Having problem storing form input into an array and querying the array

Basically I have a dynamic form which provides a variable number of inputs depending on how the user selects that, I have set all text inputs with this name="user[]" to store the values into an array.

I then after submission of form place into this array:

$array = check_input($_POST['user']);

I am then using this array in a query like so:

$query = 'SELECT * FROM users_tb WHERE student_number IN(' . implode(',', $array) .')';
mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
$result=mysql_query($query);

and I get this error:

You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ')' at line 1

Now i wanted to check also values are in the array, but when i try print_r($array); to see if the values are there it just prints the word "Array"

what am I doing wrong here?

thanks

ADDITIONAL PROBLEM ----

I have an array strings inputted by the user in a different dynamic form. I want to store each value in the array into a table along with an itemid (which is the same for all)

My query is currently inserting the whole array into one rows text_value with implode. Is there a way instead of loo开发者_C百科ping through the array and running a query for each value in the array, for me to do this?

current query:

$query = "INSERT INTO answers_tb (item_id, text_value)VALUES('$itemid','".implode(',', $answers) . "')";

here is print_r of array:

Array ( [0] => option 1 [1] => option 2 [2] => option 3 [3] => option 4 )

thanks

---

All of the operations you do in check_input() are designed for strings. Consider trying this instead.

function check_input_array($data)
{
   foreach ($data as &$d) {
     $d = trim($d);
     $d = stripslashes($d);
     $d = htmlspecialchars($d);
     $d = mysql_real_escape_string($d);
   }
   return $data;
}

Now you will have two functions: check_input() which is suitable for strings and check_input_array() which is suitable for 1-dimensional arrays.

Also, refer to fredrik's answer as he has spotted that your code forgets to quote the values that you put into your SQL string.

---

My guess is that, for your sample array, the following needs to be inserted into the table.

item_id|text_value
-------+----------
      0|option 1
      1|option 2
      2|option 3
      3|option 4

That would look something like this, then.

$records = array();
foreach($array as $item_id => $text_value) {
    $records[] = '("' . $item_id . '","' . $text_value . '")';

}
$sql = 'INSERT INTO answers_tb (item_id, text_value) VALUES';
$sql .= implode(',', $records);

---

I've done a similar query in the past, and I had to use this implode for it to work:

$numbers = "'".implode($array,"','")."'";
$query = "SELECT * FROM users_tb WHERE student_number IN ($numbers)";

EDIT: This is probably not the solution for your problem, the problem is probably your check_input function. If the parameter is an array. I.e trim doesn't take an array as input parameter, but a string, so you will have to loop through the array and trim each element.

---

Your array is empty.

When the array is empty print_r will print it like:

Array
(
)

Also when the array is empty, your query will look like:

SELECT * FROM users_tb WHERE student_number IN()

which is incorrect because of the empty list for IN clause.

You can try:

$query = 'SELECT * FROM users_tb WHERE student_number IN('NULL, ' . implode(',', $array) .')';