[Angie91]

Hi all,
I'm new to PHP and I'm trying to learn from a book/examples. So far everything else has worked out just fine, but I can't seem to get this script correct. I've copied the script off the book, and I've gone over it several times, but I can't seem to get it right....

I'm making a simple form selection list. The form comes up, and there are the correct number of choices. The only problem is that you can't actually see the choices. Which is neatly explained by the source code. Only problem is that I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong..

From source code:

HTML Code:

<option value=""></option>

script:

PHP Code:

$fruits->setOption(new Option('Oranges', 'Oranges')); 

PHP Code:

public function _construct($value='', $label='') {
        parent::_construct();
        $this->setValue($value);
        $this->setLabel($label);
    }
    
    //method: output HTML for <option> elements
    public function render() {
        echo "<option value=\"" . $this->getValue() . "\">" . $this->getLabel() . "</option>\n";
    } 

PHP Code:

//method: output HTML code for <select> element
    public function render() {
        echo $this->getLabel() . ": <br />\n";
        echo "<select name=\"" . $this->getName() . "\">\n";
        foreach ($this->getOptions() as $opt) {
            echo $opt->render();
        }
        echo "</select>";
    } 

These are the parts of the script I find relevant for the error. The getLabel and getName parts from the last function works, but not the getOptions.... If this is too little of the script to think of anything, just say and i'll give you the remaining part...

Edit:
after i press submit, I get this output:

array(4) { ["fruit_sel"]=> string(0) "" ["metal_sel"]=> string(0) "" ["animal_sel"]=> string(0) "" ["submit"]=> string(6) "Submit" }

[Nico]

Place this at the very top of your script and see if that gives you any hints:

PHP Code:

error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', '1'); 

[Angie91]

No change. I still get blank listings... :/

[wirehopper]

Could you post the whole file?

[Angie91]

PHP Code:

<?php  

//class definition

class Element {

    private $name;

    private $value;

    private $label;

    

    //constructor

    public function _construct() {

    }

    

    //method: set element 'name'

    public function setName($name) {

        $this->name = $name;

    }

    

    // method: get element 'name'

    public function getName() {

        return $this->name;

    }

    

    //method: set elment value

    public function setValue($value) {

        $this->value = $value;

    }

    

    //method: get element value

    public function getValue() {

        return $this->value;

    }

    

    //mehod: set English-laguage element label

    public function setLabel($label) {

        $this->label = $label;

    }

    

    //method: get element label

    public function getLabel() {

        return $this->label;

    }

}

?>

<?php 

//child class definition

class Option extends Element {

    

    // comstructor

    public function _construct($value='', $label='') {

        parent::_construct();

        $this->setValue($value);

        $this->setLabel($label);

    }

    

    //method: output HTML for <option> elements

    public function render() {

        echo "<option value=\"" . $this->getValue() . "\">" . $this->getLabel() . "</option>\n";

    }

}

?>



<?php  

//child class definition

class Select extends Element {



    protected $options;

    

    //constructor

    public function _construct() {

        parent::_construct ();

        $this->options = array();

    }

    

    // method: add an option to the list

    public function setOption($option) {

        $this->options[] = $option;

    }

    

    //method: return all options for the list as array

    private function getOptions() {

        return (array)$this->options;

    }

    

    //method: output HTML code for <select> element

    public function render() {

        echo $this->getLabel() . ": <br />\n";

        echo "<select name=\"" . $this->getName() . "\">\n";

        foreach ($this->getOptions() as $opt) {

            echo $opt->render();

        }

        echo "</select>";

    }

}

?>





<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"

    "DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">

    <head>

        <title>Project 5-3: Generating Form Selection Lists</title>

    </head>

    <body>

        <h2>Project 5-3: Generating Form Selection Lists</h2>

<?php  

    // if form not yet submitted

    // display form

    if(!isset($_POST['submit'])) {

?>

    <form method="post" action="select.php">

        <?php

        

        //generate selection list #1

        $fruits = new Select();

        $fruits->setLabel('Fruits');

        $fruits->setName('fruit_sel');

        $fruits->setOption(new Option('Oranges', 'Oranges'));

        $fruits->setOption(new Option('Apples', 'Apples'));

        $fruits->setOption(new Option('Pears', 'Pears'));

        $fruits->setOption(new Option('Pineapples', 'Pineapples'));

        $fruits->render();

        ?>

        

        <p />

        

        <?php

        // genereate selection list #2

        $metals = new Select();

        $metals->setLabel('Metals');

        $metals->setName('metal_sel');

        $metals->setOption(new Option('Gold', 'Gold'));

        $metals->setOption(new Option('Silver', 'Silver'));

        $metals->setOption(new Option('Iron', 'Iron'));

        $metals->setOption(new Option('Platinum', 'Platinum'));

        $metals->render();

        ?>

        

        <p />

        

        <?php

        // generate selection list #3

        $animals = new Select();

        $animals->setLabel('Animals');

        $animals->setName('animal_sel');

        $animals->setOption(new Option('Polar Bear', 'Polar Bear'));

        $animals->setOption(new Option('Penguin', 'Penguin'));

        $animals->setOption(new Option('Kitten', 'Kitten'));

        $animals->setOption(new Option('Hyena', 'Hyena'));

        $animals->setOption(new Option('Sheep', 'Sheep'));

        $animals->render();

        ?>

        <p />

        <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit" />

    </form>

<?php

    // if form submitted

    // process form input

    } else {

        var_dump($_POST);

    }

?>

    </body>

</html>

[wirehopper]

This is the code that is dumping out the form input. It's telling you that the inputs have been received and letting you know what values were sent from the browser.

PHP Code:

<?php 

    // if form submitted 

    // process form input 

    } else { 

        var_dump($_POST); 

    } 

?>

I'm guessing based on the var_dump output that you may have hit 'Submit' before you selected any options.

Try selecting some options, then click Submit.

[Angie91]

The problem is that you can't actually see any options, it's just blank lists. No matter what you try to select, you get the outcome stated last in my initial post.

[Nico]

Your constructor is never being called. It should be __construct, with 2 underscores at the beginning.

Also, if your function does not require a constructor, like your first one, you can just leave it out completely.

[Angie91]

wey, now the lists are working =D Not so easy to spot if it's one or two underscores ;P Still get the same error when I submit tho.

PHP Code:

array(4) { ["fruit_sel"]=>  string(5) "Pears" ["metal_sel"]=>  string(8) "Platinum" ["animal_sel"]=>  string(6) "Kitten" ["submit"]=>  string(6) "Submit" } 

[wirehopper]

This isn't an error - this is actually what you want to see.

Instead of the var_dump, you can put in the processing for the selections, for example:

PHP Code:

echo 'Animal selection: '.$_POST['animal_sel'].'<br />';