Can't understand why an array is set but array is null after processing

Question

Line 42 is the error. I'm not sure as to why it keeps saying it's not an array is one section but fails to find the array on line 42. I have tried to change the line to ($_POST['CINS'] as $cNum => $v) and ($CINS as $cNum => $v). Any insight or help would be appreciated.

<?php
$title = "fTest.php";
$action=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];
include("html-head.inc");
echo <<<HEREDOC
<header>
<h1>$title</h1>
</header>
HEREDOC;

if (!isset($_POST['submit']))
{ 
        echo "<form method=\"post\" action=\"$action\">";
$CINS = array('101' => "CINS101",
                '108' => "CINS108",
                '121' => "CINS121",
                '251' => "CINS251",
                '254' => "CINS254");
        echo "<p>Please pick your CINS classes:</p>";
        echo "<ul>\n";
foreach ($CINS as $key => $value)
{ 
        echo "<li>";
        echo "<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"CINSc\" value=\"$value\"/>CINS$key"    ;
        echo "</li>\n";
}                 
        echo "</ul>\n"; 
        echo "<input type=\"reset\" name=\"reset\" value\"Reset\" />";
        echo "<input type=\"submit\" name=\"submit\" value\"Submit\" />";
        echo "</p>";
echo is_array($CINS) ? 'Array' : 'Not an array';
echo "\n";
        echo "</form>";
} // ends IF PORTION for ISSET
else      
{         
if (count($_POST['CINS'] > 0 ))
{         
        echo "<h2> Your picks are: </h2>\n";
        echo "<ul>\n";
echo is_array($CINS) ? 'Array' : 'Not an array';
foreach ($_POST['CINS'] as $cNum => $v)  //This is the error.
{
        echo "\t<li>$v</li>\n";
} // end of FOREACH cins
        echo "</ul>\n";
} // end of IF count CINS
} // end of ELSE portion for ISSET
?>

can you please paste the array here print_r($_POST['CINS']); — Praveen kalal, Mar 29 '13 at 04:16

Nauphal · Answer 1 · 2013-03-29T06:02:38.423

3

Your checkbox name should like below to consider it as an array

<input type="checkbox" name="CINS[]" value = "1" />

edited Mar 29 '13 at 06:02

answered Mar 29 '13 at 04:18

Nauphal

6,194
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The naming convention has nothing to do with `$_POST` being handled as an array. – Phillip Berger Mar 29 '13 at 04:22
@aguyfromhere: its ok for `$_POST`. what about `$_POST['CINS']` ? – Nauphal Mar 29 '13 at 04:24
@nauphal, when you pass a named item in HTML to a PHP handler, the superglobals $_POST and $_GET and treated as objects and therefore have nested arrays inside them already. An HTML input with name CINS is automatically referred to as $_REQUEST['CINS']. – Phillip Berger Mar 29 '13 at 04:29
@aguyfromhere I am confused, are you proposing that the name of the checkbox is correct to be `CINS` and not `CINS[]`? – 000 Mar 29 '13 at 04:33
@aguyfromhere: dont understand what you are trying to say. – Nauphal Mar 29 '13 at 04:33
@aguyfromhere: just check OP of this `is_array($_POST['CINS'])` while the name of the checkbox is just `CINS` and `CINS[]` – Nauphal Mar 29 '13 at 04:35

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 29 '13 at 04:28

The <input> name is an array, and I've found a spare </p> that shouldn't be there.

Your coding style is going to cause A LOT of HEADACHES. I've cleaned it up a bit, I think this style will be much easier to handle.

<?php
$title = "fTest.php";
$action=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];
include("html-head.inc");
?>

<header>
<h1><?=$title?></h1>
</header>

<?php if (!isset($_POST['submit'])): ?>
    <?php $CINS = array('101' => "CINS101",
                        '108' => "CINS108",
                        '121' => "CINS121",
                        '251' => "CINS251",
                        '254' => "CINS254"); ?>
    <form method="post" action="<?=$action?>">
        <p>Please pick your CINS classes:</p>
        <ul>
        <?php foreach ($CINS as $key => $value): ?>
            <li>
            <input type="checkbox" name="CINS[]" value="<?=$value?>" />CINS<?=$key?>
            </li>
        <?php endforeach; ?> 
        </ul>
        <input type="reset" name="reset" value"Reset" />
        <input type="submit" name="submit" value"Submit" />
        </p> <!-- THIS TAG IS EXTRA WHERE DID IT COME FROM -->
        <?= is_array($CINS) ? 'Array' : 'Not an array' ?>
    </form>
<?php else if (count($_POST['CINS'] > 0 )): ?>
    <h2>Your picks are: </h2>
    <ul>
    <?= is_array($CINS) ? 'Array' : 'Not an array' ?>
    <?php foreach ($_POST['CINS'] as $cNum => $v): ?>
        <li><?=$v?></li>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
    </ul>
<?php endif; ?>

To be honest, I'm not really sure where that tag came from. Thought I had taken that out. but thanks for pointing it out. — Nick, Mar 29 '13 at 16:27

Can't understand why an array is set but array is null after processing

2 Answers2