I have a form that the user can add additional lines (using javaScript) but when the save button is clicked, how to I grab the new data to assign to a variable?
What's happening now: The user adds new rows, clicks save and the rows disappear from the page along with the data.
Here is my html:
<table id="desc_table" class="form">
<tbody id="desc_tbody">
<tr id="headings">
<td><font><h3>Description</h3></font></td>
<td><font><h3>Hours</h3></font></td>
<td><font><h3>Rate</h3></font></td>
<td><font><h3>Amount</h3></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input name="desc1" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc1; ?>"></td>
<td> <input name="desc_hr1" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_hr1; ?>"></td>
<td> <input name="desc_rt1" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_rt1; ?>"></td>
<td><input name="desc_amt1" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_amt1; ?>"></td>
<td><input type="button" value="X" name="delete" class="btnDelete" onclick="deleteLine(this)"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input name="desc2" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc2; ?>"></td>
<td> <input name="desc_hr2" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_hr2; ?>"></td>
<td> <input name="desc_rt2" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_rt2; ?>"></td>
<td><input name="desc_amt2" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_amt2; ?>"></td>
<td><input type="button" value="X" name="delete" class="btnDelete" onclick="deleteLine(this)"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input name="desc3" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc3; ?>"></td>
<td> <input name="desc_hr3" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_hr3; ?>"></td>
<td> <input name="desc_rt3" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_rt3; ?>"></td>
<td><input name="desc_amt3" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_amt3; ?>"></td>
<td><input type="button" value="X" name="delete" class="btnDelete" onclick="deleteLine(this)"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div>
<center><input type="button" value="Add New Line" id="add_btn" name="add_btn" onclick="newLine()"></center>
</div>
JavaScript:
function newLine(){
//get the total amount of rows in the table
var $rowcount = $('#desc_table tr').length;
//add the row number to the field name to make it unique
var $desc = "desc" + $rowcount;
var $desc_hr = "desc_hr" + $rowcount;
var $desc_rt = "desc_rt" + $rowcount;
var $desc_amt = "desc_amt" + $rowcount;
//create new row data
var $newRowData = '<tr><td><input name=' + $desc + ' type=text></td><td><input name=' + $desc_hr + ' type=text></td><td><input name=' + $desc_rt + ' type=text></td><td><input name=' +$desc_amt+ ' type=text></td><td><input type="button" value="X" name="delete" class="btnDelete" onclick="deleteLine(this)"></td></tr>';
//append new row to bottom of the table
$($newRowData).appendTo($("#desc_table tbody"));
}
PHP variable declaration:
...
if (!empty($_POST['desc1'])){
$desc1 = $_POST['desc1'];
}
else{
$desc1 = NULL;
}
if (!empty($_POST['desc_hr1'])){
$desc_hr1 = $_POST['desc_hr1'];
}
else{
$desc_hr1 = NULL;
}
if (!empty($_POST['desc_rt1'])){
$desc_rt1 = $_POST['desc_rt1'];
}
else{
$desc_rt1 = NULL;
}
if (!empty($_POST['desc_amt1'])){
$desc_amt1 = $_POST['desc_amt1'];
}
else{
$desc_amt1 = NULL;
}
if (!empty($_POST['desc2'])){
$desc2 = $_POST['desc2'];
}
else{
$desc2 = NULL;
}
if (!empty($_POST['desc_hr2'])){
$desc_hr2 = $_POST['desc_hr2'];
}
...
When the page variables are captured with the POST, how do I find the new row variables to declare them and capture the data?
Use array-style names rather than incrementing the suffix on each row:
<tr>
<td><input name="desc[]" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc; ?>"></td>
<td> <input name="desc_hr[]" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_hr; ?>"></td>
<td> <input name="desc_rt[]" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_rt; ?>"></td>
<td><input name="desc_amt[]" type="text" value="<?php echo $desc_amt; ?>"></td>
<td><input type="button" value="X" name="delete" class="btnDelete" onclick="deleteLine(this)"></td>
</tr>
PHP will then put all the inputs into arrays, and you can loop through them.
foreach ($_POST['desc'] AS $i => $desc) {
$desc_hr = $_POST['desc_hr'][$i];
$desc_rt = $_POST['desc_rt'][$i];
$desc_amt = $_POST['desc_amt'][$i];
...
}
Put in a hidden input and then set its value to the amount of rows shown by default. When you add or delete a row update the value using JavaScript. When submitted you can then use this value in a loop.
However, the easiest and most appropriate solution would be just to use form arrays. For example, why not call each input name as "desc[]"? Then use the array index to figure out where/amount of rows etc. You could have 1 or 1000 inputs named that...