Video
Back to collection listing
Home
205 videos, 12h 48m

How to use a hidden input to distinguish multiple forms on one page and how $_REQUEST works

Description

Collection: PHP Programming Basics
Chapter: Working With Forms in PHP

Transcript

So go ahead and jump to your resource pack directory, and let's open up the second step, which is called more forms sending mail and switch statement. Go ahead and copy all of the code and paste it over the code that's currently in your test dot php file and save it. I'm going to go ahead and scroll up to the top.

In this step, we're going to explore a few new concepts. Let's go ahead and begin by reading through the code as PHP would initially when it renders this page. So we begin with an opening PHP tag which starts our code.

We initialize a string to be empty, just called my_string, and we'll get back to why in just a little bit. And then we're checking to see if a variable is set. Now, this variable follows the same form as the GET variable did that we used in our previous step.

It had the dollar sign and then an underscore and then the name is all capitalized. This time though, instead of saying GET, it's REQUEST. So in our previous step, we talked about how there were two different methods to submit a form.

One was GET and one was POST. In this example, we're going to be using POST, and when we want to access the data that's submitted via POST, we can use the REQUEST variable instead of the GET variable. There's also a POST variable which we'll get to in a little bit.

But REQUEST will allow us to access it regardless of which type is being used. Now, we're checking to see if the form got submitted by checking to see if there's a variable called action in the REQUEST array. There's not when we initially load this page.

So let's go ahead and skip this code for now. Here's the closing bracket to that if statement and here's an ending PHP tag. Now, I'm going to scroll down to reveal some more of the code here.

So up here, we have a PHP comment. It says, "In example we use POST. " So in this file, we're actually generating several forms.

You see the opening form tag here, another one here and if we scroll down a little bit, you'll see a third one down here. So each one of these will demonstrate a different purpose. In this one, we're s ...

Read the last half of the transcript

You are 0% complete

When you have an active membership, you will be able to see your progress here.

Skill focus: Programming
Skill level: Beginner - Advanced

In this collection, we walk you through everything you need to know to build rich PHP applications and work with PHP code in Drupal. These videos are designed to bridge the gap between Drupal site builders and programmers. We guide you gently through the basics of PHP, and work our way into building more and more complicated scripts. In our final example we build a custom CMS, which will help you understand the architecture of Drupal while flexing your new PHP skills in a practical way.

To follow along with these videos, you will need a web environment set up on your computer. Follow the videos in Setting Up a Web Environment With Drupal to get an environment set up on Windows, OSX (Mac) or Linux.

Some of the key points we'll be covering include:

  1. How to work with variables and functions
  2. How to use logic in PHP like if…then statements and looping
  3. How to build forms in PHP
  4. How to store persistent data in sessions
  5. How to work with MySQL
  6. How to build a simple CMS from scratch

Who this collection is for

This collection is for those that want to learn PHP programming. You may want to learn PHP to work with Drupal in particular, but what you learn will be useful for any project you work on requiring a background in PHP.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this video collection.

Display
Show videos in one column
Show videos in split view
Actions
Mark multiple complete (member-only)
Add multiple to a playlist (member-only)
Change speed.5x1x1.5x2x3x

Chapters

  1. 25:59Series Introduction and Your First PHP Script
    1. 3:02Welcome to PHP Programming Basics
    2. 5:14What programming is and tips for following along
    3. 1:59Overview of the AMP stack (Apache, MySQL, and PHP)
    4. 2:20How to install Acquia Dev Desktop on a Mac
    5. 2:42How to install Acquia Dev Desktop on Windows
    6. 2:55How to import a default Drupal site on Dev Desktop
    7. 4:06Setting up our example folder and creating our first web page
    8. 3:41Creating our first PHP script and the structure of a simple PHP statement
  2. 45:57Working With Strings and Variables in PHP
    1. 1:46What an IDE is and the benefits of using one
    2. 2:12How to work with white space and comments
    3. 4:41How to work with strings
    4. 2:44How to use a variable
    5. 7:04How to work with string, number and boolean variables
    6. 5:56How to identify and fix common syntax errors
    7. 2:49How a PHP function is structured and how to use strstr()
    8. 3:03How to use the string functions nl2br(), trim() and strlen()
    9. 1:38Practical uses for strstr(), nl2br(), trim() and strlen()
    10. 3:39How to use additional string functions like str_replace() and strip_tags()
    11. 3:03How to use the date() function to display a readable date
    12. 6:01How to read a PHP.net function page
    13. 1:21String function challenges
  3. 31:55How to Work With Arrays in PHP
    1. 5:39How to work with simple arrays and use var_dump()
    2. 4:12How to work with associative arrays
    3. 8:09How to work with multi-dimensional arrays
    4. 7:44How to use array functions like asort(), array_pop() and array_rand()
    5. 4:52How to work with array-like objects
    6. 1:19Array function challenges
  4. 40:08Logic, Control Structures and Looping
    1. 1:30What logic is and how we're approaching learning it
    2. 3:32How to use an "if" control structure
    3. 4:35How to use an "if ... elseif" control structure
    4. 6:08Incorporating what we know about arrays and control structures in a random generator script
    5. 5:51Adding additional elements of randomness to our random generator script
    6. 3:36How to use a "foreach" loop
    7. 6:43How to use a foreach loop to generate an HTML table from an array
    8. 4:37How to use a "while" loop
    9. 1:00How to use a "for" loop and how it compares to "while"
    10. 2:36How to modify PHP settings with the php.ini file and stop runaway scripts
  5. 74:49Creating Custom Functions and Working With External Data
    1. 1:13Why separating data from logic is important
    2. 6:12How to use include() and include_once()
    3. 1:55Moving our data into a user-friendly text file
    4. 3:54How to use an output buffer to store data from an external file as a string
    5. 5:34How to create a parser that converts a comma-separated string (CSV) into an array
    6. 3:09How and why to create a simple custom function
    7. 1:35How to create a function that accepts parameters
    8. 4:05How to create a function that has optional parameters and build a virtual dice roller
    9. 1:46A deeper explanation of the purpose of custom functions
    10. 4:14How to work with references in a function (i.e. variables with an ampersand)
    11. 1:39A quick summary of what we've covered so far, and what's to come
    12. 3:22How to wrap existing code in a function
    13. 5:38How to generalize our random text generator code to make it more powerful
    14. 3:24Using our random text generator script to create a virtual Twister spinner
    15. 4:12Wrapping our people parser in a function, reviewing the code and identifying improvements
    16. 7:38Reviewing our generalized parsing function, part 1
    17. 5:57Reviewing our generalized parsing function, part 2
    18. 6:32Exploring our generalized table rendering function
    19. 2:50Re-using our table rendering function and evaluating our changes
  6. 22:34Troubleshooting errors and using operators
    1. 2:32Accidentally assigning a variable instead of comparing it
    2. 2:54Troubleshooting a missing closing bracket
    3. 1:34Troubleshooting a missing opening bracket
    4. 2:11Troubleshooting a missing parenthesis
    5. 1:20Troubleshooting the "Wrong parameter count" error
    6. 3:32How to use assignment and string operators
    7. 2:40How to use comparison operators
    8. 1:47How to use arithmetic and incrementing operators
    9. 2:03How to use logical operators
    10. 2:01How to use array operators
  7. 101:13Working With Forms in PHP
    1. 4:07The lifecycle of a form and chapter overview
    2. 6:06How to process a simple form with PHP
    3. 1:40A quick overview of the next three form examples
    4. 4:10How to use a hidden input to distinguish multiple forms on one page and how $_REQUEST works
    5. 2:00The HTML structure of a simple contact form
    6. 2:06How to pre-fill form inputs, and seeing our rendered forms
    7. 4:00How to use a switch statement and the $_POST variable
    8. 6:10How to process a contact form and send a plain text mail with PHP
    9. 3:42How to keep data in an input after a form is submitted, and a quick review
    10. 9:17How to run our examples in a remote development environment with Pantheon
    11. 8:04How to run our examples in a remote development environment with WebEnabled
    12. 5:19How to use a ternary operator and our search form in action
    13. 3:11Stepping through our search form code the first time the form is generated
    14. 8:50Stepping through our search form code after a search is submitted
    15. 3:33Demoing our random text generator with a form for user-set tokens
    16. 3:39Stepping through our random text generator form code the first time it's generated
    17. 6:44Stepping through our random text generator form code after it's been submitted
    18. 5:10How to use file comparison tools to see differences between files
    19. 1:48Demoing our random text form with loop-generated infinite inputs
    20. 5:56Stepping through our infinite randomness code the first time it's loaded
    21. 2:09Stepping through our infinite randomness code after submitting the "number of inputs" form
    22. 3:32Stepping through our infinite randomness code after submitting the "random generation" form
  8. 90:19Working With Sessions in PHP
    1. 4:11How use to sessions and the $_SESSION variable to store user information
    2. 1:18Demoing our log in form
    3. 3:00How to create a log in form
    4. 4:34How to handle log in errors when submitting an invalid username and password
    5. 3:05How to log a user in after submitting a valid username and password
    6. 2:12How to log out a user and pass variables through the URL
    7. 3:59A demo of our text adventure game
    8. 13:12Stepping through our code the first time the game is loaded, and how global variables work
    9. 9:37Entering a command in our text adventure game, and using the eval() function
    10. 6:12Stepping through our game code as we move south and north
    11. 8:55Stepping through our game code as we pick up and item, use it, then reset our game
    12. 4:38How an index.php page works, and a quick demo of our refactored game
    13. 2:20The pros and cons of using .inc files, and a review of our new file structure
    14. 3:02The benefits of creating a function library and reviewing our index and function files
    15. 6:12Reviewing the updates we made to avoid using global variables
    16. 6:01Continuing our review, the benefits of generalizing code and caching data
    17. 4:22Wrapping up our review of changes in our refactored text adventure
    18. 3:29Creating a render function for our game as a final touch
  9. 65:08Working With the (MySQL) Database
    1. 4:22The benefits of using a database (MySQL)
    2. 4:42What databases and tables are, plus a quick tour of PHPMyAdmin
    3. 5:06What SQL is and how to write a simple SELECT query
    4. 2:45How to filter SQL query results with LIKE and wildcards
    5. 4:47How to create your first database and table
    6. 4:04How to change column types using PHPMyAdmin and adding our final entry
    7. 5:40How to use AND and LIKE with two wildcards in a query
    8. 6:03How to connect to a MySQL database with PHP
    9. 3:11How to run a MySQL database query in PHP
    10. 2:44How to use ORDER BY to sort query results and a couple other query examples
    11. 2:23How to move our database connect script to a commonly included file
    12. 3:36How to add new fields to a table and a warning about modifying existing tables
    13. 2:46Populating our new people table columns and demoing our login form
    14. 2:36Comparing our array-based login form to our database-based version
    15. 1:17How to turn off magic quotes for a more realistic server enviornment
    16. 4:38What an SQL injection attack is and how to create one
    17. 2:51How to protect against an SQL injection attack
    18. 1:37The two types of attack, and brief explanation of defense strategy
  10. 69:02Working with CRUD functionality and our database
    1. 2:27What CRUD is (Create, Read, Update, Delete) and how to backup a database in PHPMyAdmin
    2. 4:23How to import from PHPMyAdmin and protect against Cross Site Request Forgeries (CSRF)
    3. 3:21How to display a list of database data in an HTML table using PHP
    4. 2:34How to create a "delete" HTML link that deletes a database record
    5. 2:36How an INSERT statement is structured, and a demo of our insert form
    6. 3:05Reviewing the differences after added the insert form to our script
    7. 4:59How to generate an INSERT statement using a loop, and a review of our workflow
    8. 2:55Why to validate forms, and a demo of validating numbers, usernames and empty inputs
    9. 3:32Comparing the validation changes made in our CRUD script
    10. 5:46How to use looping in validation and validate empty and numeric inputs
    11. 3:44How to validate alphanumeric inputs and unique usernames
    12. 2:14Demo of our update form script
    13. 1:17How to structure an UPDATE statement and the importance of not forgetting WHERE
    14. 5:54Reviewing changes where we added the ability to update a record
    15. 4:19How to use the same form to both create and update records
    16. 6:02Walking through our add and edit form code as it is processed
    17. 2:13Ways that our CRUD script could be refactored and improved
    18. 6:09Comparing our refactored changes to our previous CRUD script
    19. 1:32A quick review of our CRUD form improvements
  11. 124:31How to Build Your Own Content Management System and Understand Drupal Better
    1. 2:41Additional ways that we could use databases and our next big example
    2. 3:13Reviewing the visual structure of our static site
    3. 1:07Reviewing the folder and file structure of our static site
    4. 5:35Comparing the HTML structure of our home and about pages
    5. 3:23How to create a header template file
    6. 3:53Creating our footer and applying our templates to the home page
    7. 2:07Applying our header and footer to our other pages
    8. 1:52Reviewing our product page and identifying repetition that can be turned into a function
    9. 4:03How to render our products with a function to reduce HTML repetition
    10. 3:01When to use unique identifiers (IDs) and what a universally unique ID is (UUID)
    11. 5:00How to use a central product array for both of our product listings
    12. 1:54Applying our product rendering function to the product page
    13. 1:27The benefits of routing every page request through a single file with mod_rewrite
    14. 2:24How a .htaccess file works and how to set one up
    15. 5:41How to route all URLs through a single file (the Front Controller pattern)
    16. 3:29How to use the URL query string to trigger an include
    17. 1:32How to use the heredoc syntax to avoid escaping multiple quotes
    18. 2:06Why to use a full page template file instead of a header and footer
    19. 2:50A quick summary of our changes and a review of our other include files
    20. 1:27Why it's useful to have configurable settings for the end user and to reuse on other sites
    21. 6:04Walking through changes after adding configurable settings
    22. 2:14Why it's better to use a function for settings instead of direct variables
    23. 3:24What still needs to happen to allow end users to manipulate data on our site
    24. 3:19Creating the database and users table for our next steps
    25. 1:38Demo of our CMS login form
    26. 5:42Adding our database connect script, notices function and login links
    27. 3:52How our login and logout features work
    28. 2:18Demo of our new edit, delete and add user features
    29. 0:48Reviewing changes in our login form
    30. 6:53What happens in our updated CRUD code when we submit a user edit form
    31. 5:52What happens in our updated CRUD code when we add a user
    32. 5:24The problem with using relative or absolute paths in subfolders
    33. 4:23Using a URL function to route all requests to the right location regardless of subfolder
    34. 3:28Creating our products database table and populating it
    35. 2:41Discussing the similiarties that will exist between our product and user administration pages
    36. 1:04Demo of our updated product CRUD script
    37. 4:17Comparing the code in our user and product CRUD scripts
    38. 2:25Reviewing changes in our product rendering code, and how the WHERE IN SQL syntax works
  12. 76:59Generalizing Functionality and Object Oriented Programming Primer
    1. 1:37Why generalizing CRUD functionality makes so much sense
    2. 1:35Setting up the next steps and a demo of our generalized CRUD script
    3. 5:30How to distill CRUD configuration options into an array
    4. 1:25Overview of the functions in our generalized CRUD script
    5. 6:09How to create a generalized record listing function
    6. 6:51How to build a generalized CRUD edit and add form function
    7. 5:39How to build a generalized CRUD form validation function
    8. 3:46How to create a generalized CRUD form processing script
    9. 1:54Summary of what we've accomplished, and a few challenges
    10. 2:00How to set up a database table to store page data
    11. 5:26Demoing our page administration tools and adding our adding our first pages
    12. 6:00How to load pages from both files and the database
    13. 3:29How to convert file-based pages to database-based pages, and deciding which to convert
    14. 1:16How this split file and database structure relates to Drupal
    15. 3:41What we've accomplished with our CMS, compared to other CMS's like Drupal
    16. 3:07Challenge your new PHP skills with these CMS enhancements
    17. 1:20Why there's no need to be scared of OOP (Object Oriented Programming)
    18. 2:30Demonstration of our new object oriented CRUD code
    19. 2:38The weaknesses of function-based coding, and what objects are in OOP
    20. 3:57How classes, methods, properties and constructors work
    21. 3:29How instantiation works, and comparing our old render function to our new OOP one
    22. 1:39How to use properties in a class
    23. 1:35What extending a class means
    24. 0:26Congratulations on finishing PHP Programming Basics

Videos

Add to playlist

Add to , or

Add to new playlist:

Add to playlist
This is a member-only feature
But, it's easy to become a member

Add to cart:

$291 month $1566 months $2761 year

Loading...
Add to playlist

Add to , or

Add to new playlist:

Add to playlist
Contact us

Below are the supported keyboard shortcuts for our video player.

space
Start / stop video
shift▶
Go to next video
shift◀
Go to previous video
▲▼
Increase or decrease player speed by 20%
◀▶
Skip ahead or go back by 15 seconds
1...9
Jump to a percentage (2 is 20%, for example)
f
Toggle full screen
Videos Pricing More Search
BuildAModule Logo Icon BuildAModule Logo Icon
Become a member!
$29
1 month
$156
6 months
10% off
$276
12 months
20% off
All memberships come with the following:
24 / 7 access to the entire 1800+ video library
An innovative video player with a rolling transcript
Extensive Drupal and cross-platform training
A thorough and thoughtful training style
Progress tracking
Take notes on specific video sections
Intuitive multi-user management
How many users?
user
Go solo with a single user, or give multiple team members access through one account and get discounts by bundling multiple users into a single membership.