Pass multiple Javascript values with submit method to php isset?

Question

I've got a <select element on a php/xhtml page. Instead of using a submit button, I'm trying to implement the Javascript onchange() and submit()method. I need to pass multiple variables to make up for the lost hidden field. The onchange and submit methods are firing, but I can't get it to trigger the PHP isset which is on the same page.

<?php
if(isset($_POST['companykey'])){
$nowIveGot1 = $_POST['COMPANYKEY'];
$nowIveGot2 = $_POST['USERNAME'];
?>

<script language="javascript">
function copy(selectedValuePassed, selectedNamePassed, userIDPassed, formNamePassed) { 
var formNameReceived = formNamePassed;
var userIDReceived = userIDPassed;
var selectedValueReceived = selectedValuePassed;
var selectedNameReceived = selectedNamePassed;

var form = document.createElement("form");     
form.setAttribute("method", "post"); 
form.setAttribute("action", ""); 
form.setAttribute("name", formNameReceived);
form.setAttribute("id", formNameReceived);

var valueSelected = document.createElement("input"); 
valueSelected.setAttribute("type", "hidden"); 
valueSelected.setAttribute("name", selectedNameReceived); 
valueSelected.setAttribute("id", selectedNameReceived);
valueSelected.setAttribute("value", selectedValueReceived);
form.appendChild(valueSelected); 

var passusername = document.createElement("input");
passusername.setAttribute("type", "hidden");
passusername.setAttribute("name", "USERNAME");
passusername.setAttribute("id", "USERNAME");
passusername.setAttribute("value", userIDReceived);
form.appendChild(passusername);

document.body.appendChild(form); 
form.submit(); 
} 
</script>

<select onchange="copy(this, 'COMPANYKEY','jarrett', 'companykey');">
  <option value="Text1">Text 1</option>
  <option value="Text2">Text 2</option>
</select>

SOLVED: Create a parent element for valueSelected and passusername. Name it the isset check name.

Have you tried doing a `var_dump($_POST)` to see what's really being passed in? — Marc B, Sep 14 '12 at 00:29
I'm getting: array(2) { ["COMPANYKEY"]=> string(26) "[object HTMLSelectElement]" ["USERNAME"]=> string(7) "jarrett" } — Jarrett Mattson, Sep 14 '12 at 00:36
There you go... you're tryign to pass an HTMLSelectElement object around in a string context, so Javascript is conveniently turning it into a string for you. `var selectedValueReceived = selectedValuePassed;` is simply assigning `this`, which is your Select object. You should pass in `this.value`. ` — Marc B, Sep 14 '12 at 00:38
the POST-keys are case-sensitive, you check for `COMPANYKEY`, but you send `companykey` — Dr.Molle, Sep 14 '12 at 00:45

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 14 '12 at 00:48

If I am understanding your problem...

<?php
if(isset($_POST['companykey'])){
    $nowIveGot1 = $_POST['COMPANYKEY'];
    $nowIveGot2 = $_POST['USERNAME'];
}

The $_POST['companykey'] will always be null and the if conditonal will never execute.

This is because key value pairs are not passed into the $_POST array when they are attached to the <form> element, only the embedded <input>'s.

In your javascript, you pass 'companykey' as the last argument to copy. From there it is assigned to formNameReceived. You then assign it to the name attribute of the form with:

form.setAttribute("name", formNameReceived);
form.setAttribute("id", formNameReceived);

'companykey' will never appear in the $_POST array like this, it's not attached to an input, but rather the form itself.

As a vanilla HTML analogue, imagine this:

<? print_r($_POST);?>
<html>
<body>
<form method='post' name='cat' value='dog'>
    <input type='hidden' name='foo' value='bar'/>
    <input type='submit'/>
</form>
</body>
</html>

No matter how many times you submit this form, it will never contain the cat -> dog pair. If you want 'companykey' to appear in the array, you'll have to assign it to another hidden input.

I've tried to append a javascript but not firing. I hear there's a magical click event, but can't find how to call it in javascript. — Jarrett Mattson, Sep 14 '12 at 01:01
Actually `` *will* produce a key-value pair in the `$_POST` array. It will produce `[companykey] => Submit`. What is a magical click event? — Jordan Arsenault, Sep 14 '12 at 01:06
I meant `var formSubmitButton = document.createElement("input"); formSubmitButton.setAttribute("type", "submit"); formSubmitButton.setAttribute("name", formNameReceived); form.appendChild(formSubmitButton);` which is not passing. Indeed what magical click event? — Jarrett Mattson, Sep 14 '12 at 01:18
SOLVED: append the two hidden nv pairs to a parent nv pair named companykey. — Jarrett Mattson, Sep 14 '12 at 01:41

Pass multiple Javascript values with submit method to php isset?

1 Answers1