site Scripting (XSS) commands to execute.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of computer security vulnerability
typically found in Web applications. XSS enables attackers to inject client-
side script into Web pages viewed by other users.
Assume we have the following form in a page named "test_form.php":
<form method="post" action="<?php echo $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"];?>">
Now, if a user enters the normal URL in the address bar like
"http://www.example.com/test_form.php", the above code will be translated to:
<form method="post" action="test_form.php">
So far, so good.
However, consider that a user enters the following URL in the address bar:
http://www.example.com/test_form.php/%22%3E%3Cscript%3Ealert('hacked')%3C/
script%3E
In this case, the above code will be translated to:
<form method="post" action="test_form.php/"><script>alert('hacked')
</script>
This code adds a script tag and an alert command. And when the page loads, the
JavaScript code will be executed (the user will see an alert box). This is just a simple and
harmless example how the PHP_SELF variable can be exploited.
Be aware of that any JavaScript code can be added inside the <script> tag! A
hacker can redirect the user to a file on another server, and that file can hold malicious
code that can alter the global variables or submit the form to another address to save the
user data, for example.
How To Avoid $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"] Exploits?
$_SERVER["PHP_SELF"] exploits can be avoided by using the htmlspecialchars() function.
The form code should look like this:
<form method="post" action="<?php echo
htmlspecialchars($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]);?>">
The htmlspecialchars() function converts special characters to HTML entities. Now if the
user tries to exploit the PHP_SELF variable, it will result in the following output:
<form method="post"
action="test_form.php/"><script>alert('hacked')</script&g
t;">
The exploit attempt fails, and no harm is done!
Validate Form Data With PHP
The first thing we will do is to pass all variables through PHP's htmlspecialchars()
function.
When we use the htmlspecialchars() function; then if a user tries to submit the following
in a text field:
<script>location.href('http://www.hacked.com')</script>
- this would not be executed, because it would be saved as HTML escaped code, like this:
<script>location.href('http://www.hacked.com')</script>
The code is now safe to be displayed on a page or inside an e-mail.
We will also do two more things when the user submits the form:
1. Strip unnecessary characters (extra space, tab, newline) from the user input data
(with the PHP trim() function)
2. Remove backslashes (\) from the user input data (with the PHP stripslashes()
function)
The next step is to create a function that will do all the checking for us (which is much
more convenient than writing the same code over and over again).
We will name the function test_input().
Now, we can check each $_POST variable with the test_input() function, and the script
looks like this:
Example
<?php
// define variables and set to empty values
$name = $email = $gender = $comment = $website = "";
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
$name = test_input($_POST["name"]);
$email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
$website = test_input($_POST["website"]);
$comment = test_input($_POST["comment"]);
$gender = test_input($_POST["gender"]);
}
function test_input($data) {
$data = trim($data);
$data = stripslashes($data);
$data = htmlspecialchars($data);
return $data;
}
?>
Run example »
Notice that at the start of the script, we check whether the form has been submitted
using $_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"]. If the REQUEST_METHOD is POST, then the form
has been submitted - and it should be validated. If it has not been submitted, skip the
validation and display a blank form.
However, in the example above, all input fields are optional. The script works fine even if
the user does not enter any data.
The next step is to make input fields required and create error messages if needed.
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PHP 5 Forms - Required Fields
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This chapter shows how to make input fields required and create error messages if
needed.
PHP - Required Fields
From the validation rules table on the previous page, we see that the "Name", "E-mail",
and "Gender" fields are required. These fields cannot be empty and must be filled out in
the HTML form.
Field Validation Rules
Name Required. + Must only contain letters and whitespace
E-mail Required. + Must contain a valid email address (with @ and .)
Website Optional. If present, it must contain a valid URL
Comment Optional. Multi-line input field (textarea)
Gender Required. Must select one
In the previous chapter, all input fields were optional.
In the following code we have added some new variables: $nameErr, $emailErr,
$genderErr, and $websiteErr. These error variables will hold error messages for the
required fields. We have also added an if else statement for each $_POST variable.
This checks if the $_POST variable is empty (with the PHP empty() function). If it is
empty, an error message is stored in the different error variables, and if it is not empty, it
sends the user input data through the test_input() function:
<?php
// define variables and set to empty values
$nameErr = $emailErr = $genderErr = $websiteErr = "";
$name = $email = $gender = $comment = $website = "";
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
if (empty($_POST["name"])) {
$nameErr = "Name is required";
} else {
$name = test_input($_POST["name"]);
}
if (empty($_POST["email"])) {
$emailErr = "Email is required";
} else {
$email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
}
if (empty($_POST["website"])) {
$website = "";
} else {
$website = test_input($_POST["website"]);
}
if (empty($_POST["comment"])) {
$comment = "";
} else {
$comment = test_input($_POST["comment"]);
}
if (empty($_POST["gender"])) {
$genderErr = "Gender is required";
} else {
$gender = test_input($_POST["gender"]);
}
}
?>
PHP - Display The Error Messages
Then in the HTML form, we add a little script after each required field, which generates
the correct error message if needed (that is if the user tries to submit the form without
filling out the required fields):
Example
<form method="post" action="<?php echo
htmlspecialchars($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]);?>">
Name: <input type="text" name="name">
<span class="error">* <?php echo $nameErr;?></span>
<br><br>
E-mail:
<input type="text" name="email">
<span class="error">* <?php echo $emailErr;?></span>
<br><br>
Website:
<input type="text" name="website">
<span class="error"><?php echo $websiteErr;?></span>
<br><br>
Comment: <textarea name="comment" rows="5" cols="40"></textarea>
<br><br>
Gender:
<input type="radio" name="gender" value="female">Female
<input type="radio" name="gender" value="male">Male
<input type="radio" name="gender" value="other">Other
<span class="error">* <?php echo $genderErr;?></span>
<br><br>
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
Run example »
The next step is to validate the input data, that is "Does the Name field contain only
letters and whitespace?", and "Does the E-mail field contain a valid e-mail address
syntax?", and if filled out, "Does the Website field contain a valid URL?".
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PHP 5 Forms - Validate E-mail and URL
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This chapter shows how to validate names, e-mails, and URLs.
PHP - Validate Name
The code below shows a simple way to check if the name field only contains letters and
whitespace. If the value of the name field is not valid, then store an error message:
$name = test_input($_POST["name"]);
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$name)) {
$nameErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
The preg_match() function searches a string for pattern, returning true if the
pattern exists, and false otherwise.
PHP - Validate E-mail
The easiest and safest way to check whether an email address is well-formed is to use
PHP's filter_var() function.
In the code below, if the e-mail address is not well-formed, then store an error message:
$email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
$emailErr = "Invalid email format";
}
PHP - Validate URL
The code below shows a way to check if a URL address syntax is valid (this regular
expression also allows dashes in the URL). If the URL address syntax is not valid, then
store an error message:
$website = test_input($_POST["website"]);
if (!preg_match("/\b(?:(?:https?|ftp):\/\/|www\.)[-a-z0-9+&@#\/%?
=~_|!:,.;]*[-a-z0-9+&@#\/%=~_|]/i",$website)) {
$websiteErr = "Invalid URL";
}
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PHP - Validate Name, E-mail, and URL
Now, the script looks like this:
Example
<?php
// define variables and set to empty values
$nameErr = $emailErr = $genderErr = $websiteErr = "";
$name = $email = $gender = $comment = $website = "";
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
if (empty($_POST["name"])) {
$nameErr = "Name is required";
} else {
$name = test_input($_POST["name"]);
// check if name only contains letters and whitespace
if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$name)) {
$nameErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["email"])) {
$emailErr = "Email is required";
} else {
$email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
// check if e-mail address is well-formed
if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
$emailErr = "Invalid email format";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["website"])) {
$website = "";
} else {
$website = test_input($_POST["website"]);
// check if URL address syntax is valid (this regular expression
also allows dashes in the URL)
if (!preg_match("/\b(?:(?:https?|ftp):\/\/|www\.)[-a-z0-9+&@#\/%?
=~_|!:,.;]*[-a-z0-9+&@#\/%=~_|]/i",$website)) {
$websiteErr = "Invalid URL";
}
}
if (empty($_POST["comment"])) {
$comment = "";
} else {
$comment = test_input($_POST["comment"]);
}
if (empty($_POST["gender"])) {
$genderErr = "Gender is required";
} else {
$gender = test_input($_POST["gender"]);
}
}
?>
Run example »
The next step is to show how to prevent the form from emptying all the input fields when
the user submits the form.
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This chapter shows how to keep the values in the input fields when the user hits the
submit button.
PHP - Keep The Values in The Form
To show the values in the input fields after the user hits the submit button, we add a little
PHP script inside the value attribute of the following input fields: name, email, and
website. In the comment textarea field, we put the script between the <textarea> and
</textarea> tags. The little script outputs the value of the $name, $email, $website, and
$comment variables.
Then, we also need to show which radio button that was checked. For this, we must
manipulate the checked attribute (not the value attribute for radio buttons):
Name: <input type="text" name="name" value="<?php echo $name;?>">
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email" value="<?php echo $email;?>">
Website: <input type="text" name="website" value="<?php echo $website;?>">
Comment: <textarea name="comment" rows="5" cols="40"><?php echo $comment;?
></textarea>
Gender:
<input type="radio" name="gender"
<?php if (isset($gender) && $gender=="female") echo "checked";?>
value="female">Female
<input type="radio" name="gender"
<?php if (isset($gender) && $gender=="male") echo "checked";?>
value="male">Male
<input type="radio" name="gender"
<?php if (isset($gender) && $gender=="other") echo "checked";?>
value="other">Other
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PHP - Complete Form Example
Here is the complete code for the PHP Form Validation Example:
Example
PHP Form Validation Example
* required field
Name: *
E-mail: *
Website:
Comment:
Gender: Female Male Other *
Submit
Your Input:
Run example »
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PHP 5 Multidimensional Arrays
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Earlier in this tutorial, we have described arrays that are a single list of key/value
pairs.
However, sometimes you want to store values with more than one key.
This can be stored in multidimensional arrays.
PHP - Multidimensional Arrays
A multidimensional array is an array containing one or more arrays.
PHP understands multidimensional arrays that are two, three, four, five, or more levels
deep. However, arrays more than three levels deep are hard to manage for most people.
The dimension of an array indicates the number of indices you need to
select an element.
For a two-dimensional array you need two indices to select an element
For a three-dimensional array you need three indices to select an element
PHP - Two-dimensional Arrays
A two-dimensional array is an array of arrays (a three-dimensional array is an array of
arrays of arrays).
First, take a look at the following table:
Name Stock Sold
Volvo 22 18
BMW 15 13
Saab 5 2
Land Rover 17 15
We can store the data from the table above in a two-dimensional array, like this:
$cars = array
(
array("Volvo",22,18),
array("BMW",15,13),
array("Saab",5,2),
array("Land Rover",17,15)
);
Now the two-dimensional $cars array contains four arrays, and it has two indices: row
and column.
To get access to the elements of the $cars array we must point to the two indices (row
and column):
Example
<?php
echo $cars[0][0].": In stock: ".$cars[0][1].", sold: ".$cars[0][2].".
<br>";
echo $cars[1][0].": In stock: ".$cars[1][1].", sold: ".$cars[1][2].".
<br>";
echo $cars[2][0].": In stock: ".$cars[2][1].", sold: ".$cars[2][2].".
<br>";
echo $cars[3][0].": In stock: ".$cars[3][1].", sold: ".$cars[3][2].".
<br>";
?>
Run example »
We can also put a for loop inside another for loop to get the elements of the $cars
array (we still have to point to the two indices):
Example
<?php
for ($row = 0; $row < 4; $row++) {
echo "<p><b>Row number $row</b></p>";
echo "<ul>";
for ($col = 0; $col < 3; $col++) {
echo "<li>".$cars[$row][$col]."</li>";
}
echo "</ul>";
}
?>
Run example »
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The PHP date() function is used to format a date and/or a time.
The PHP Date() Function
The PHP date() function formats a timestamp to a more readable date and time.
Syntax
date(format,timestamp)
Parameter Description
format Required. Specifies the format of the timestamp
timestamp Optional. Specifies a timestamp. Default is the current date and time
A timestamp is a sequence of characters, denoting the date and/or time at which a
certain event occurred.
Get a Simple Date
The required format parameter of the date() function specifies how to format the date (or
time).
Here are some characters that are commonly used for dates:
d - Represents the day of the month (01 to 31)
m - Represents a month (01 to 12)
Y - Represents a year (in four digits)
l (lowercase 'L') - Represents the day of the week
Other characters, like"/", ".", or "-" can also be inserted between the characters to add
additional formatting.
The example below formats today's date in three different ways:
Example
<?php
echo "Today is " . date("Y/m/d") . "<br>";
echo "Today is " . date("Y.m.d") . "<br>";
echo "Today is " . date("Y-m-d") . "<br>";
echo "Today is " . date("l");
?>
Run example »
PHP Tip - Automatic Copyright Year
Use the date() function to automatically update the copyright year on your website:
Example
© 2010-<?php echo date("Y");?>
Run example »
Get a Simple Time
Here are some characters that are commonly used for times:
H - 24-hour format of an hour (00 to 23)
h - 12-hour format of an hour with leading zeros (01 to 12)
i - Minutes with leading zeros (00 to 59)
s - Seconds with leading zeros (00 to 59)
a - Lowercase Ante meridiem and Post meridiem (am or pm)
The example below outputs the current time in the specified format:
Example
<?php
echo "The time is " . date("h:i:sa");
?>
Run example »
Note that the PHP date() function will return the current date/time of the server!
Get Your Time Zone
If the time you got back from the code is not the right time, it's probably because your
server is in another country or set up for a different timezone.
So, if you need the time to be correct according to a specific location, you can set a
timezone to use.
The example below sets the timezone to "America/New_York", then outputs the current
time in the specified format:
Example
<?php
date_default_timezone_set("America/New_York");
echo "The time is " . date("h:i:sa");
?>
Run example »
Create a Date With PHP mktime()
The optional timestamp parameter in the date() function specifies a timestamp. If you do
not specify a timestamp, the current date and time will be used (as shown in the
examples above).
The mktime() function returns the Unix timestamp for a date. The Unix timestamp
contains the number of seconds between the Unix Epoch (January 1 1970 00:00:00 GMT)
and the time specified.
Syntax
mktime(hour,minute,second,month,day,year)
The example below creates a date and time from a number of parameters in the
mktime() function:
Example
<?php
$d=mktime(11, 14, 54, 8, 12, 2014);
echo "Created date is " . date("Y-m-d h:i:sa", $d);
?>
Run example »
Create a Date From a String With PHP strtotime()
The PHP strtotime() function is used to convert a human readable string to a Unix
time.
Syntax
strtotime(time,now)
The example below creates a date and time from the strtotime() function:
Example
<?php
$d=strtotime("10:30pm April 15 2014");
echo "Created date is " . date("Y-m-d h:i:sa", $d);
?>
Run example »
PHP is quite clever about converting a string to a date, so you can put in various values:
Example
<?php
$d=strtotime("tomorrow");
echo date("Y-m-d h:i:sa", $d) . "<br>";
$d=strtotime("next Saturday");
echo date("Y-m-d h:i:sa", $d) . "<br>";
$d=strtotime("+3 Months");
echo date("Y-m-d h:i:sa", $d) . "<br>";
?>
Run example »
However, strtotime() is not perfect, so remember to check the strings you put in
there.
More Date Examples
The example below outputs the dates for the next six Saturdays:
Example
<?php
$startdate = strtotime("Saturday");
$enddate = strtotime("+6 weeks", $startdate);
while ($startdate < $enddate) {
echo date("M d", $startdate) . "<br>";
$startdate = strtotime("+1 week", $startdate);
}
?>
Run example »
The example below outputs the number of days until 4th of July:
Example
<?php
$d1=strtotime("July 04");
$d2=ceil(($d1-time())/60/60/24);
echo "There are " . $d2 ." days until 4th of July.";
?>
Run example »
Complete PHP Date Reference
For a complete reference of all date functions, go to our complete PHP Date Reference.
The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each function!
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Use the correct date function to output todays day of the week (monday, tuesday
etc.).
echo ;
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PHP 5 Include Files
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The include (or require ) statement takes all the text/code/markup that exists in
the specified file and copies it into the file that uses the include statement.
Including files is very useful when you want to include the same PHP, HTML, or text
on multiple pages of a website.
PHP include and require Statements
It is possible to insert the content of one PHP file into another PHP file (before the server
executes it), with the include or require statement.
The include and require statements are identical, except upon failure:
require will produce a fatal error (E_COMPILE_ERROR) and stop the script
include will only produce a warning (E_WARNING) and the script will continue
So, if you want the execution to go on and show users the output, even if the include file
is missing, use the include statement. Otherwise, in case of FrameWork, CMS, or a
complex PHP application coding, always use the require statement to include a key file to
the flow of execution. This will help avoid compromising your application's security and
integrity, just in-case one key file is accidentally missing.
Including files saves a lot of work. This means that you can create a standard header,
footer, or menu file for all your web pages. Then, when the header needs to be updated,
you can only update the header include file.
Syntax
include 'filename';
or
require 'filename';
PHP include Examples
Example 1
Assume we have a standard footer file called "footer.php", that looks like this:
<?php
echo "<p>Copyright © 1999-" . date("Y") . " W3Schools.com</p>";
?>
To include the footer file in a page, use the include statement:
Example
<html>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to my home page!</h1>
<p>Some text.</p>
<p>Some more text.</p>
<?php include 'footer.php';?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Example 2
Assume we have a standard menu file called "menu.php":
<?php
echo '<a href="/default.asp">Home</a> -
<a href="/html/default.asp">HTML Tutorial</a> -
<a href="/css/default.asp">CSS Tutorial</a> -
<a href="/js/default.asp">JavaScript Tutorial</a> -
<a href="default.asp">PHP Tutorial</a>';
?>
All pages in the Web site should use this menu file. Here is how it can be done (we are
using a <div> element so that the menu easily can be styled with CSS later):
Example
<html>
<body>
<div class="menu">
<?php include 'menu.php';?>
</div>
<h1>Welcome to my home page!</h1>
<p>Some text.</p>
<p>Some more text.</p>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Example 3
Assume we have a file called "vars.php", with some variables defined:
<?php
$color='red';
$car='BMW';
?>
Then, if we include the "vars.php" file, the variables can be used in the calling file:
Example
<html>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to my home page!</h1>
<?php include 'vars.php';
echo "I have a $color $car.";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
PHP include vs. require
The require statement is also used to include a file into the PHP code.
However, there is one big difference between include and require; when a file is included
with the include statement and PHP cannot find it, the script will continue to execute:
Example
<html>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to my home page!</h1>
<?php include 'noFileExists.php';
echo "I have a $color $car.";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
If we do the same example using the require statement, the echo statement will not be
executed because the script execution dies after the require statement returned a fatal
error:
Example
<html>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to my home page!</h1>
<?php require 'noFileExists.php';
echo "I have a $color $car.";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Use require when the file is required by the application.
Use include when the file is not required and application should continue when file
is not found.
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Write a correct syntax to include a file named "footer.php".
<?php ;?>
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PHP 5 File Handling
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File handling is an important part of any web application. You often need to open
and process a file for different tasks.
PHP Manipulating Files
PHP has several functions for creating, reading, uploading, and editing files.
Be careful when manipulating files!
When you are manipulating files you must be very careful.
You can do a lot of damage if you do something wrong. Common errors are: editing
the wrong file, filling a hard-drive with garbage data, and deleting the content of a
file by accident.
PHP readfile() Function
The readfile() function reads a file and writes it to the output buffer.
Assume we have a text file called "webdictionary.txt", stored on the server, that looks like
this:
AJAX = Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
CSS = Cascading Style Sheets
HTML = Hyper Text Markup Language
PHP = PHP Hypertext Preprocessor
SQL = Structured Query Language
SVG = Scalable Vector Graphics
XML = EXtensible Markup Language
The PHP code to read the file and write it to the output buffer is as follows (the
readfile() function returns the number of bytes read on success):
Example
<?php
echo readfile("webdictionary.txt");
?>
Run example »
The readfile() function is useful if all you want to do is open up a file and read its
contents.
The next chapters will teach you more about file handling.
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Assume we have a file named "webdict.txt", write the correct syntax to open and
read the file content.
echo ;
Submit Answer »
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PHP 5 File Open/Read/Close
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In this chapter we will teach you how to open, read, and close a file on the server.
PHP Open File - fopen()
A better method to open files is with the fopen() function. This function gives you more
options than the readfile() function.
We will use the text file, "webdictionary.txt", during the lessons:
AJAX = Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
CSS = Cascading Style Sheets
HTML = Hyper Text Markup Language
PHP = PHP Hypertext Preprocessor
SQL = Structured Query Language
SVG = Scalable Vector Graphics
XML = EXtensible Markup Language
The first parameter of fopen() contains the name of the file to be opened and the
second parameter specifies in which mode the file should be opened. The following
example also generates a message if the fopen() function is unable to open the specified
file:
Example
<?php
$myfile = fopen("webdictionary.txt", "r") or die("Unable to open
file!");
echo fread($myfile,filesize("webdictionary.txt"));
fclose($myfile);
?>
Run example »
Tip: The fread() and the fclose() functions will be explained below.
The file may be opened in one of the following modes:
Modes Description
r Open a file for read only. File pointer starts at the beginning of the file
w Open a file for write only. Erases the contents of the file or creates a new
file if it doesn't exist. File pointer starts at the beginning of the file
a Open a file for write only. The existing data in file is preserved. File
pointer starts at the end of the file. Creates a new file if the file doesn't exist
x Creates a new file for write only. Returns FALSE and an error if file
already exists
r+ Open a file for read/write. File pointer starts at the beginning of the file
w+ Open a file for read/write. Erases the contents of the file or creates a new
file if it doesn't exist. File pointer starts at the beginning of the file
a+ Open a file for read/write. The existing data in file is preserved. File
pointer starts at the end of the file. Creates a new file if the file doesn't exist
x+ Creates a new file for read/write. Returns FALSE and an error if file
already exists
A man answers the wife who
smiles and waves from the Download
phone that appears in…
PHP Read File - fread()
The fread() function reads from an open file.
The first parameter of fread() contains the name of the file to read from and the
second parameter specifies the maximum number of bytes to read.
The following PHP code reads the "webdictionary.txt" file to the end:
fread($myfile,filesize("webdictionary.txt"));
PHP Close File - fclose()
The fclose() function is used to close an open file.
It's a good programming practice to close all files after you have finished with them.
You don't want an open file running around on your server taking up resources!
The fclose() requires the name of the file (or a variable that holds the filename) we
want to close:
<?php
$myfile = fopen("webdictionary.txt", "r");
// some code to be executed....
fclose($myfile);
?>
PHP Read Single Line - fgets()
The fgets() function is used to read a single line from a file.
The example below outputs the first line of the "webdictionary.txt" file:
Example
<?php
$myfile = fopen("webdictionary.txt", "r") or die("Unable to open
file!");
echo fgets($myfile);
fclose($myfile);
?>
Run example »
Note: After a call to the fgets() function, the file pointer has moved to the next line.
PHP Check End-Of-File - feof()
The feof() function checks if the "end-of-file" (EOF) has been reached.
The feof() function is useful for looping through data of unknown length.
The example below reads the "webdictionary.txt" file line by line, until end-of-file is
reached:
Example
<?php
$myfile = fopen("webdictionary.txt", "r") or die("Unable to open
file!");
// Output one line until end-of-file
while(!feof($myfile)) {
echo fgets($myfile) . "<br>";
}
fclose($myfile);
?>
Run example »
PHP Read Single Character - fgetc()
The fgetc() function is used to read a single character from a file.
The example below reads the "webdictionary.txt" file character by character, until end-of-
file is reached:
Example
<?php
$myfile = fopen("webdictionary.txt", "r") or die("Unable to open
file!");
// Output one character until end-of-file
while(!feof($myfile)) {
echo fgetc($myfile);
}
fclose($myfile);
?>
Run example »
Note: After a call to the fgetc() function, the file pointer moves to the next character.
Complete PHP Filesystem Reference
For a complete reference of filesystem functions, go to our complete PHP Filesystem
Reference.
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Open a file, and write the correct syntax to output one character at the time,
until end-of-file.
$myfile = fopen("webdict.txt", "r");
while(! ($myfile)) {
echo ($myfile);
}
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PHP 5 File Create/Write
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In this chapter we will teach you how to create and write to a file on the server.
PHP Create File - fopen()
The fopen() function is also used to create a file. Maybe a little confusing, but in PHP, a
file is created using the same function used to open files.
If you use fopen() on a file that does not exist, it will create it, given that the file is
opened for writing (w) or appending (a).
The example below creates a new file called "testfile.txt". The file will be created in the
same directory where the PHP code resides:
Example
$myfile = fopen("testfile.txt", "w")
PHP File Permissions
If you are having errors when trying to get this code to run, check that you have granted
your PHP file access to write information to the hard drive.
PHP Write to File - fwrite()
The fwrite() function is used to write to a file.
The first parameter of fwrite() contains the name of the file to write to and the second
parameter is the string to be written.
The example below writes a couple of names into a new file called "newfile.txt":
Example
<?php
$myfile = fopen("newfile.txt", "w") or die("Unable to open file!");
$txt = "John Doe\n";
fwrite($myfile, $txt);
$txt = "Jane Doe\n";
fwrite($myfile, $txt);
fclose($myfile);
?>
Notice that we wrote to the file "newfile.txt" twice. Each time we wrote to the file we sent
the string $txt that first contained "John Doe" and second contained "Jane Doe". After we
finished writing, we closed the file using the fclose() function.
If we open the "newfile.txt" file it would look like this:
John Doe
Jane Doe
PHP Overwriting
Now that "newfile.txt" contains some data we can show what happens when we open an
existing file for writing. All the existing data will be ERASED and we start with an empty
file.
In the example below we open our existing file "newfile.txt", and write some new data
into it:
Example
<?php
$myfile = fopen("newfile.txt", "w") or die("Unable to open file!");
$txt = "Mickey Mouse\n";
fwrite($myfile, $txt);
$txt = "Minnie Mouse\n";
fwrite($myfile, $txt);
fclose($myfile);
?>
If we now open the "newfile.txt" file, both John and Jane have vanished, and only the
data we just wrote is present:
Mickey Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Complete PHP Filesystem Reference
For a complete reference of filesystem functions, go to our complete PHP Filesystem
Reference.
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PHP 5 File Upload
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With PHP, it is easy to upload files to the server.
However, with ease comes danger, so always be careful when allowing file uploads!
Configure The "php.ini" File
First, ensure that PHP is configured to allow file uploads.
In your "php.ini" file, search for the file_uploads directive, and set it to On:
file_uploads = On
Create The HTML Form
Next, create an HTML form that allow users to choose the image file they want to upload:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<form action="upload.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
Select image to upload:
<input type="file" name="fileToUpload" id="fileToUpload">
<input type="submit" value="Upload Image" name="submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>
Some rules to follow for the HTML form above:
Make sure that the form uses method="post"
The form also needs the following attribute: enctype="multipart/form-data". It
specifies which content-type to use when submitting the form
Without the requirements above, the file upload will not work.
Other things to notice:
The type="file" attribute of the <input> tag shows the input field as a file-select
control, with a "Browse" button next to the input control
The form above sends data to a file called "upload.php", which we will create next.
Create The Upload File PHP Script
The "upload.php" file contains the code for uploading a file:
<?php
$target_dir = "uploads/";
$target_file = $target_dir . basename($_FILES["fileToUpload"]["name"]);
$uploadOk = 1;
$imageFileType = strtolower(pathinfo($target_file,PATHINFO_EXTENSION));
// Check if image file is a actual image or fake image
if(isset($_POST["submit"])) {
$check = getimagesize($_FILES["fileToUpload"]["tmp_name"]);
if($check !== false) {
echo "File is an image - " . $check["mime"] . ".";
$uploadOk = 1;
} else {
echo "File is not an image.";
$uploadOk = 0;
}
}
?>
PHP script explained:
$target_dir = "uploads/" - specifies the directory where the file is going to be placed
$target_file specifies the path of the file to be uploaded
$uploadOk=1 is not used yet (will be used later)
$imageFileType holds the file extension of the file (in lower case)
Next, check if the image file is an actual image or a fake image
Note: You will need to create a new directory called "uploads" in the directory where
"upload.php" file resides. The uploaded files will be saved there.
Check if File Already Exists
Now we can add some restrictions.
First, we will check if the file already exists in the "uploads" folder. If it does, an error
message is displayed, and $uploadOk is set to 0:
// Check if file already exists
if (file_exists($target_file)) {
echo "Sorry, file already exists.";
$uploadOk = 0;
}
Limit File Size
The file input field in our HTML form above is named "fileToUpload".
Now, we want to check the size of the file. If the file is larger than 500KB, an error
message is displayed, and $uploadOk is set to 0:
// Check file size
if ($_FILES["fileToUpload"]["size"] > 500000) {
echo "Sorry, your file is too large.";
$uploadOk = 0;
}
Limit File Type
The code below only allows users to upload JPG, JPEG, PNG, and GIF files. All other file
types gives an error message before setting $uploadOk to 0:
// Allow certain file formats
if($imageFileType != "jpg" && $imageFileType != "png" && $imageFileType
!= "jpeg"
&& $imageFileType != "gif" ) {
echo "Sorry, only JPG, JPEG, PNG & GIF files are allowed.";
$uploadOk = 0;
}
Complete Upload File PHP Script
The complete "upload.php" file now looks like this:
<?php
$target_dir = "uploads/";
$target_file = $target_dir . basename($_FILES["fileToUpload"]["name"]);
$uploadOk = 1;
$imageFileType = strtolower(pathinfo($target_file,PATHINFO_EXTENSION));
// Check if image file is a actual image or fake image
if(isset($_POST["submit"])) {
$check = getimagesize($_FILES["fileToUpload"]["tmp_name"]);
if($check !== false) {
echo "File is an image - " . $check["mime"] . ".";
$uploadOk = 1;
} else {
echo "File is not an image.";
$uploadOk = 0;
}
}
// Check if file already exists
if (file_exists($target_file)) {
echo "Sorry, file already exists.";
$uploadOk = 0;
}
// Check file size
if ($_FILES["fileToUpload"]["size"] > 500000) {
echo "Sorry, your file is too large.";
$uploadOk = 0;
}
// Allow certain file formats
if($imageFileType != "jpg" && $imageFileType != "png" && $imageFileType
!= "jpeg"
&& $imageFileType != "gif" ) {
echo "Sorry, only JPG, JPEG, PNG & GIF files are allowed.";
$uploadOk = 0;
}
// Check if $uploadOk is set to 0 by an error
if ($uploadOk == 0) {
echo "Sorry, your file was not uploaded.";
// if everything is ok, try to upload file
} else {
if (move_uploaded_file($_FILES["fileToUpload"]["tmp_name"],
$target_file)) {
echo "The file ". basename( $_FILES["fileToUpload"]["name"]). "
has been uploaded.";
} else {
echo "Sorry, there was an error uploading your file.";
}
}
?>
Complete PHP Filesystem Reference
For a complete reference of filesystem functions, go to our complete PHP Filesystem
Reference.
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PHP 5 Cookies
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A cookie is often used to identify a user.
What is a Cookie?
A cookie is often used to identify a user. A cookie is a small file that the server embeds on
the user's computer. Each time the same computer requests a page with a browser, it will
send the cookie too. With PHP, you can both create and retrieve cookie values.
Create Cookies With PHP
A cookie is created with the setcookie() function.
Syntax
setcookie(name, value, expire, path, domain, secure, httponly);
Only the name parameter is required. All other parameters are optional.
PHP Create/Retrieve a Cookie
The following example creates a cookie named "user" with the value "John Doe". The
cookie will expire after 30 days (86400 * 30). The "/" means that the cookie is available
in entire website (otherwise, select the directory you prefer).
We then retrieve the value of the cookie "user" (using the global variable $_COOKIE). We
also use the isset() function to find out if the cookie is set:
Example
<?php
$cookie_name = "user";
$cookie_value = "John Doe";
setcookie($cookie_name, $cookie_value, time() + (86400 * 30), "/"); //
86400 = 1 day
?>
<html>
<body>
<?php
if(!isset($_COOKIE[$cookie_name])) {
echo "Cookie named '" . $cookie_name . "' is not set!";
} else {
echo "Cookie '" . $cookie_name . "' is set!<br>";
echo "Value is: " . $_COOKIE[$cookie_name];
}
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Note: The setcookie() function must appear BEFORE the <html> tag.
Note: The value of the cookie is automatically URLencoded when sending the cookie, and
automatically decoded when received (to prevent URLencoding, use setrawcookie()
instead).
Modify a Cookie Value
To modify a cookie, just set (again) the cookie using the setcookie() function:
Example
<?php
$cookie_name = "user";
$cookie_value = "Alex Porter";
setcookie($cookie_name, $cookie_value, time() + (86400 * 30), "/");
?>
<html>
<body>
<?php
if(!isset($_COOKIE[$cookie_name])) {
echo "Cookie named '" . $cookie_name . "' is not set!";
} else {
echo "Cookie '" . $cookie_name . "' is set!<br>";
echo "Value is: " . $_COOKIE[$cookie_name];
}
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Delete a Cookie
To delete a cookie, use the setcookie() function with an expiration date in the past:
Example
<?php
// set the expiration date to one hour ago
setcookie("user", "", time() - 3600);
?>
<html>
<body>
<?php
echo "Cookie 'user' is deleted.";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Check if Cookies are Enabled
The following example creates a small script that checks whether cookies are enabled.
First, try to create a test cookie with the setcookie() function, then count the
$_COOKIE array variable:
Example
<?php
setcookie("test_cookie", "test", time() + 3600, '/');
?>
<html>
<body>
<?php
if(count($_COOKIE) > 0) {
echo "Cookies are enabled.";
} else {
echo "Cookies are disabled.";
}
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Complete PHP HTTP Reference
For a complete reference of HTTP functions, go to our complete PHP HTTP Reference.
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Create a cookie named "username".
("username", "John", time() + (86400 * 30), "/");
Submit Answer »
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PHP 5 Sessions
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A session is a way to store information (in variables) to be used across multiple
pages.
Unlike a cookie, the information is not stored on the users computer.
What is a PHP Session?
When you work with an application, you open it, do some changes, and then you close it.
This is much like a Session. The computer knows who you are. It knows when you start
the application and when you end. But on the internet there is one problem: the web
server does not know who you are or what you do, because the HTTP address doesn't
maintain state.
Session variables solve this problem by storing user information to be used across
multiple pages (e.g. username, favorite color, etc). By default, session variables last until
the user closes the browser.
So; Session variables hold information about one single user, and are available to all
pages in one application.
Tip: If you need a permanent storage, you may want to store the data in a
database.
Start a PHP Session
A session is started with the session_start() function.
Session variables are set with the PHP global variable: $_SESSION.
Now, let's create a new page called "demo_session1.php". In this page, we start a new
PHP session and set some session variables:
Example
<?php
// Start the session
session_start();
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
// Set session variables
$_SESSION["favcolor"] = "green";
$_SESSION["favanimal"] = "cat";
echo "Session variables are set.";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Note: The session_start() function must be the very first thing in your
document. Before any HTML tags.
Get PHP Session Variable Values
Next, we create another page called "demo_session2.php". From this page, we will access
the session information we set on the first page ("demo_session1.php").
Notice that session variables are not passed individually to each new page, instead they
are retrieved from the session we open at the beginning of each page
( session_start() ).
Also notice that all session variable values are stored in the global $_SESSION variable:
Example
<?php
session_start();
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
// Echo session variables that were set on previous page
echo "Favorite color is " . $_SESSION["favcolor"] . ".<br>";
echo "Favorite animal is " . $_SESSION["favanimal"] . ".";
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Another way to show all the session variable values for a user session is to run the
following code:
Example
<?php
session_start();
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
print_r($_SESSION);
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
How does it work? How does it know it's me?
Most sessions set a user-key on the user's computer that looks something like this:
765487cf34ert8dede5a562e4f3a7e12. Then, when a session is opened on another
page, it scans the computer for a user-key. If there is a match, it accesses that
session, if not, it starts a new session.
Modify a PHP Session Variable
To change a session variable, just overwrite it:
Example
<?php
session_start();
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
// to change a session variable, just overwrite it
$_SESSION["favcolor"] = "yellow";
print_r($_SESSION);
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Destroy a PHP Session
To remove all global session variables and destroy the session, use session_unset()
and session_destroy() :
Example
<?php
session_start();
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
// remove all session variables
session_unset();
// destroy the session
session_destroy();
?>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Create a session variable named "favcolor".
session_start();
["favcolor"] = "green";
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PHP Filters
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Validating data = Determine if the data is in proper form.
Sanitizing data = Remove any illegal character from the data.
The PHP Filter Extension
PHP filters are used to validate and sanitize external input.
The PHP filter extension has many of the functions needed for checking user input, and is
designed to make data validation easier and quicker.
The filter_list() function can be used to list what the PHP filter extension offers:
Example
<table>
<tr>
<td>Filter Name</td>
<td>Filter ID</td>
</tr>
<?php
foreach (filter_list() as $id =>$filter) {
echo '<tr><td>' . $filter . '</td><td>' . filter_id($filter) .
'</td></tr>';
}
?>
</table>
Run example »
Why Use Filters?
Many web applications receive external input. External input/data can be:
User input from a form
Cookies
Web services data
Server variables
Database query results
You should always validate external data!
Invalid submitted data can lead to security problems and break your webpage!
By using PHP filters you can be sure your application gets the correct input!
PHP filter_var() Function
The filter_var() function both validate and sanitize data.
The filter_var() function filters a single variable with a specified filter. It takes two
pieces of data:
The variable you want to check
The type of check to use
Sanitize a String
The following example uses the filter_var() function to remove all HTML tags from a
string:
Example
<?php
$str = "<h1>Hello World!</h1>";
$newstr = filter_var($str, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
echo $newstr;
?>
Run example »
Validate an Integer
The following example uses the filter_var() function to check if the variable $int is an
integer. If $int is an integer, the output of the code below will be: "Integer is valid". If
$int is not an integer, the output will be: "Integer is not valid":
Example
<?php
$int = 100;
if (!filter_var($int, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT) === false) {
echo("Integer is valid");
} else {
echo("Integer is not valid");
}
?>
Run example »
Tip: filter_var() and Problem With 0
In the example above, if $int was set to 0, the function above will return "Integer is not
valid". To solve this problem, use the code below:
Example
<?php
$int = 0;
if (filter_var($int, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT) === 0 || !filter_var($int,
FILTER_VALIDATE_INT) === false) {
echo("Integer is valid");
} else {
echo("Integer is not valid");
}
?>
Run example »
Validate an IP Address
The following example uses the filter_var() function to check if the variable $ip is a
valid IP address:
Example
<?php
$ip = "127.0.0.1";
if (!filter_var($ip, FILTER_VALIDATE_IP) === false) {
echo("$ip is a valid IP address");
} else {
echo("$ip is not a valid IP address");
}
?>
Run example »
Sanitize and Validate an Email Address
The following example uses the filter_var() function to first remove all illegal
characters from the $email variable, then check if it is a valid email address:
Example
<?php
$email = "john.doe@example.com";
// Remove all illegal characters from email
$email = filter_var($email, FILTER_SANITIZE_EMAIL);
// Validate e-mail
if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) === false) {
echo("$email is a valid email address");
} else {
echo("$email is not a valid email address");
}
?>
Run example »
Sanitize and Validate a URL
The following example uses the filter_var() function to first remove all illegal
characters from a URL, then check if $url is a valid URL:
Example
<?php
$url = "https://www.w3schools.com";
// Remove all illegal characters from a url
$url = filter_var($url, FILTER_SANITIZE_URL);
// Validate url
if (!filter_var($url, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL) === false) {
echo("$url is a valid URL");
} else {
echo("$url is not a valid URL");
}
?>
Run example »
Complete PHP Filter Reference
For a complete reference of all filter functions, go to our complete PHP Filter Reference.
Check each filter to see what options and flags are available.
The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each function!
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Validate an Integer Within a Range
The following example uses the filter_var() function to check if a variable is both of
type INT, and between 1 and 200:
Example
<?php
$int = 122;
$min = 1;
$max = 200;
if (filter_var($int, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT, array("options" =>
array("min_range"=>$min, "max_range"=>$max))) === false) {
echo("Variable value is not within the legal range");
} else {
echo("Variable value is within the legal range");
}
?>
Run example »
Validate IPv6 Address
The following example uses the filter_var() function to check if the variable $ip is a
valid IPv6 address:
Example
<?php
$ip = "2001:0db8:85a3:08d3:1319:8a2e:0370:7334";
if (!filter_var($ip, FILTER_VALIDATE_IP, FILTER_FLAG_IPV6) === false) {
echo("$ip is a valid IPv6 address");
} else {
echo("$ip is not a valid IPv6 address");
}
?>
Run example »
Validate URL - Must Contain QueryString
The following example uses the filter_var() function to check if the variable $url is a
URL with a querystring:
Example
<?php
$url = "https://www.w3schools.com";
if (!filter_var($url, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_QUERY_REQUIRED)
=== false) {
echo("$url is a valid URL");
} else {
echo("$url is not a valid URL");
}
?>
Run example »
Remove Characters With ASCII Value > 127
The following example uses the filter_var() function to sanitize a string. It will both
remove all HTML tags, and all characters with ASCII value > 127, from the string:
Example
<?php
$str = "<h1>Hello WorldÆØÅ!</h1>";
$newstr = filter_var($str, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING,
FILTER_FLAG_STRIP_HIGH);
echo $newstr;
?>
Run example »
Complete PHP Filter Reference
For a complete reference of all filter functions, go to our complete PHP Filter Reference.
Check each filter to see what options and flags are available.
The reference contains a brief description, and examples of use, for each function!
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The default error handling in PHP is very simple. An error message with filename,
line number and a message describing the error is sent to the browser.
PHP Error Handling
When creating scripts and web applications, error handling is an important part. If your
code lacks error checking code, your program may look very unprofessional and you may
be open to security risks.
This tutorial contains some of the most common error checking methods in PHP.
We will show different error handling methods:
Simple "die()" statements
Custom errors and error triggers
Error reporting
Basic Error Handling: Using the die() function
The first example shows a simple script that opens a text file:
<?php
$file=fopen("welcome.txt","r");
?>
If the file does not exist you might get an error like this:
Warning: fopen(welcome.txt) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream:
No such file or directory in C:\webfolder\test.php on line 2
To prevent the user from getting an error message like the one above, we test whether
the file exist before we try to access it:
<?php
if(!file_exists("welcome.txt")) {
die("File not found");
} else {
$file=fopen("welcome.txt","r");
}
?>
Now if the file does not exist you get an error like this:
File not found
The code above is more efficient than the earlier code, because it uses a simple error
handling mechanism to stop the script after the error.
However, simply stopping the script is not always the right way to go. Let's take a look at
alternative PHP functions for handling errors.
Creating a Custom Error Handler
Creating a custom error handler is quite simple. We simply create a special function that
can be called when an error occurs in PHP.
This function must be able to handle a minimum of two parameters (error level and error
message) but can accept up to five parameters (optionally: file, line-number, and the
error context):
Syntax
error_function(error_level,error_message,
error_file,error_line,error_context)
Parameter Description
error_level Required. Specifies the error report level for the user-defined error.
Must be a value number. See table below for possible error report
levels
error_message Required. Specifies the error message for the user-defined error
error_file Optional. Specifies the filename in which the error occurred
error_line Optional. Specifies the line number in which the error occurred
error_context Optional. Specifies an array containing every variable, and their
values, in use when the error occurred
Error Report levels
These error report levels are the different types of error the user-defined error handler
can be used for:
Value Constant Description
2 E_WARNING Non-fatal run-time errors. Execution of the script
is not halted
8 E_NOTICE Run-time notices. The script found something that
might be an error, but could also happen when
running a script normally
256 E_USER_ERROR Fatal user-generated error. This is like an
E_ERROR set by the programmer using the PHP
function trigger_error()
512 E_USER_WARNING Non-fatal user-generated warning. This is like an
E_WARNING set by the programmer using the PHP
function trigger_error()
1024 E_USER_NOTICE User-generated notice. This is like an E_NOTICE
set by the programmer using the PHP function
trigger_error()
4096 E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR Catchable fatal error. This is like an E_ERROR but
can be caught by a user defined handle (see also
set_error_handler())
8191 E_ALL All errors and warnings (E_STRICT became a part
of E_ALL in PHP 5.4)
Now lets create a function to handle errors:
function customError($errno, $errstr) {
echo "<b>Error:</b> [$errno] $errstr<br>";
echo "Ending Script";
die();
}
The code above is a simple error handling function. When it is triggered, it gets the error
level and an error message. It then outputs the error level and message and terminates
the script.
Now that we have created an error handling function we need to decide when it should be
triggered.
Set Error Handler
The default error handler for PHP is the built in error handler. We are going to make the
function above the default error handler for the duration of the script.
It is possible to change the error handler to apply for only some errors, that way the
script can handle different errors in different ways. However, in this example we are going
to use our custom error handler for all errors:
set_error_handler("customError");
Since we want our custom function to handle all errors, the set_error_handler() only
needed one parameter, a second parameter could be added to specify an error level.
Example
Testing the error handler by trying to output variable that does not exist:
<?php
//error handler function
function customError($errno, $errstr) {
echo "<b>Error:</b> [$errno] $errstr";
}
//set error handler
set_error_handler("customError");
//trigger error
echo($test);
?>
The output of the code above should be something like this:
Error: [8] Undefined variable: test
Trigger an Error
In a script where users can input data it is useful to trigger errors when an illegal input
occurs. In PHP, this is done by the trigger_error() function.
Example
In this example an error occurs if the "test" variable is bigger than "1":
<?php
$test=2;
if ($test>=1) {
trigger_error("Value must be 1 or below");
}
?>
The output of the code above should be something like this:
Notice: Value must be 1 or below
in C:\webfolder\test.php on line 6
An error can be triggered anywhere you wish in a script, and by adding a second
parameter, you can specify what error level is triggered.
Possible error types:
E_USER_ERROR - Fatal user-generated run-time error. Errors that can not be
recovered from. Execution of the script is halted
E_USER_WARNING - Non-fatal user-generated run-time warning. Execution of the
script is not halted
E_USER_NOTICE - Default. User-generated run-time notice. The script found
something that might be an error, but could also happen when running a script
normally
Example
In this example an E_USER_WARNING occurs if the "test" variable is bigger than "1". If
an E_USER_WARNING occurs we will use our custom error handler and end the script:
<?php
//error handler function
function customError($errno, $errstr) {
echo "<b>Error:</b> [$errno] $errstr<br>";
echo "Ending Script";
die();
}
//set error handler
set_error_handler("customError",E_USER_WARNING);
//trigger error
$test=2;
if ($test>=1) {
trigger_error("Value must be 1 or below",E_USER_WARNING);
}
?>
The output of the code above should be something like this:
Error: [512] Value must be 1 or below
Ending Script
Now that we have learned to create our own errors and how to trigger them, lets take a
look at error logging.
Error Logging
By default, PHP sends an error log to the server's logging system or a file, depending on
how the error_log configuration is set in the php.ini file. By using the error_log()
function you can send error logs to a specified file or a remote destination.
Sending error messages to yourself by e-mail can be a good way of getting notified of
specific errors.
Send an Error Message by E-Mail
In the example below we will send an e-mail with an error message and end the script, if
a specific error occurs:
<?php
//error handler function
function customError($errno, $errstr) {
echo "<b>Error:</b> [$errno] $errstr<br>";
echo "Webmaster has been notified";
error_log("Error: [$errno] $errstr",1,
"someone@example.com","From: webmaster@example.com");
}
//set error handler
set_error_handler("customError",E_USER_WARNING);
//trigger error
$test=2;
if ($test>=1) {
trigger_error("Value must be 1 or below",E_USER_WARNING);
}
?>
The output of the code above should be something like this:
Error: [512] Value must be 1 or below
Webmaster has been notified
And the mail received from the code above looks like this:
Error: [512] Value must be 1 or below
This should not be used with all errors. Regular errors should be logged on the server
using the default PHP logging system.
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Exceptions are used to change the normal flow of a script if a specified error occurs.
What is an Exception
With PHP 5 came a new object oriented way of dealing with errors.
Exception handling is used to change the normal flow of the code execution if a specified
error (exceptional) condition occurs. This condition is called an exception.
This is what normally happens when an exception is triggered:
The current code state is saved
The code execution will switch to a predefined (custom) exception handler function
Depending on the situation, the handler may then resume the execution from the
saved code state, terminate the script execution or continue the script from a
different location in the code
We will show different error handling methods:
Basic use of Exceptions
Creating a custom exception handler
Multiple exceptions
Re-throwing an exception
Setting a top level exception handler
Note: Exceptions should only be used with error conditions, and should not be used to
jump to another place in the code at a specified point.
Basic Use of Exceptions
When an exception is thrown, the code following it will not be executed, and PHP will try
to find the matching "catch" block.
If an exception is not caught, a fatal error will be issued with an "Uncaught Exception"
message.
Lets try to throw an exception without catching it:
<?php
//create function with an exception
function checkNum($number) {
if($number>1) {
throw new Exception("Value must be 1 or below");
}
return true;
}
//trigger exception
checkNum(2);
?>
The code above will get an error like this:
Fatal error: Uncaught exception 'Exception'
with message 'Value must be 1 or below' in C:\webfolder\test.php:6
Stack trace: #0 C:\webfolder\test.php(12):
checkNum(28) #1 {main} thrown in C:\webfolder\test.php on line 6
Try, throw and catch
To avoid the error from the example above, we need to create the proper code to handle
an exception.
Proper exception code should include:
1. try - A function using an exception should be in a "try" block. If the exception does
not trigger, the code will continue as normal. However if the exception triggers, an
exception is "thrown"
2. throw - This is how you trigger an exception. Each "throw" must have at least one
"catch"
3. catch - A "catch" block retrieves an exception and creates an object containing the
exception information
Lets try to trigger an exception with valid code:
<?php
//create function with an exception
function checkNum($number) {
if($number>1) {
throw new Exception("Value must be 1 or below");
}
return true;
}
//trigger exception in a "try" block
try {
checkNum(2);
//If the exception is thrown, this text will not be shown
echo 'If you see this, the number is 1 or below';
}
//catch exception
catch(Exception $e) {
echo 'Message: ' .$e->getMessage();
}
?>
The code above will get an error like this:
Message: Value must be 1 or below
Example explained:
The code above throws an exception and catches it:
1. The checkNum() function is created. It checks if a number is greater than 1. If it is,
an exception is thrown
2. The checkNum() function is called in a "try" block
3. The exception within the checkNum() function is thrown
4. The "catch" block retrieves the exception and creates an object ($e) containing the
exception information
5. The error message from the exception is echoed by calling $e->getMessage() from
the exception object
However, one way to get around the "every throw must have a catch" rule is to set a top
level exception handler to handle errors that slip through.
Creating a Custom Exception Class
To create a custom exception handler you must create a special class with functions that
can be called when an exception occurs in PHP. The class must be an extension of the
exception class.
The custom exception class inherits the properties from PHP's exception class and you can
add custom functions to it.
Lets create an exception class:
<?php
class customException extends Exception {
public function errorMessage() {
//error message
$errorMsg = 'Error on line '.$this->getLine().' in '.$this-
>getFile()
.': <b>'.$this->getMessage().'</b> is not a valid E-Mail address';
return $errorMsg;
}
}
$email = "someone@example...com";
try {
//check if
if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) === FALSE) {
//throw exception if email is not valid
throw new customException($email);
}
}
catch (customException $e) {
//display custom message
echo $e->errorMessage();
}
?>
The new class is a copy of the old exception class with an addition of the errorMessage()
function. Since it is a copy of the old class, and it inherits the properties and methods
from the old class, we can use the exception class methods like getLine() and getFile()
and getMessage().
Example explained:
The code above throws an exception and catches it with a custom exception class:
1. The customException() class is created as an extension of the old exception class.
This way it inherits all methods and properties from the old exception class
2. The errorMessage() function is created. This function returns an error message if an
e-mail address is invalid
3. The $email variable is set to a string that is not a valid e-mail address
4. The "try" block is executed and an exception is thrown since the e-mail address is
invalid
5. The "catch" block catches the exception and displays the error message
Multiple Exceptions
It is possible for a script to use multiple exceptions to check for multiple conditions.
It is possible to use several if..else blocks, a switch, or nest multiple exceptions. These
exceptions can use different exception classes and return different error messages:
<?php
class customException extends Exception {
public function errorMessage() {
//error message
$errorMsg = 'Error on line '.$this->getLine().' in '.$this-
>getFile()
.': <b>'.$this->getMessage().'</b> is not a valid E-Mail address';
return $errorMsg;
}
}
$email = "someone@example.com";
try {
//check if
if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) === FALSE) {
//throw exception if email is not valid
throw new customException($email);
}
//check for "example" in mail address
if(strpos($email, "example") !== FALSE) {
throw new Exception("$email is an example e-mail");
}
}
catch (customException $e) {
echo $e->errorMessage();
}
catch(Exception $e) {
echo $e->getMessage();
}
?>
Example explained:
The code above tests two conditions and throws an exception if any of the conditions are
not met:
1. The customException() class is created as an extension of the old exception class.
This way it inherits all methods and properties from the old exception class
2. The errorMessage() function is created. This function returns an error message if an
e-mail address is invalid
3. The $email variable is set to a string that is a valid e-mail address, but contains the
string "example"
4. The "try" block is executed and an exception is not thrown on the first condition
5. The second condition triggers an exception since the e-mail contains the string
"example"
6. The "catch" block catches the exception and displays the correct error message
If the exception thrown were of the class customException and there were no
customException catch, only the base exception catch, the exception would be handled
there.
Re-throwing Exceptions
Sometimes, when an exception is thrown, you may wish to handle it differently than the
standard way. It is possible to throw an exception a second time within a "catch" block.
A script should hide system errors from users. System errors may be important for the
coder, but are of no interest to the user. To make things easier for the user you can re-
throw the exception with a user friendly message:
<?php
class customException extends Exception {
public function errorMessage() {
//error message
$errorMsg = $this->getMessage().' is not a valid E-Mail address.';
return $errorMsg;
}
}
$email = "someone@example.com";
try {
try {
//check for "example" in mail address
if(strpos($email, "example") !== FALSE) {
//throw exception if email is not valid
throw new Exception($email);
}
}
catch(Exception $e) {
//re-throw exception
throw new customException($email);
}
}
catch (customException $e) {
//display custom message
echo $e->errorMessage();
}
?>
Example explained:
The code above tests if the email-address contains the string "example" in it, if it does,
the exception is re-thrown:
1. The customException() class is created as an extension of the old exception class.
This way it inherits all methods and properties from the old exception class
2. The errorMessage() function is created. This function returns an error message if an
e-mail address is invalid
3. The $email variable is set to a string that is a valid e-mail address, but contains the
string "example"
4. The "try" block contains another "try" block to make it possible to re-throw the
exception
5. The exception is triggered since the e-mail contains the string "example"
6. The "catch" block catches the exception and re-throws a "customException"
7. The "customException" is caught and displays an error message
If the exception is not caught in its current "try" block, it will search for a catch block on
"higher levels".
Set a Top Level Exception Handler
The set_exception_handler() function sets a user-defined function to handle all
uncaught exceptions:
<?php
function myException($exception) {
echo "<b>Exception:</b> " . $exception->getMessage();
}
set_exception_handler('myException');
throw new Exception('Uncaught Exception occurred');
?>
The output of the code above should be something like this:
Exception: Uncaught Exception occurred
In the code above there was no "catch" block. Instead, the top level exception handler
triggered. This function should be used to catch uncaught exceptions.
Rules for exceptions
Code may be surrounded in a try block, to help catch potential exceptions
Each try block or "throw" must have at least one corresponding catch block
Multiple catch blocks can be used to catch different classes of exceptions
Exceptions can be thrown (or re-thrown) in a catch block within a try block
A simple rule: If you throw something, you have to catch it.
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With PHP, you can connect to and manipulate databases.
MySQL is the most popular database system used with PHP.
What is MySQL?
MySQL is a database system used on the web
MySQL is a database system that runs on a server
MySQL is ideal for both small and large applications
MySQL is very fast, reliable, and easy to use
MySQL uses standard SQL
MySQL compiles on a number of platforms
MySQL is free to download and use
MySQL is developed, distributed, and supported by Oracle Corporation
MySQL is named after co-founder Monty Widenius's daughter: My
The data in a MySQL database are stored in tables. A table is a collection of related data,
and it consists of columns and rows.
Databases are useful for storing information categorically. A company may have a
database with the following tables:
Employees
Products
Customers
Orders
PHP + MySQL Database System
PHP combined with MySQL are cross-platform (you can develop in Windows and
serve on a Unix platform)
Database Queries
A query is a question or a request.
We can query a database for specific information and have a recordset returned.
Look at the following query (using standard SQL):
SELECT LastName FROM Employees
The query above selects all the data in the "LastName" column from the "Employees"
table.
To learn more about SQL, please visit our SQL tutorial.
Download MySQL Database
If you don't have a PHP server with a MySQL Database, you can download it for free here:
http://www.mysql.com
Facts About MySQL Database
MySQL is the de-facto standard database system for web sites with HUGE volumes of
both data and end-users (like Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia).
Another great thing about MySQL is that it can be scaled down to support embedded
database applications.
Look at http://www.mysql.com/customers/ for an overview of companies using MySQL.
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PHP 5 and later can work with a MySQL database using:
MySQLi extension (the "i" stands for improved)
PDO (PHP Data Objects)
Earlier versions of PHP used the MySQL extension. However, this extension was
deprecated in 2012.
Should I Use MySQLi or PDO?
If you need a short answer, it would be "Whatever you like".
Both MySQLi and PDO have their advantages:
PDO will work on 12 different database systems, whereas MySQLi will only work with
MySQL databases.
So, if you have to switch your project to use another database, PDO makes the process
easy. You only have to change the connection string and a few queries. With MySQLi, you
will need to rewrite the entire code - queries included.
Both are object-oriented, but MySQLi also offers a procedural API.
Both support Prepared Statements. Prepared Statements protect from SQL injection, and
are very important for web application security.
MySQL Examples in Both MySQLi and PDO Syntax
In this, and in the following chapters we demonstrate three ways of working with PHP and
MySQL:
MySQLi (object-oriented)
MySQLi (procedural)
PDO
MySQLi Installation
For Linux and Windows: The MySQLi extension is automatically installed in most cases,
when php5 mysql package is installed.
For installation details, go to: http://php.net/manual/en/mysqli.installation.php
PDO Installation
For installation details, go to: http://php.net/manual/en/pdo.installation.php
Open a Connection to MySQL
Before we can access data in the MySQL database, we need to be able to connect to the
server:
Example (MySQLi Object-Oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
echo "Connected successfully";
?>
PHP is an amazing and popular language!
Note on the object-oriented example above: $connect_error was broken until PHP
5.2.9 and 5.3.0. If you need to ensure compatibility with PHP versions prior to 5.2.9
and 5.3.0, use the following code instead:
// Check connection
if (mysqli_connect_error()) {
die("Database connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
echo "Connected successfully";
?>
Example (PDO)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=myDB", $username,
$password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
echo "Connected successfully";
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
echo "Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}
?>
Note: In the PDO example above we have also specified a database (myDB).
PDO require a valid database to connect to. If no database is specified, an exception
is thrown.
Tip: A great benefit of PDO is that it has an exception class to handle any problems that
may occur in our database queries. If an exception is thrown within the try{ } block, the
script stops executing and flows directly to the first catch(){ } block.
Close the Connection
The connection will be closed automatically when the script ends. To close the connection
before, use the following:
Example (MySQLi Object-Oriented)
$conn->close();
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
mysqli_close($conn);
Example (PDO)
$conn = null;
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A database consists of one or more tables.
You will need special CREATE privileges to create or to delete a MySQL database.
Create a MySQL Database Using MySQLi and PDO
The CREATE DATABASE statement is used to create a database in MySQL.
The following examples create a database named "myDB":
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
// Create database
$sql = "CREATE DATABASE myDB";
if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
echo "Database created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error creating database: " . $conn->error;
}
$conn->close();
?>
Note: When you create a new database, you must only specify the first three
arguments to the mysqli object (servername, username and password).
Tip: If you have to use a specific port, add an empty string for the database-name
argument, like this: new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "", port)
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
// Create database
$sql = "CREATE DATABASE myDB";
if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql)) {
echo "Database created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error creating database: " . mysqli_error($conn);
}
mysqli_close($conn);
?>
Note: The following PDO example create a database named "myDBPDO":
Example (PDO)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername", $username, $password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
$sql = "CREATE DATABASE myDBPDO";
// use exec() because no results are returned
$conn->exec($sql);
echo "Database created successfully<br>";
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
echo $sql . "<br>" . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
?>
Tip: A great benefit of PDO is that it has exception class to handle any problems that may
occur in our database queries. If an exception is thrown within the try{ } block, the script
stops executing and flows directly to the first catch(){ } block. In the catch block above
we echo the SQL statement and the generated error message.
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PHP Create MySQL Tables
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A database table has its own unique name and consists of columns and rows.
Create a MySQL Table Using MySQLi and PDO
The CREATE TABLE statement is used to create a table in MySQL.
We will create a table named "MyGuests", with five columns: "id", "firstname",
"lastname", "email" and "reg_date":
CREATE TABLE MyGuests (
id INT(6) UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
firstname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
lastname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(50),
reg_date TIMESTAMP
)
Notes on the table above:
The data type specifies what type of data the column can hold. For a complete reference
of all the available data types, go to our Data Types reference.
After the data type, you can specify other optional attributes for each column:
NOT NULL - Each row must contain a value for that column, null values are not
allowed
DEFAULT value - Set a default value that is added when no other value is passed
UNSIGNED - Used for number types, limits the stored data to positive numbers and
zero
AUTO INCREMENT - MySQL automatically increases the value of the field by 1 each
time a new record is added
PRIMARY KEY - Used to uniquely identify the rows in a table. The column with
PRIMARY KEY setting is often an ID number, and is often used with
AUTO_INCREMENT
Each table should have a primary key column (in this case: the "id" column). Its value
must be unique for each record in the table.
The following examples shows how to create the table in PHP:
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
// sql to create table
$sql = "CREATE TABLE MyGuests (
id INT(6) UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
firstname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
lastname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(50),
reg_date TIMESTAMP
)";
if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
echo "Table MyGuests created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error creating table: " . $conn->error;
}
$conn->close();
?>
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Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
// sql to create table
$sql = "CREATE TABLE MyGuests (
id INT(6) UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
firstname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
lastname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(50),
reg_date TIMESTAMP
)";
if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql)) {
echo "Table MyGuests created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error creating table: " . mysqli_error($conn);
}
mysqli_close($conn);
?>
Example (PDO)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDBPDO";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username,
$password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
// sql to create table
$sql = "CREATE TABLE MyGuests (
id INT(6) UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
firstname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
lastname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(50),
reg_date TIMESTAMP
)";
// use exec() because no results are returned
$conn->exec($sql);
echo "Table MyGuests created successfully";
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
echo $sql . "<br>" . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
?>
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PHP Insert Data Into MySQL
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Insert Data Into MySQL Using MySQLi and PDO
After a database and a table have been created, we can start adding data in them.
Here are some syntax rules to follow:
The SQL query must be quoted in PHP
String values inside the SQL query must be quoted
Numeric values must not be quoted
The word NULL must not be quoted
The INSERT INTO statement is used to add new records to a MySQL table:
INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, column3,...)
VALUES (value1, value2, value3,...)
To learn more about SQL, please visit our SQL tutorial.
In the previous chapter we created an empty table named "MyGuests" with five columns:
"id", "firstname", "lastname", "email" and "reg_date". Now, let us fill the table with data.
Note: If a column is AUTO_INCREMENT (like the "id" column) or TIMESTAMP (like
the "reg_date" column), it is no need to be specified in the SQL query; MySQL will
automatically add the value.
The following examples add a new record to the "MyGuests" table:
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
$sql = "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com')";
if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
echo "New record created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
}
$conn->close();
?>
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
$sql = "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com')";
if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql)) {
echo "New record created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . mysqli_error($conn);
}
mysqli_close($conn);
?>
Example (PDO)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDBPDO";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username,
$password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
$sql = "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com')";
// use exec() because no results are returned
$conn->exec($sql);
echo "New record created successfully";
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
echo $sql . "<br>" . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
?>
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PHP Get ID of Last Inserted Record
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Get ID of The Last Inserted Record
If we perform an INSERT or UPDATE on a table with an AUTO_INCREMENT field, we can
get the ID of the last inserted/updated record immediately.
In the table "MyGuests", the "id" column is an AUTO_INCREMENT field:
CREATE TABLE MyGuests (
id INT(6) UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
firstname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
lastname VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(50),
reg_date TIMESTAMP
)
The following examples are equal to the examples from the previous page (PHP Insert
Data Into MySQL), except that we have added one single line of code to retrieve the ID of
the last inserted record. We also echo the last inserted ID:
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
$sql = "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com')";
if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
$last_id = $conn->insert_id;
echo "New record created successfully. Last inserted ID is: " .
$last_id;
} else {
echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
}
$conn->close();
?>
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
$sql = "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com')";
if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql)) {
$last_id = mysqli_insert_id($conn);
echo "New record created successfully. Last inserted ID is: " .
$last_id;
} else {
echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . mysqli_error($conn);
}
mysqli_close($conn);
?>
Example (PDO)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDBPDO";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username,
$password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
$sql = "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com')";
// use exec() because no results are returned
$conn->exec($sql);
$last_id = $conn->lastInsertId();
echo "New record created successfully. Last inserted ID is: " .
$last_id;
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
echo $sql . "<br>" . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
?>
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PHP Insert Multiple Records Into MySQL
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Insert Multiple Records Into MySQL Using MySQLi
and PDO
Multiple SQL statements must be executed with the mysqli_multi_query() function.
The following examples add three new records to the "MyGuests" table:
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
$sql = "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com');";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('Mary', 'Moe', 'mary@example.com');";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('Julie', 'Dooley', 'julie@example.com')";
if ($conn->multi_query($sql) === TRUE) {
echo "New records created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
}
$conn->close();
?>
Note that each SQL statement must be separated by a semicolon.
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
$sql = "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com');";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('Mary', 'Moe', 'mary@example.com');";
$sql .= "INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('Julie', 'Dooley', 'julie@example.com')";
if (mysqli_multi_query($conn, $sql)) {
echo "New records created successfully";
} else {
echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . mysqli_error($conn);
}
mysqli_close($conn);
?>
The PDO way is a little bit different:
Example (PDO)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDBPDO";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username,
$password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
// begin the transaction
$conn->beginTransaction();
// our SQL statements
$conn->exec("INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe', 'john@example.com')");
$conn->exec("INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('Mary', 'Moe', 'mary@example.com')");
$conn->exec("INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email)
VALUES ('Julie', 'Dooley', 'julie@example.com')");
// commit the transaction
$conn->commit();
echo "New records created successfully";
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
// roll back the transaction if something failed
$conn->rollback();
echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
?>
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PHP Prepared Statements
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Prepared statements are very useful against SQL injections.
Prepared Statements and Bound Parameters
A prepared statement is a feature used to execute the same (or similar) SQL statements
repeatedly with high efficiency.
Prepared statements basically work like this:
1. Prepare: An SQL statement template is created and sent to the database. Certain
values are left unspecified, called parameters (labeled "?"). Example: INSERT INTO
MyGuests VALUES(?, ?, ?)
2. The database parses, compiles, and performs query optimization on the SQL
statement template, and stores the result without executing it
3. Execute: At a later time, the application binds the values to the parameters, and the
database executes the statement. The application may execute the statement as
many times as it wants with different values
Compared to executing SQL statements directly, prepared statements have three main
advantages:
Prepared statements reduce parsing time as the preparation on the query is done
only once (although the statement is executed multiple times)
Bound parameters minimize bandwidth to the server as you need send only the
parameters each time, and not the whole query
Prepared statements are very useful against SQL injections, because parameter
values, which are transmitted later using a different protocol, need not be correctly
escaped. If the original statement template is not derived from external input, SQL
injection cannot occur.
Prepared Statements in MySQLi
The following example uses prepared statements and bound parameters in MySQLi:
Example (MySQLi with Prepared Statements)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
// prepare and bind
$stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname,
email) VALUES (?, ?, ?)");
$stmt->bind_param("sss", $firstname, $lastname, $email);
// set parameters and execute
$firstname = "John";
$lastname = "Doe";
$email = "john@example.com";
$stmt->execute();
$firstname = "Mary";
$lastname = "Moe";
$email = "mary@example.com";
$stmt->execute();
$firstname = "Julie";
$lastname = "Dooley";
$email = "julie@example.com";
$stmt->execute();
echo "New records created successfully";
$stmt->close();
$conn->close();
?>
Code lines to explain from the example above:
"INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname, email) VALUES (?, ?, ?)"
In our SQL, we insert a question mark (?) where we want to substitute in an integer,
string, double or blob value.
Then, have a look at the bind_param() function:
$stmt->bind_param("sss", $firstname, $lastname, $email);
This function binds the parameters to the SQL query and tells the database what the
parameters are. The "sss" argument lists the types of data that the parameters are. The s
character tells mysql that the parameter is a string.
The argument may be one of four types:
i - integer
d - double
s - string
b - BLOB
We must have one of these for each parameter.
By telling mysql what type of data to expect, we minimize the risk of SQL injections.
Note: If we want to insert any data from external sources (like user input), it is very
important that the data is sanitized and validated.
Prepared Statements in PDO
The following example uses prepared statements and bound parameters in PDO:
Example (PDO with Prepared Statements)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDBPDO";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username,
$password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
// prepare sql and bind parameters
$stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO MyGuests (firstname, lastname,
email)
VALUES (:firstname, :lastname, :email)");
$stmt->bindParam(':firstname', $firstname);
$stmt->bindParam(':lastname', $lastname);
$stmt->bindParam(':email', $email);
// insert a row
$firstname = "John";
$lastname = "Doe";
$email = "john@example.com";
$stmt->execute();
// insert another row
$firstname = "Mary";
$lastname = "Moe";
$email = "mary@example.com";
$stmt->execute();
// insert another row
$firstname = "Julie";
$lastname = "Dooley";
$email = "julie@example.com";
$stmt->execute();
echo "New records created successfully";
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
?>
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PHP Select Data From MySQL
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Select Data From a MySQL Database
The SELECT statement is used to select data from one or more tables:
SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_name
or we can use the * character to select ALL columns from a table:
SELECT * FROM table_name
To learn more about SQL, please visit our SQL tutorial.
Select Data With MySQLi
The following example selects the id, firstname and lastname columns from the MyGuests
table and displays it on the page:
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
$sql = "SELECT id, firstname, lastname FROM MyGuests";
$result = $conn->query($sql);
if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
// output data of each row
while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
echo "id: " . $row["id"]. " - Name: " . $row["firstname"]. " "
. $row["lastname"]. "<br>";
}
} else {
echo "0 results";
}
$conn->close();
?>
Run example »
Code lines to explain from the example above:
First, we set up an SQL query that selects the id, firstname and lastname columns from
the MyGuests table. The next line of code runs the query and puts the resulting data into
a variable called $result.
Then, the function num_rows() checks if there are more than zero rows returned.
If there are more than zero rows returned, the function fetch_assoc() puts all the
results into an associative array that we can loop through. The while() loop loops
through the result set and outputs the data from the id, firstname and lastname columns.
The following example shows the same as the example above, in the MySQLi procedural
way:
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
$sql = "SELECT id, firstname, lastname FROM MyGuests";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
if (mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0) {
// output data of each row
while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
echo "id: " . $row["id"]. " - Name: " . $row["firstname"]. " "
. $row["lastname"]. "<br>";
}
} else {
echo "0 results";
}
mysqli_close($conn);
?>
Run example »
You can also put the result in an HTML table:
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
$sql = "SELECT id, firstname, lastname FROM MyGuests";
$result = $conn->query($sql);
if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
echo "<table><tr><th>ID</th><th>Name</th></tr>";
// output data of each row
while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
echo "<tr><td>".$row["id"]."</td><td>".$row["firstname"]."
".$row["lastname"]."</td></tr>";
}
echo "</table>";
} else {
echo "0 results";
}
$conn->close();
?>
Run example »
Select Data With PDO (+ Prepared Statements)
The following example uses prepared statements.
It selects the id, firstname and lastname columns from the MyGuests table and displays it
in an HTML table:
Example (PDO)
<?php
echo "<table style='border: solid 1px black;'>";
echo "<tr><th>Id</th><th>Firstname</th><th>Lastname</th></tr>";
class TableRows extends RecursiveIteratorIterator {
function __construct($it) {
parent::__construct($it, self::LEAVES_ONLY);
}
function current() {
return "<td style='width:150px;border:1px solid black;'>" .
parent::current(). "</td>";
}
function beginChildren() {
echo "<tr>";
}
function endChildren() {
echo "</tr>" . "\n";
}
}
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDBPDO";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username,
$password);
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT id, firstname, lastname FROM
MyGuests");
$stmt->execute();
// set the resulting array to associative
$result = $stmt->setFetchMode(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
foreach(new TableRows(new RecursiveArrayIterator($stmt-
>fetchAll())) as $k=>$v) {
echo $v;
}
}
catch(PDOException $e) {
echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
echo "</table>";
?>
Run example »
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PHP Delete Data From MySQL
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Delete Data From a MySQL Table Using MySQLi
and PDO
The DELETE statement is used to delete records from a table:
DELETE FROM table_name
WHERE some_column = some_value
Notice the WHERE clause in the DELETE syntax: The WHERE clause specifies
which record or records that should be deleted. If you omit the WHERE clause, all
records will be deleted!
To learn more about SQL, please visit our SQL tutorial.
Let's look at the "MyGuests" table:
id firstname lastname email reg_date
1 John Doe john@example.com 2014-10-22 14:26:15
2 Mary Moe mary@example.com 2014-10-23 10:22:30
3 Julie Dooley julie@example.com 2014-10-26 10:48:23
The following examples delete the record with id=3 in the "MyGuests" table:
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
// sql to delete a record
$sql = "DELETE FROM MyGuests WHERE id=3";
if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
echo "Record deleted successfully";
} else {
echo "Error deleting record: " . $conn->error;
}
$conn->close();
?>
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
// sql to delete a record
$sql = "DELETE FROM MyGuests WHERE id=3";
if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql)) {
echo "Record deleted successfully";
} else {
echo "Error deleting record: " . mysqli_error($conn);
}
mysqli_close($conn);
?>
Example (PDO)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDBPDO";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username,
$password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
// sql to delete a record
$sql = "DELETE FROM MyGuests WHERE id=3";
// use exec() because no results are returned
$conn->exec($sql);
echo "Record deleted successfully";
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
echo $sql . "<br>" . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
?>
After the record is deleted, the table will look like this:
id firstname lastname email reg_date
1 John Doe john@example.com 2014-10-22 14:26:15
2 Mary Moe mary@example.com 2014-10-23 10:22:30
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PHP Update Data in MySQL
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Update Data In a MySQL Table Using MySQLi and
PDO
The UPDATE statement is used to update existing records in a table:
UPDATE table_name
SET column1=value, column2=value2,...
WHERE some_column=some_value
Notice the WHERE clause in the UPDATE syntax: The WHERE clause specifies
which record or records that should be updated. If you omit the WHERE clause, all
records will be updated!
To learn more about SQL, please visit our SQL tutorial.
Let's look at the "MyGuests" table:
id firstname lastname email reg_date
1 John Doe john@example.com 2014-10-22 14:26:15
2 Mary Moe mary@example.com 2014-10-23 10:22:30
The following examples update the record with id=2 in the "MyGuests" table:
Example (MySQLi Object-oriented)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
$sql = "UPDATE MyGuests SET lastname='Doe' WHERE id=2";
if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
echo "Record updated successfully";
} else {
echo "Error updating record: " . $conn->error;
}
$conn->close();
?>
Example (MySQLi Procedural)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";
// Create connection
$conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}
$sql = "UPDATE MyGuests SET lastname='Doe' WHERE id=2";
if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql)) {
echo "Record updated successfully";
} else {
echo "Error updating record: " . mysqli_error($conn);
}
mysqli_close($conn);
?>
Example (PDO)
<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDBPDO";
try {
$conn = new PDO("mysql:host=$servername;dbname=$dbname", $username,
$password);
// set the PDO error mode to exception
$conn->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
$sql = "UPDATE MyGuests SET lastname='Doe' WHERE id=2";
// Prepare statement
$stmt = $conn->prepare($sql);
// execute the query
$stmt->execute();
// echo a message to say the UPDATE succeeded
echo $stmt->rowCount() . " records UPDATED successfully";
}
catch(PDOException $e)
{
echo $sql . "<br>" . $e->getMessage();
}
$conn = null;
?>
After the record is updated, the table will look like this:
id firstname lastname email reg_date
1 John Doe john@example.com 2014-10-22 14:26:15
2 Mary Doe mary@example.com 2014-10-23 10:22:30
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Limit Data Selections From a MySQL Database
MySQL provides a LIMIT clause that is used to specify the number of records to return.
The LIMIT clause makes it easy to code multi page results or pagination with SQL, and is
very useful on large tables. Returning a large number of records can impact on
performance.
Assume we wish to select all records from 1 - 30 (inclusive) from a table called "Orders".
The SQL query would then look like this:
$sql = "SELECT * FROM Orders LIMIT 30";
When the SQL query above is run, it will return the first 30 records.
What if we want to select records 16 - 25 (inclusive)?
Mysql also provides a way to handle this: by using OFFSET.
The SQL query below says "return only 10 records, start on record 16 (OFFSET 15)":
$sql = "SELECT * FROM Orders LIMIT 10 OFFSET 15";
You could also use a shorter syntax to achieve the same result:
$sql = "SELECT * FROM Orders LIMIT 15, 10";
Notice that the numbers are reversed when you use a comma.
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PHP XML Parsers
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What is XML?
The XML language is a way to structure data for sharing across websites.
Several web technologies like RSS Feeds and Podcasts are written in XML.
XML is easy to create. It looks a lot like HTML, except that you make up your own tags.
If you want to learn more about XML, please visit our XML tutorial.
What is an XML Parser?
To read and update, create and manipulate an XML document, you will need an XML
parser.
In PHP there are two major types of XML parsers:
Tree-Based Parsers
Event-Based Parsers
Tree-Based Parsers
Tree-based parsers holds the entire document in Memory and transforms the XML
document into a Tree structure. It analyzes the whole document, and provides access to
the Tree elements (DOM).
This type of parser is a better option for smaller XML documents, but not for large XML
document as it causes major performance issues.
Example of tree-based parsers:
SimpleXML
DOM
Event-Based Parsers
Event-based parsers do not hold the entire document in Memory, instead, they read in
one node at a time and allow you to interact with in real time. Once you move onto the
next node, the old one is thrown away.
This type of parser is well suited for large XML documents. It parses faster and consumes
less memory.
Example of event-based parsers:
XMLReader
XML Expat Parser
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PHP SimpleXML Parser
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SimpleXML is a PHP extension that allows us to easily manipulate and get XML data.
The SimpleXML Parser
SimpleXML is a tree-based parser.
SimpleXML provides an easy way of getting an element's name, attributes and textual
content if you know the XML document's structure or layout.
SimpleXML turns an XML document into a data structure you can iterate through like a
collection of arrays and objects.
Compared to DOM or the Expat parser, SimpleXML takes a fewer lines of code to read text
data from an element.
Installation
As of PHP 5, the SimpleXML functions are part of the PHP core. No installation is required
to use these functions.
PHP SimpleXML - Read From String
The PHP simplexml_load_string() function is used to read XML data from a string.
Assume we have a variable that contains XML data, like this:
$myXMLData =
"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<note>
<to>Tove</to>
<from>Jani</from>
<heading>Reminder</heading>
<body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>
</note>";
The example below shows how to use the simplexml_load_string() function to read
XML data from a string:
Example
<?php
$myXMLData =
"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<note>
<to>Tove</to>
<from>Jani</from>
<heading>Reminder</heading>
<body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>
</note>";
$xml=simplexml_load_string($myXMLData) or die("Error: Cannot create
object");
print_r($xml);
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be:
SimpleXMLElement Object ( [to] => Tove [from] => Jani [heading] =>
Reminder [body] => Don't forget me this weekend! )
Error Handling Tip: Use the libxml functionality to retrieve all XML errors when loading
the document and then iterate over the errors. The following example tries to load a
broken XML string:
Example
<?php
libxml_use_internal_errors(true);
$myXMLData =
"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<document>
<user>John Doe</wronguser>
<email>john@example.com</wrongemail>
</document>";
$xml = simplexml_load_string($myXMLData);
if ($xml === false) {
echo "Failed loading XML: ";
foreach(libxml_get_errors() as $error) {
echo "<br>", $error->message;
}
} else {
print_r($xml);
}
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be:
Failed loading XML:
Opening and ending tag mismatch: user line 3 and wronguser
Opening and ending tag mismatch: email line 4 and wrongemail
PHP SimpleXML - Read From File
The PHP simplexml_load_file() function is used to read XML data from a file.
Assume we have an XML file called "note.xml", that looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<note>
<to>Tove</to>
<from>Jani</from>
<heading>Reminder</heading>
<body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>
</note>
The example below shows how to use the simplexml_load_file() function to read XML
data from a file:
Example
<?php
$xml=simplexml_load_file("note.xml") or die("Error: Cannot create
object");
print_r($xml);
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be:
SimpleXMLElement Object ( [to] => Tove [from] => Jani [heading] =>
Reminder [body] => Don't forget me this weekend! )
Tip: The next chapter shows how to get/retrieve node values from an XML file with
SimpleXML!
More PHP SimpleXML
For more information about the PHP SimpleXML functions, visit our PHP SimpleXML
Reference.
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SimpleXML is a PHP extension that allows us to easily manipulate and get XML data.
PHP SimpleXML - Get Node Values
Get the node values from the "note.xml" file:
Example
<?php
$xml=simplexml_load_file("note.xml") or die("Error: Cannot create
object");
echo $xml->to . "<br>";
echo $xml->from . "<br>";
echo $xml->heading . "<br>";
echo $xml->body;
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be:
Tove
Jani
Reminder
Don't forget me this weekend!
Another XML File
Assume we have an XML file called "books.xml", that looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<bookstore>
<book category="COOKING">
<title lang="en">Everyday Italian</title>
<author>Giada De Laurentiis</author>
<year>2005</year>
<price>30.00</price>
</book>
<book category="CHILDREN">
<title lang="en">Harry Potter</title>
<author>J K. Rowling</author>
<year>2005</year>
<price>29.99</price>
</book>
<book category="WEB">
<title lang="en-us">XQuery Kick Start</title>
<author>James McGovern</author>
<year>2003</year>
<price>49.99</price>
</book>
<book category="WEB">
<title lang="en-us">Learning XML</title>
<author>Erik T. Ray</author>
<year>2003</year>
<price>39.95</price>
</book>
</bookstore>
PHP SimpleXML - Get Node Values of Specific
Elements
The following example gets the node value of the <title> element in the first and second
<book> elements in the "books.xml" file:
Example
<?php
$xml=simplexml_load_file("books.xml") or die("Error: Cannot create
object");
echo $xml->book[0]->title . "<br>";
echo $xml->book[1]->title;
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be:
Everyday Italian
Harry Potter
PHP SimpleXML - Get Node Values - Loop
The following example loops through all the <book> elements in the "books.xml" file, and
gets the node values of the <title>, <author>, <year>, and <price> elements:
Example
<?php
$xml=simplexml_load_file("books.xml") or die("Error: Cannot create
object");
foreach($xml->children() as $books) {
echo $books->title . ", ";
echo $books->author . ", ";
echo $books->year . ", ";
echo $books->price . "<br>";
}
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be:
Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis, 2005, 30.00
Harry Potter, J K. Rowling, 2005, 29.99
XQuery Kick Start, James McGovern, 2003, 49.99
Learning XML, Erik T. Ray, 2003, 39.95
PHP SimpleXML - Get Attribute Values
The following example gets the attribute value of the "category" attribute of the first
<book> element and the attribute value of the "lang" attribute of the <title> element in
the second <book> element:
Example
<?php
$xml=simplexml_load_file("books.xml") or die("Error: Cannot create
object");
echo $xml->book[0]['category'] . "<br>";
echo $xml->book[1]->title['lang'];
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be:
COOKING
en
PHP SimpleXML - Get Attribute Values - Loop
The following example gets the attribute values of the <title> elements in the
"books.xml" file:
Example
<?php
$xml=simplexml_load_file("books.xml") or die("Error: Cannot create
object");
foreach($xml->children() as $books) {
echo $books->title['lang'];
echo "<br>";
}
?>
Run example »
The output of the code above will be:
en
en
en-us
en-us
More PHP SimpleXML
For more information about the PHP SimpleXML functions, visit our PHP SimpleXML
Reference.
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PHP XML Expat Parser
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The built-in XML Expat Parser makes it possible to process XML documents in PHP.
The XML Expat Parser
The Expat parser is an event-based parser.
Look at the following XML fraction:
<from>Jani</from>
An event-based parser reports the XML above as a series of three events:
Start element: from
Start CDATA section, value: Jani
Close element: from
The XML Expat Parser functions are part of the PHP core. There is no installation needed
to use these functions.
The XML File
The XML file "note.xml" will be used in the example below:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<note>
<to>Tove</to>
<from>Jani</from>
<heading>Reminder</heading>
<body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>
</note>
Initializing the XML Expat Parser
We want to initialize the XML Expat Parser in PHP, define some handlers for different XML
events, and then parse the XML file.
Example
<?php
// Initialize the XML parser
$parser=xml_parser_create();
// Function to use at the start of an element
function start($parser,$element_name,$element_attrs) {
switch($element_name) {
case "NOTE":
echo "-- Note --<br>";
break;
case "TO":
echo "To: ";
break;
case "FROM":
echo "From: ";
break;
case "HEADING":
echo "Heading: ";
break;
case "BODY":
echo "Message: ";
}
}
// Function to use at the end of an element
function stop($parser,$element_name) {
echo "<br>";
}
// Function to use when finding character data
function char($parser,$data) {
echo $data;
}
// Specify element handler
xml_set_element_handler($parser,"start","stop");
// Specify data handler
xml_set_character_data_handler($parser,"char");
// Open XML file
$fp=fopen("note.xml","r");
// Read data
while ($data=fread($fp,4096)) {
xml_parse($parser,$data,feof($fp)) or
die (sprintf("XML Error: %s at line %d",
xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($parser)),
xml_get_current_line_number($parser)));
}
// Free the XML parser
xml_parser_free($parser);
?>
Run example »
Example explained:
1. Initialize the XML parser with the xml_parser_create() function
2. Create functions to use with the different event handlers
3. Add the xml_set_element_handler() function to specify which function will be
executed when the parser encounters the opening and closing tags
4. Add the xml_set_character_data_handler() function to specify which function
will execute when the parser encounters character data
5. Parse the file "note.xml" with the xml_parse() function
6. In case of an error, add xml_error_string() function to convert an XML error to a
textual description
7. Call the xml_parser_free() function to release the memory allocated with the
xml_parser_create() function
More PHP XML Expat Parser
For more information about the PHP Expat functions, visit our PHP XML Parser Reference.
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PHP XML DOM Parser
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The built-in DOM parser makes it possible to process XML documents in PHP.
The XML DOM Parser
The DOM parser is a tree-based parser.
Look at the following XML document fraction:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<from>Jani</from>
The DOM sees the XML above as a tree structure:
Level 1: XML Document
Level 2: Root element: <from>
Level 3: Text element: "Jani"
Installation
The DOM parser functions are part of the PHP core. There is no installation needed to use
these functions.
The XML File
The XML file below ("note.xml") will be used in our example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<note>
<to>Tove</to>
<from>Jani</from>
<heading>Reminder</heading>
<body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>
</note>
Load and Output XML
We want to initialize the XML parser, load the xml, and output it:
<?php
$xmlDoc = new DOMDocument();
$xmlDoc->load("note.xml");
print $xmlDoc->saveXML();
?>
The output of the code above will be:
Tove Jani Reminder Don't forget me this weekend!
If you select "View source" in the browser window, you will see the following HTML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<note>
<to>Tove</to>
<from>Jani</from>
<heading>Reminder</heading>
<body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>
</note>
The example above creates a DOMDocument-Object and loads the XML from "note.xml"
into it.
Then the saveXML() function puts the internal XML document into a string, so we can
output it.
Looping through XML
We want to initialize the XML parser, load the XML, and loop through all elements of the
<note> element:
<?php
$xmlDoc = new DOMDocument();
$xmlDoc->load("note.xml");
$x = $xmlDoc->documentElement;
foreach ($x->childNodes AS $item) {
print $item->nodeName . " = " . $item->nodeValue . "<br>";
}
?>
The output of the code above will be:
#text =
to = Tove
#text =
from = Jani
#text =
heading = Reminder
#text =
body = Don't forget me this weekend!
#text =
In the example above you see that there are empty text nodes between each element.
When XML generates, it often contains white-spaces between the nodes. The XML DOM
parser treats these as ordinary elements, and if you are not aware of them, they
sometimes cause problems.
If you want to learn more about the XML DOM, please visit our XML tutorial.
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AJAX Introduction
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AJAX is about updating parts of a web page, without reloading the whole page.
What is AJAX?
AJAX = Asynchronous JavaScript and XML.
AJAX is a technique for creating fast and dynamic web pages.
AJAX allows web pages to be updated asynchronously by exchanging small amounts of
data with the server behind the scenes. This means that it is possible to update parts of a
web page, without reloading the whole page.
Classic web pages, (which do not use AJAX) must reload the entire page if the content
should change.
Examples of applications using AJAX: Google Maps, Gmail, Youtube, and Facebook tabs.
How AJAX Works
AJAX is Based on Internet Standards
AJAX is based on internet standards, and uses a combination of:
XMLHttpRequest object (to exchange data asynchronously with a server)
JavaScript/DOM (to display/interact with the information)
CSS (to style the data)
XML (often used as the format for transferring data)
AJAX applications are browser- and platform-independent!
Google Suggest
AJAX was made popular in 2005 by Google, with Google Suggest.
Google Suggest is using AJAX to create a very dynamic web interface: When you start
typing in Google's search box, a JavaScript sends the letters off to a server and the server
returns a list of suggestions.
Start Using AJAX Today
In our PHP tutorial, we will demonstrate how AJAX can update parts of a web page,
without reloading the whole page. The server script will be written in PHP.
If you want to learn more about AJAX, visit our AJAX tutorial.
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AJAX is used to create more interactive applications.
AJAX PHP Example
The following example will demonstrate how a web page can communicate with a web
server while a user type characters in an input field:
Example
Start typing a name in the input field below:
First name:
Suggestions:
Example Explained
In the example above, when a user types a character in the input field, a function called
"showHint()" is executed.
The function is triggered by the onkeyup event.
Here is the HTML code:
Example
<html>
<head>
<script>
function showHint(str) {
if (str.length == 0) {
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML = "";
return;
} else {
var xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {
if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML =
this.responseText;
}
};
xmlhttp.open("GET", "gethint.php?q=" + str, true);
xmlhttp.send();
}
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p><b>Start typing a name in the input field below:</b></p>
<form>
First name: <input type="text" onkeyup="showHint(this.value)">
</form>
<p>Suggestions: <span id="txtHint"></span></p>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Code explanation:
First, check if the input field is empty (str.length == 0). If it is, clear the content of the
txtHint placeholder and exit the function.
However, if the input field is not empty, do the following:
Create an XMLHttpRequest object
Create the function to be executed when the server response is ready
Send the request off to a PHP file (gethint.php) on the server
Notice that q parameter is added to the url (gethint.php?q="+str)
And the str variable holds the content of the input field
The PHP File - "gethint.php"
The PHP file checks an array of names, and returns the corresponding name(s) to the
browser:
<?php
// Array with names
$a[] = "Anna";
$a[] = "Brittany";
$a[] = "Cinderella";
$a[] = "Diana";
$a[] = "Eva";
$a[] = "Fiona";
$a[] = "Gunda";
$a[] = "Hege";
$a[] = "Inga";
$a[] = "Johanna";
$a[] = "Kitty";
$a[] = "Linda";
$a[] = "Nina";
$a[] = "Ophelia";
$a[] = "Petunia";
$a[] = "Amanda";
$a[] = "Raquel";
$a[] = "Cindy";
$a[] = "Doris";
$a[] = "Eve";
$a[] = "Evita";
$a[] = "Sunniva";
$a[] = "Tove";
$a[] = "Unni";
$a[] = "Violet";
$a[] = "Liza";
$a[] = "Elizabeth";
$a[] = "Ellen";
$a[] = "Wenche";
$a[] = "Vicky";
// get the q parameter from URL
$q = $_REQUEST["q"];
$hint = "";
// lookup all hints from array if $q is different from ""
if ($q !== "") {
$q = strtolower($q);
$len=strlen($q);
foreach($a as $name) {
if (stristr($q, substr($name, 0, $len))) {
if ($hint === "") {
$hint = $name;
} else {
$hint .= ", $name";
}
}
}
}
// Output "no suggestion" if no hint was found or output correct values
echo $hint === "" ? "no suggestion" : $hint;
?>
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PHP - AJAX and MySQL
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AJAX can be used for interactive communication with a database.
AJAX Database Example
The following example will demonstrate how a web page can fetch information from a
database with AJAX:
Example
Select a person:
Person info will be listed here...
Example Explained - The MySQL Database
The database table we use in the example above looks like this:
id FirstName LastName Age Hometown Job
1 Peter Griffin 41 Quahog Brewery
2 Lois Griffin 40 Newport Piano Teacher
3 Joseph Swanson 39 Quahog Police Officer
4 Glenn Quagmire 41 Quahog Pilot
Example Explained
In the example above, when a user selects a person in the dropdown list above, a
function called "showUser()" is executed.
The function is triggered by the onchange event.
Here is the HTML code:
Example
<html>
<head>
<script>
function showUser(str) {
if (str == "") {
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML = "";
return;
} else {
if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
} else {
// code for IE6, IE5
xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
}
xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {
if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML =
this.responseText;
}
};
xmlhttp.open("GET","getuser.php?q="+str,true);
xmlhttp.send();
}
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form>
<select name="users" onchange="showUser(this.value)">
<option value="">Select a person:</option>
<option value="1">Peter Griffin</option>
<option value="2">Lois Griffin</option>
<option value="3">Joseph Swanson</option>
<option value="4">Glenn Quagmire</option>
</select>
</form>
<br>
<div id="txtHint"><b>Person info will be listed here...</b></div>
</body>
</html>
Run example »
Code explanation:
First, check if person is selected. If no person is selected (str == ""), clear the content of
txtHint and exit the function. If a person is selected, do the following:
Create an XMLHttpRequest object
Create the function to be executed when the server response is ready
Send the request off to a file on the server
Notice that a parameter (q) is added to the URL (with the content of the dropdown
list)
The PHP File
The page on the server called by the JavaScript above is a PHP file called "getuser.php".
The source code in "getuser.php" runs a query against a MySQL database, and returns
the result in an HTML table:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
table {
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
}
table, td, th {
border: 1px solid black;
padding: 5px;
}
th {text-align: left;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<?php
$q = intval($_GET['q']);
$con = mysqli_connect('localhost','peter','abc123','my_db');
if (!$con) {
die('Could not connect: ' . mysqli_error($con));
}
mysqli_select_db($con,"ajax_demo");
$sql="SELECT * FROM user WHERE id = '".$q."'";
$result = mysqli_query($con,$sql);
echo "<table>
<tr>
<th>Firstname</th>
<th>Lastname</th>
<th>Age</th>
<th>Hometown</th>
<th>Job</th>
</tr>";
while($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result)) {
echo "<tr>";
echo "<td>" . $row['FirstName'] . "</td>";
echo "<td>" . $row['LastName'] . "</td>";
echo "<td>" . $row['Age'] . "</td>";
echo "<td>" . $row['Hometown'] . "</td>";
echo "<td>" . $row['Job'] . "</td>";
echo "</tr>";
}
echo "</table>";
mysqli_close($con);
?>
</body>
</html>
Explanation: When the query is sent from the JavaScript to the PHP file, the following
happens:
1. PHP opens a connection to a MySQL server
2. The correct person is found
3. An HTML table is created, filled with data, and sent back to the "txtHint" placeholder
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PHP Example - AJAX and XML
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AJAX can be used for interactive communication with an XML file.
AJAX XML Example
The following example will demonstrate how a web page can fetch information from an
XML file with AJAX:
Example
Select a CD:
CD info will be listed here...
Example Explained - The HTML Page
When a user selects a CD in the dropdown list above, a function called "showCD()" is
executed. The function is triggered by the "onchange" event:
<html>
<head>
<script>
function showCD(str) {
if (str=="") {
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML="";
return;
}
if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
} else { // code for IE6, IE5
xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
}
xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function() {
if (this.readyState==4 && this.status==200) {
document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML=this.responseText;
}
}
xmlhttp.open("GET","getcd.php?q="+str,true);
xmlhttp.send();
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form>
Select a CD:
<select name="cds" onchange="showCD(this.value)">
<option value="">Select a CD:</option>
<option value="Bob Dylan">Bob Dylan</option>
<option value="Bee Gees">Bee Gees</option>
<option value="Cat Stevens">Cat Stevens</option>
</select>
</form>
<div id="txtHint"><b>CD info will be listed here...</b></div>
</body>
</html>
The showCD() function does the following:
Check if a CD is selected
Create an XMLHttpRequest object
Create the function to be executed when the server response is ready
Send the request off to a file on the server
Notice that a parameter (q) is added to the URL (with the content of the dropdown
list)
The PHP File
The page on the server called by the JavaScript above is a PHP file called "getcd.php".
The PHP script loads an XML document, "cd_catalog.xml", runs a query against the XML
file, and returns the result as HTML:
<?php
$q=$_GET["q"];
$xmlDoc = new DOMDocument();
$xmlDoc->load("cd_catalog.xml");
$x=$xmlDoc->getElementsByTagName('ARTIST');
for ($i=0; $i<=$x->length-1; $i++) {
//Process only element nodes
if ($x->item($i)->nodeType==1) {
if ($x->item($i)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue == $q) {
$y=($x->item($i)->parentNode);
}
}
}
$cd=($y->childNodes);
for ($i=0;$i<$cd->length;$i++) {
//Process only element nodes
if ($cd->item($i)->nodeType==1) {
echo("<b>" . $cd->item($i)->nodeName . ":</b> ");
echo($cd->item($i)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue);
echo("<br>");
}
}
?>
When the CD query is sent from the JavaScript to the PHP page, the following happens:
1. PHP creates an XML DOM object
2. Find all <artist> elements that matches the name sent from the JavaScript
3. Output the album information (send to the "txtHint" placeholder)
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PHP Example - AJAX Live Search
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AJAX can be used to create more user-friendly and interactive searches.
AJAX Live Search
The following example will demonstrate a live search, where you get search results while
you type.
Live search has many benefits compared to traditional searching:
Results are shown as you type
Results narrow as you continue typing
If results become too narrow, remove characters to see a broader result
Search for a W3Schools page in the input field below:
The results in the example above are found in an XML file (links.xml). To make this
example small and simple, only six results are available.
Example Explained - The HTML Page
When a user types a character in the input field above, the function "showResult()" is
executed. The function is triggered by the "onkeyup" event:
<html>
<head>
<script>
function showResult(str) {
if (str.length==0) {
document.getElementById("livesearch").innerHTML="";
document.getElementById("livesearch").style.border="0px";
return;
}
if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
} else { // code for IE6, IE5
xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
}
xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function() {
if (this.readyState==4 && this.status==200) {
document.getElementById("livesearch").innerHTML=this.responseText;
document.getElementById("livesearch").style.border="1px solid
#A5ACB2";
}
}
xmlhttp.open("GET","livesearch.php?q="+str,true);
xmlhttp.send();
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form>
<input type="text" size="30" onkeyup="showResult(this.value)">
<div id="livesearch"></div>
</form>
</body>
</html>
Source code explanation:
If the input field is empty (str.length==0), the function clears the content of the
livesearch placeholder and exits the function.
If the input field is not empty, the showResult() function executes the following:
Create an XMLHttpRequest object
Create the function to be executed when the server response is ready
Send the request off to a file on the server
Notice that a parameter (q) is added to the URL (with the content of the input field)
The PHP File
The page on the server called by the JavaScript above is a PHP file called
"livesearch.php".
The source code in "livesearch.php" searches an XML file for titles matching the search
string and returns the result:
<?php
$xmlDoc=new DOMDocument();
$xmlDoc->load("links.xml");
$x=$xmlDoc->getElementsByTagName('link');
//get the q parameter from URL
$q=$_GET["q"];
//lookup all links from the xml file if length of q>0
if (strlen($q)>0) {
$hint="";
for($i=0; $i<($x->length); $i++) {
$y=$x->item($i)->getElementsByTagName('title');
$z=$x->item($i)->getElementsByTagName('url');
if ($y->item(0)->nodeType==1) {
//find a link matching the search text
if (stristr($y->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue,$q)) {
if ($hint=="") {
$hint="<a href='" .
$z->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue .
"' target='_blank'>" .
$y->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue . "</a>";
} else {
$hint=$hint . "<br /><a href='" .
$z->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue .
"' target='_blank'>" .
$y->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue . "</a>";
}
}
}
}
}
// Set output to "no suggestion" if no hint was found
// or to the correct values
if ($hint=="") {
$response="no suggestion";
} else {
$response=$hint;
}
//output the response
echo $response;
?>
If there is any text sent from the JavaScript (strlen($q) > 0), the following happens:
Load an XML file into a new XML DOM object
Loop through all <title> elements to find matches from the text sent from the
JavaScript
Sets the correct url and title in the "$response" variable. If more than one match is
found, all matches are added to the variable
If no matches are found, the $response variable is set to "no suggestion"
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Simplest way to channel a Doc OPEN
The largest Doctor channeling network in Sri Lanka. eChannelling
PHP Example - AJAX RSS Reader
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An RSS Reader is used to read RSS Feeds.
AJAX RSS Reader
The following example will demonstrate an RSS reader, where the RSS-feed is loaded into
a webpage without reloading:
Select an RSS-feed:
RSS-feed will be listed here...
Example Explained - The HTML Page
When a user selects an RSS-feed in the dropdown list above, a function called
"showRSS()" is executed. The function is triggered by the "onchange" event:
<html>
<head>
<script>
function showRSS(str) {
if (str.length==0) {
document.getElementById("rssOutput").innerHTML="";
return;
}
if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
} else { // code for IE6, IE5
xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
}
xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function() {
if (this.readyState==4 && this.status==200) {
document.getElementById("rssOutput").innerHTML=this.responseText;
}
}
xmlhttp.open("GET","getrss.php?q="+str,true);
xmlhttp.send();
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form>
<select onchange="showRSS(this.value)">
<option value="">Select an RSS-feed:</option>
<option value="Google">Google News</option>
<option value="ZDN">ZDNet News</option>
</select>
</form>
<br>
<div id="rssOutput">RSS-feed will be listed here...</div>
</body>
</html>
The showRSS() function does the following:
Check if an RSS-feed is selected
Create an XMLHttpRequest object
Create the function to be executed when the server response is ready
Send the request off to a file on the server
Notice that a parameter (q) is added to the URL (with the content of the dropdown
list)
The PHP File
The page on the server called by the JavaScript above is a PHP file called "getrss.php":
<?php
//get the q parameter from URL
$q=$_GET["q"];
//find out which feed was selected
if($q=="Google") {
$xml=("http://news.google.com/news?ned=us&topic=h&output=rss");
} elseif($q=="ZDN") {
$xml=("https://www.zdnet.com/news/rss.xml");
}
$xmlDoc = new DOMDocument();
$xmlDoc->load($xml);
//get elements from "<channel>"
$channel=$xmlDoc->getElementsByTagName('channel')->item(0);
$channel_title = $channel->getElementsByTagName('title')
->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue;
$channel_link = $channel->getElementsByTagName('link')
->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue;
$channel_desc = $channel->getElementsByTagName('description')
->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue;
//output elements from "<channel>"
echo("<p><a href='" . $channel_link
. "'>" . $channel_title . "</a>");
echo("<br>");
echo($channel_desc . "</p>");
//get and output "<item>" elements
$x=$xmlDoc->getElementsByTagName('item');
for ($i=0; $i<=2; $i++) {
$item_title=$x->item($i)->getElementsByTagName('title')
->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue;
$item_link=$x->item($i)->getElementsByTagName('link')
->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue;
$item_desc=$x->item($i)->getElementsByTagName('description')
->item(0)->childNodes->item(0)->nodeValue;
echo ("<p><a href='" . $item_link
. "'>" . $item_title . "</a>");
echo ("<br>");
echo ($item_desc . "</p>");
}
?>
When a request for an RSS feed is sent from the JavaScript, the following happens:
Check which feed was selected
Create a new XML DOM object
Load the RSS document in the xml variable
Extract and output elements from the channel element
Extract and output elements from the item elements
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PHP Example - AJAX Poll
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AJAX Poll
The following example will demonstrate a poll where the result is shown without
reloading.
Result:
Yes: 80%
No: 20%
Example Explained - The HTML Page
When a user chooses an option above, a function called "getVote()" is executed. The
function is triggered by the "onclick" event:
<html>
<head>
<script>
function getVote(int) {
if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
} else { // code for IE6, IE5
xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
}
xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function() {
if (this.readyState==4 && this.status==200) {
document.getElementById("poll").innerHTML=this.responseText;
}
}
xmlhttp.open("GET","poll_vote.php?vote="+int,true);
xmlhttp.send();
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<div id="poll">
<h3>Do you like PHP and AJAX so far?</h3>
<form>
Yes:
<input type="radio" name="vote" value="0"
onclick="getVote(this.value)">
<br>No:
<input type="radio" name="vote" value="1"
onclick="getVote(this.value)">
</form>
</div>
</body>
</html>
The getVote() function does the following:
Create an XMLHttpRequest object
Create the function to be executed when the server response is ready
Send the request off to a file on the server
Notice that a parameter (vote) is added to the URL (with the value of the yes or no
option)
The largest Doctor
Need a Doctor? channeling network in
Sri Lanka.
The PHP File
The page on the server called by the JavaScript above is a PHP file called "poll_vote.php":
<?php
$vote = $_REQUEST['vote'];
//get content of textfile
$filename = "poll_result.txt";
$content = file($filename);
//put content in array
$array = explode("||", $content[0]);
$yes = $array[0];
$no = $array[1];
if ($vote == 0) {
$yes = $yes + 1;
}
if ($vote == 1) {
$no = $no + 1;
}
//insert votes to txt file
$insertvote = $yes."||".$no;
$fp = fopen($filename,"w");
fputs($fp,$insertvote);
fclose($fp);
?>
<h2>Result:</h2>
<table>
<tr>
<td>Yes:</td>
<td>
<img src="poll.gif"
width='<?php echo(100*round($yes/($no+$yes),2)); ?>'
height='20'>
<?php echo(100*round($yes/($no+$yes),2)); ?>%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No:</td>
<td>
<img src="poll.gif"
width='<?php echo(100*round($no/($no+$yes),2)); ?>'
height='20'>
<?php echo(100*round($no/($no+$yes),2)); ?>%
</td>
</tr>
</table>
The value is sent from the JavaScript, and the following happens:
1. Get the content of the "poll_result.txt" file
2. Put the content of the file in variables and add one to the selected variable
3. Write the result to the "poll_result.txt" file
4. Output a graphical representation of the poll result
The Text File
The text file (poll_result.txt) is where we store the data from the poll.
It is stored like this:
0||0
The first number represents the "Yes" votes, the second number represents the "No"
votes.
Note: Remember to allow your web server to edit the text file. Do NOT give everyone
access, just the web server (PHP).
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