How to Submit Data into a Database Table from an HTML Form

Learn how to effectively insert survey data into a MySQL database from an HTML form, ensuring the related question IDs are correctly linked.
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How to Submit Data into a Database Table from an HTML Form

Creating a survey that allows users to submit answers can seem challenging, especially when you're trying to link each answer to the corresponding question stored in a database. In this guide, we'll tackle a typical scenario where you want users to submit their answers through an HTML form and ensure that those answers are stored correctly in your database.

The Problem

You have a database with two main tables:

Questions: This table contains two columns - questionID and questionBody.

Answers: This table has three columns - answerID, questionID, and answerBody.

Your goal is to allow users to submit answers to these questions through a multiple-entry form, and when they submit their responses, you want each answer to be linked with its respective question using the questionID.

The Solution

It's definitely possible to achieve this by including the questionID as a hidden input field in your form. This way, the form can submit both the user's answer and the question's ID. Let’s break down the steps needed to accomplish this.

Step 1: Modify Your HTML Form

To begin with, you will need to update your HTML form to include a hidden input field for the questionID. Here's how it can be done:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation:

The hidden input field (<input type="hidden" name="questionID">) stores the questionID corresponding to the current question.

When the form is submitted, this field will be included in the POST data alongside the user's answer.

Once the form is submitted, you will want to capture both the questionID and the answer. You can do this by accessing the $_POST array in your PHP script. Here's how:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation:

This code checks if the form has been submitted correctly.

It then prepares a SQL statement to insert the questionID and answerBody into the answers table.

It uses mysqli_stmt_bind_param to bind the captured data to the SQL statement.

After executing the statement, it either redirects the user or displays an error message.

Conclusion

Using a simple hidden field in your HTML form can significantly enhance your ability to efficiently capture and record user input in relation to specific questions in your database. This method ensures each response is accurately associated with the correct question, improving the data's integrity and usability in your survey application.

Final Note

Make sure to test your implementation thoroughly to ensure that users' answers are being stored properly and the database reflects the intended structure and relationships. Happy coding!