Multiple insert - iterate form collection - checkbox name dynamic?

jason

How does one loop through the contents of a form complicated by dynamic
construction of checkboxes which are assigned a 'model' and 'listingID' to
the NAME field on the fly in this syntax: Hunter_69. Here is what the form
looks like. I have the difficulty of inserting the multiple items selected
by the user the first time he visits and uses the screen and then using an
UPDATE when he visits later.

Model | Original Price | Reduced Price | Watch Item
F Pajot | 452000 |30000 |[Tick ]
Lagoon | 60000 |38000 |[ ]
Hunter | 552000 |350000 |[ ]
SUBMIT
<FORM action="formhandler_databaseinsert.asp">

<INPUT type="checkbox" id=checkbox1 name=<%=model%>_<%=ListingsID%>>
</form>
....However, I am not sure how to do a multiple update when iterating through
the form collection as I don't know in advance what the NAME field would be
as it is based on the concantenation of the 'Model' and the 'ListingID' eg:
FoutainPajot_33.

How does on tackle mutiple inserts or update when you have to loop through a
form with DYNAMIC names for the eg: Checkbox field?

Many thanks
jason

Jul 19 '05 #1

Alan

If your listingID is unique for the entities you're listing then you don't
need the 'Hunter' in the control name - you can derive it if necessary in
your form processor. If the listingID isn't unique then your database may
benefit from additional normalisation, or perhaps your application needs a
bit of tweaking. Either way it's not a show-stopper.

Anyway, the trick is to give all your checkboxes the same name, and use the
identifier as the value. Like this (are they cars?):

<FORM action="formhandler_databaseinsert.asp">
<INPUT type="checkbox" name="CarIDs" value="<%=model%>_<%=ListingsID%>">
</FORM>

When you do a Request.Form("CarIDs") in the processor you'll get a comma
separated list of the zero or more options that were selected.
Request.Form("CarIDs") = "Hunter_69, Lagoon_70" for example.

Split this string on a ',' separator, trim each term, and then split each
term on the '_' to get your original make and listingID back again. You can
now do your insert.

Only those items that were selected on the form will be passed through in
the form collection to the processor.

Try that.

Alan


Two things
"jason" <ja***@catamaranco.com> wrote in message
news:OW**************@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

How does one loop through the contents of a form complicated by dynamic
construction of checkboxes which are assigned a 'model' and 'listingID' to
the NAME field on the fly in this syntax: Hunter_69. Here is what the form
looks like. I have the difficulty of inserting the multiple items selected by the user the first time he visits and uses the screen and then using an
UPDATE when he visits later.

Model | Original Price | Reduced Price | Watch Item
F Pajot | 452000 |30000 |[Tick ]
Lagoon | 60000 |38000 |[ ]
Hunter | 552000 |350000 |[ ]
SUBMIT
<FORM action="formhandler_databaseinsert.asp">

<INPUT type="checkbox" id=checkbox1 name=<%=model%>_<%=ListingsID%>>
</form>
...However, I am not sure how to do a multiple update when iterating through the form collection as I don't know in advance what the NAME field would be as it is based on the concantenation of the 'Model' and the 'ListingID' eg: FoutainPajot_33.

How does on tackle mutiple inserts or update when you have to loop through a form with DYNAMIC names for the eg: Checkbox field?

Many thanks
jason

Jul 19 '05 #2

jason

Hey Alan - that works like an absolute dream - I was really struggling with
iterating that form collection on the fly and this really helps me - thanks.

If I wanted to make my code more streamlined could I place the insert
section into a sub or function (shaky on these) in this manner? Is this
correct?

CustomerID=Session("CustomerID") '//should this part go in sub?
ListingsID = Request.Form("ListingsID") ' will contain "69, 71" ' - should
this part go in sub to?

Sub insertPageWatch(CustomerID, ListingsID)
aListingIDs = Split(ListingsID, ",") ' will contain ("69", " 71")

For Each ListingsID In aListingIDs

SQL = "INSERT INTO tblPageWatch (ListingsID, CustomerID)
VALUES ("
SQL=SQL & "'" & Trim(ListingsID) & "', "
SQL=SQL & "'" & CustomerID & "')"
'//Response.Write sql
cnn.Execute SQL, , adCmdText
Next
End

Call insertPageWatch
"Alan" <SP******************@inspire.net.nz> wrote in message
news:uD**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Lets assume that your numeric IDs are unique and you don't need the model
prefix. I've removed the ASP tags but you should get the idea - if your form now looks like this:

<form name="..." method="..." action="...">
<input type="checkbox" name="ListingIDs" value="69">
<input type="checkbox" name="ListingIDs" value="70">
<input type="checkbox" name="ListingIDs" value="71">
</form>

...and you select just the first and third items (69 and 71)...

Your processor will look like this (you can optimize the code if you want):
Dim ListingIDs
Dim aListingIDs
Dim ListingID
Dim CustomerID

CustomerID = Session("CustomerID")

ListingIDs = Request.Form("ListingIDs") ' will contain "69, 71"
aListingIDs = Split (ListingIDs, ",") ' will contain ("69", " 71")

For Each ListingID In aListingIDs

' Insert the value.

SQL = "INSERT INTO tblPageWatch (ListingID, CustomerID) VALUES ("
SQL=SQL & "'" & Trim(ListingID) & "', "
SQL=SQL & "'" & CustomerID & "')"

cnn.Execute SQL, , adCmdText

Next

Notice the Trim() on the ListingID - from memory multiple values passed for the same named control will be delimited with a comma and space (', '). You could also Split() on a comma-and-space instead of just the comma if you
want.

One other thing, you don't need the Recordset that the INSERT returns - you can use what I've shown above instead.

Hope this helps a bit.

Alan

"jason" <ja***@catamaranco.com> wrote in message
news:uf**************@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

Alan I took your advice and removed the "model" and "_" from the NAME
syntax. Thus, the NAME will always be numeric. But I don't know how to
seperate the numeric items from the text items. This is what I have so far

but it is not doing the job. How would I extract the checkboxes if I did
decide to prefix the form items:
"chk_" ....Thanks Jason

For lngCnt=1 to Request.Form.Count

If Request.Form.key(lngCnt) <> "submit1" or
IsNumeric(Request.Form.key(lngCnt))then
ListingsID = Request.Form.Key(lngCnt)

SQL = "INSERT INTO tblPageWatch (ListingsID, CustomerID) VALUES (" SQL=SQL & "'" & ListingsID & "', "
SQL=SQL & "'" & Session("CustID") & "')"
Response.Write SQL

Set rs = cnn.Execute(SQL)

End if
Next

"Alan" <SP******************@inspire.net.nz> wrote in message
news:uT**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

If your listingID is unique for the entities you're listing then you don't need the 'Hunter' in the control name - you can derive it if necessary in your form processor. If the listingID isn't unique then your database may benefit from additional normalisation, or perhaps your application needs

a

bit of tweaking. Either way it's not a show-stopper.

Anyway, the trick is to give all your checkboxes the same name, and

use the

identifier as the value. Like this (are they cars?):

<FORM action="formhandler_databaseinsert.asp">
<INPUT type="checkbox" name="CarIDs"

value="<%=model%>_<%=ListingsID%>"> </FORM>

When you do a Request.Form("CarIDs") in the processor you'll get a comma separated list of the zero or more options that were selected.
Request.Form("CarIDs") = "Hunter_69, Lagoon_70" for example.

Split this string on a ',' separator, trim each term, and then split

each term on the '_' to get your original make and listingID back again.

You can

now do your insert.

Only those items that were selected on the form will be passed through in the form collection to the processor.

Try that.

Alan


Two things
"jason" <ja***@catamaranco.com> wrote in message
news:OW**************@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> How does one loop through the contents of a form complicated by dynamic > construction of checkboxes which are assigned a 'model' and 'listingID'

to

> the NAME field on the fly in this syntax: Hunter_69. Here is what

the form

> looks like. I have the difficulty of inserting the multiple items
selected
> by the user the first time he visits and uses the screen and then

using

an

> UPDATE when he visits later.
>
> Model | Original Price | Reduced Price | Watch Item
> F Pajot | 452000 |30000 |[Tick ]
> Lagoon | 60000 |38000 |[ ]
> Hunter | 552000 |350000 |[ ]
> SUBMIT
>
>
> <FORM action="formhandler_databaseinsert.asp">
>
> <INPUT type="checkbox" id=checkbox1 name=<%=model%>_<%=ListingsID%>>
> </form>
>
>
> ...However, I am not sure how to do a multiple update when iterating
through
> the form collection as I don't know in advance what the NAME field

would be
> as it is based on the concantenation of the 'Model' and the 'ListingID' eg:
> FoutainPajot_33.
>
> How does on tackle mutiple inserts or update when you have to loop

through

a
> form with DYNAMIC names for the eg: Checkbox field?
>
> Many thanks
> jason
>
>
>
>
>
>

Jul 19 '05 #3

Alan

Yep, that should work. I normally keep all my Subs and Functions together
after all of the 'immediate' code so you might move your Sub to somewhere
after the Call.

CustomerID=Session("CustomerID") '//should this part go in sub?
ListingsID = Request.Form("ListingsID") ' will contain "69, 71" ' - should

Because your CustomerID and ListingsID vars are populated from intrinsic
objects (which have global scope) you _could_ put these parts in the Sub,
but if you do then your Sub can only be used for this one specific purpose.
If a page uses values like these more than once I tend to retrieve them at
the top of the script and pass them around. It makes your code more
maintainable - if you change your persistence model from, say, using the
Session, to using a database, you only have to change one reference to point
to the new location of a variable rather than hunting through all your code.

On a stylistic note you might consider leaving the loop in the main page
code and instead putting just the insert in a Sub. This is because the loop
code is very specific and it doesn't add any value to separate it out.
Here's another approach:

' Get passed in variable values.
CustomerID=Session("CustomerID") '//should this part go in sub?
ListingsID = Request.Form("ListingsID") ' will contain "69, 71"

' Split the listings string into an array of listing IDs.
aListingIDs = Split(ListingsID, ",") ' will contain ("69", " 71")

' Iterate through the array of listing IDs.
For Each ListingsID In aListingIDs

' Insert a listingID for a CustomerID.
insertPageWatch ListingsID, CustomerID

Next

' Inserts a Listing record into the PageWatch table.
Sub insertPageWatch (CustomerID, ListingsID)

Dim SQL

' Create the SQL string.
SQL = "INSERT INTO tblPageWatch (ListingsID, CustomerID)
VALUES ("
SQL=SQL & "'" & Trim(ListingsID) & "', "
SQL=SQL & "'" & CustomerID & "')"
'//Response.Write sql

' Execute the SQL.
cnn.Execute SQL, , adCmdText

End Sub

See how you go.

Alan

"jason" <ja***@catamaranco.com> wrote in message
news:#n**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl... Hey Alan - that works like an absolute dream - I was really struggling with iterating that form collection on the fly and this really helps me - thanks.
If I wanted to make my code more streamlined could I place the insert
section into a sub or function (shaky on these) in this manner? Is this
correct?

CustomerID=Session("CustomerID") '//should this part go in sub?
ListingsID = Request.Form("ListingsID") ' will contain "69, 71" ' - should this part go in sub to?

Sub insertPageWatch(CustomerID, ListingsID)
aListingIDs = Split(ListingsID, ",") ' will contain ("69", " 71")

For Each ListingsID In aListingIDs

SQL = "INSERT INTO tblPageWatch (ListingsID, CustomerID)
VALUES ("
SQL=SQL & "'" & Trim(ListingsID) & "', "
SQL=SQL & "'" & CustomerID & "')"
'//Response.Write sql
cnn.Execute SQL, , adCmdText
Next
End

Call insertPageWatch
"Alan" <SP******************@inspire.net.nz> wrote in message
news:uD**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Lets assume that your numeric IDs are unique and you don't need the model

prefix. I've removed the ASP tags but you should get the idea - if your form

now looks like this:

<form name="..." method="..." action="...">
<input type="checkbox" name="ListingIDs" value="69">
<input type="checkbox" name="ListingIDs" value="70">
<input type="checkbox" name="ListingIDs" value="71">
</form>

...and you select just the first and third items (69 and 71)...

Your processor will look like this (you can optimize the code if you

want):

Dim ListingIDs
Dim aListingIDs
Dim ListingID
Dim CustomerID

CustomerID = Session("CustomerID")

ListingIDs = Request.Form("ListingIDs") ' will contain "69, 71"
aListingIDs = Split (ListingIDs, ",") ' will contain ("69", " 71")

For Each ListingID In aListingIDs

' Insert the value.

SQL = "INSERT INTO tblPageWatch (ListingID, CustomerID) VALUES ("
SQL=SQL & "'" & Trim(ListingID) & "', "
SQL=SQL & "'" & CustomerID & "')"

cnn.Execute SQL, , adCmdText

Next

Notice the Trim() on the ListingID - from memory multiple values passed

for

the same named control will be delimited with a comma and space (', ').

You

could also Split() on a comma-and-space instead of just the comma if you
want.

One other thing, you don't need the Recordset that the INSERT returns -

you

can use what I've shown above instead.

Hope this helps a bit.

Alan

"jason" <ja***@catamaranco.com> wrote in message
news:uf**************@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

Alan I took your advice and removed the "model" and "_" from the NAME
syntax. Thus, the NAME will always be numeric. But I don't know how to
seperate the numeric items from the text items. This is what I have so far but it is not doing the job. How would I extract the checkboxes if I did decide to prefix the form items:
"chk_" ....Thanks Jason

For lngCnt=1 to Request.Form.Count

If Request.Form.key(lngCnt) <> "submit1" or
IsNumeric(Request.Form.key(lngCnt))then
ListingsID = Request.Form.Key(lngCnt)

SQL = "INSERT INTO tblPageWatch (ListingsID, CustomerID) VALUES ("

SQL=SQL & "'" & ListingsID & "', "
SQL=SQL & "'" & Session("CustID") & "')"
Response.Write SQL

Set rs = cnn.Execute(SQL)

End if
Next

"Alan" <SP******************@inspire.net.nz> wrote in message
news:uT**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> If your listingID is unique for the entities you're listing then you

don't

> need the 'Hunter' in the control name - you can derive it if

necessary in

> your form processor. If the listingID isn't unique then your

database may

> benefit from additional normalisation, or perhaps your application needs

a

> bit of tweaking. Either way it's not a show-stopper.
>
> Anyway, the trick is to give all your checkboxes the same name, and

use the
> identifier as the value. Like this (are they cars?):
>
> <FORM action="formhandler_databaseinsert.asp">
> <INPUT type="checkbox" name="CarIDs" value="<%=model%>_<%=ListingsID%>"> > </FORM>
>
> When you do a Request.Form("CarIDs") in the processor you'll get a comma > separated list of the zero or more options that were selected.
> Request.Form("CarIDs") = "Hunter_69, Lagoon_70" for example.
>
> Split this string on a ',' separator, trim each term, and then split

each

> term on the '_' to get your original make and listingID back again. You can
> now do your insert.
>
> Only those items that were selected on the form will be passed

through in

> the form collection to the processor.
>
> Try that.
>
> Alan
>
>
>
>
> Two things
> "jason" <ja***@catamaranco.com> wrote in message
> news:OW**************@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > How does one loop through the contents of a form complicated by

dynamic

> > construction of checkboxes which are assigned a 'model' and

'listingID'

to
> > the NAME field on the fly in this syntax: Hunter_69. Here is what

the form
> > looks like. I have the difficulty of inserting the multiple items
> selected
> > by the user the first time he visits and uses the screen and then

using

an
> > UPDATE when he visits later.
> >
> > Model | Original Price | Reduced Price | Watch Item
> > F Pajot | 452000 |30000 |[Tick ]
> > Lagoon | 60000 |38000 |[ ]
> > Hunter | 552000 |350000 |[ ]
> > SUBMIT
> >
> >
> > <FORM action="formhandler_databaseinsert.asp">
> >
> > <INPUT type="checkbox" id=checkbox1

name=<%=model%>_<%=ListingsID%>> > > </form>
> >
> >
> > ...However, I am not sure how to do a multiple update when iterating > through
> > the form collection as I don't know in advance what the NAME field

would

> be
> > as it is based on the concantenation of the 'Model' and the

'ListingID'

> eg:
> > FoutainPajot_33.
> >
> > How does on tackle mutiple inserts or update when you have to loop
through
> a
> > form with DYNAMIC names for the eg: Checkbox field?
> >
> > Many thanks
> > jason
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

Jul 19 '05 #4