Keeping checkboxes checked in PHP form

Question

I know how to keep the checkboxes checked on form submit when there is an error, but I have a different issue now. I am using check boxes of the same name where people can click 1 or multiple. I want it to only keep the check boxes that the user checked filled if there is a problem like if they check q1 A q1B but not q1c I want only q1 A and Q1b to show checked when reloaded on an error. Right now on an error all checkboxes of the same name are checked. I have tried changing the name to q1[] but that did not work. Can you please take a look and let me know how to fix this?

Here is my code.

    <tr>
<td style="width: 124px" class="style15">Tape Recorder<?php    if(isset($problems['tape[]'])) {?><font color="red">*</font><?php } ?></td>
<td class="style9"> 
    <input name="tape[]" id="tape1" type="checkbox" value="used before," <?php   if(isset($_POST['tape[]'])) echo "checked"; ?> 
  </td>
<td class="style9"> 
    <input name="tape[]" id="tape2" type="checkbox" value="helpful in past,"        <?php   if(isset($_POST['tape[]'])) echo "checked"; ?> </td>
<td class="style9"> 
    <input name="tape[]" id="tape3" type="checkbox" value="requesting from DACC" <?php if(isset($_POST['tape[]'])) echo "checked"; ?> </td>
<td class="style9"> 
    <input name="tape[]"  id="tape4" type="checkbox" value="NA" <?php if(isset($_POST['tape[]'])) echo "checked"; ?></td>
 </tr>
  <tr>
        <td style="width: 124px">Note Taker <?php if(isset($problems['note'])) {?>      <font color="red">*</font><?php } ?></td>
<td class="style9"> 
        <input name="note" type="checkbox" value="used before," <?php if(isset($_POST['note'])) echo "checked"; ?> 
</td>
<td class="style9"> 
    <input name="note" type="checkbox" value= "been helpful in the past," <?php if(isset($_POST['note'])) echo "checked"; ?> 
<td class="style9"> 
    <input name="note" type="checkbox" value= "requesting from DACC" <?php if(isset($_POST['note'])) echo "checked"; ?> 
<td class="style9"> 
    <input name="note" type="checkbox" value="NA" <?php if(isset($_POST['note'])) echo "checked"; ?> 
</tr>

I was having the same issue, please see this stackoverflow.com/questions/10671084/… — dan
– dan, Commented May 22, 2012 at 14:35

MrCode · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-05 10:09:04Z

6

A quick and dirty solution would be:

<input name="tape[]"  id="tape[]" type="checkbox" value="NA" <?php if(isset($_POST['tape']) && is_array($_POST['tape']) && in_array('NA', $_POST['tape'])) echo 'checked="checked"'; ?> />

For that you need to change the 'NA' part for each different answer obviously. Though I would look at something like having a loop for repeated checkboxes or a callback function to determine whether or not to echo checked=checked.

edited Mar 5, 2012 at 10:09

answered Mar 1, 2012 at 16:00

MrCode

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2 Comments

Inky1231 Over a year ago

MrCode, that didn't work it gave me PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_ECHO in C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\DACC\ssc\accommodations3.php on line 767 which is this line code<input name="tape[]" id="tape[]" type="checkbox" value="Used before" <?php if(isset($_POST['tape']) && is_array($_POST['tape']) && in_array('Used before', $_POST['tape']) echo 'checked="checked"'; ?> /><span class="style15"></span> code

Inky1231 Over a year ago

sorry couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong with the mini-markdown, haven't used that much

Chris Atkinson · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-02 00:54:21Z

Thank you Mr. Code Here's my final code that I was able to figure out thanks to you

$mailBody .= "They requested additional information on ...\n\n";
$mailBody .= $moreinfo = join("\n", $_REQUEST["moreinfo"]);
$mailBody .= "\n\n";
$mailBody .= "They also had this to say...\n\n";
$mailBody .= "$comments\n\n";

//code on page

<input type="checkbox" name="moreinfo[selection1]" value="selection1" <?php if(isset($_POST['moreinfo']) && is_array($_POST['moreinfo']) && in_array('selection1', $_POST['moreinfo'])) echo 'checked="checked"'; ?> />  Selection 1<br>

<input type="checkbox" name="moreinfo[selection2]" value="selection2" <?php if(isset($_POST['moreinfo']) && is_array($_POST['moreinfo']) && in_array('selection2', $_POST['moreinfo'])) echo 'checked="checked"'; ?> />  Selection 2<br>

<input type="checkbox" name="moreinfo[selection3]" value="selection3" <?php if(isset($_POST['moreinfo']) && is_array($_POST['moreinfo']) && in_array('selection3', $_POST['moreinfo'])) echo 'checked="checked"'; ?> />  Selection 3<br>

I do not care that this looks crazy because it works.

yehuda · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-01 17:59:42Z

-1

You dont need to have the same name for checkboxes, only for radio buttons.

Radio buttons belong to a group so they have to have the same name but different values. Checkboxes however, can have different names for each checkbox! Therefore just change each checkbox to a differnent name

edited Mar 1, 2012 at 17:59

answered Mar 1, 2012 at 15:56

yehuda

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4 Comments

Quentin Over a year ago

Radio buttons must have the same name to be a member of a group, but there is no restriction on other controls sharing a name.

Quentin Over a year ago

Re edit: Changing the name is not needed and throws away the advantage of being able to easily process a group of checkboxes in a loop.

yehuda Over a year ago

Thanks, Quentin. Researching the topic now!

Inky1231 Over a year ago

Given the type of form yehuda, I kind of need the check boxes to be the same name, it would be a headache to process through the email part otherwise.

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