Setting a PHP value in JS for SQL

[LuiePL]

I'm looking for a method of using the value of a variable from Javascript to use it as the "WHERE" clause in my SQL search which is built in PHP within the JS function.

I got it to display the value that was selected from the drop-down that calls the function properly, so I know it's passing it correctly, I just can't figure out how to get it to use the value.

You can find what I'm working on here. It's the one on the right under "Group 3".

This is my function now:
[HTML]<SCRIPT language="JavaScript">
<!--
function nameChange(Name){

<?php

$dbh = mysql_connect ("localhost", "name", "password") or die ('Database Connection Error: ' . mysql_error());
mysql_select_db ("database");

$query = "SELECT * FROM Users WHERE Number='$number'";
$sql = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
$row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)
?>

var memberName = Name;
var strName = "The name is: "+memberName+"<br />";
strName = strName+"First Name:<input type='text' name='fname' size='20' value='<?php $row['FirstName'] ?>'>";
strName = strName+"<br>Last Name:<input type='text' name='lname' size='20' value='<?php $row['LastName'] ?>'>";

document.getElementById("divName").innerHTML = strName;
}
// -->
</SCRIPT>[/HTML]

[Banfa]

What your attempting has no chance of ever working.

The problem is that javascript runs client side and PHP runs server side. By the time your page has reached the client (browser) and is running the Javascript the php has been run already and no longer exists in the file (try doing a view source and looking at your nameChange function).

To do what you are trying to do you need to resubmit the data to the server so that it may run another php script to obtain the new data. Or you have to obtain all the data from MySQL when the page loads using php and embedd all that data into the page as Javascript data that it can select values from (although is is, of course,not at all secure).

[LuiePL]

I guess that makes sense. Would I have to use another function called from the first to run the SQL to get the result? I.E. Call the function to update the value, and call the function to run the SQL and get the info based on the updated field?

Something along the lines of:

[HTML]function changeNum() {
getName(First, Last, Number)
etc...
}

getName(First, Last) {
SELECT * FROM table WHERE Number=Number
etc...
}[/HTML]

If so, how would I pass the Number field properly from the javascript to the PHP/SQL code?

[LuiePL]

I guess one example of what I'm trying to do is when you do a survey, and you get an instant result without the page reloading (ie use of AJAX). So I'm just trying to figure out how to use AJAX in this scenario.