Html/PHP - Form - Input as array

Evo_x picture Evo_x · Nov 25, 2013 · Viewed 202.5k times · Source

I got a form like this

<form>
<input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[level]">
<input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[build_time]">

<input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[level]">
<input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[build_time]">

</form>

What I'd like to have as $_POST output is an array like

Array ( 
  [1] => Array ( [level] => 1 [build_time] => 123 ) 
  [2] => Array ( [level] => 2 [build_time] => 456 )
)

I know I could do something like name="levels[1][build_time]" and so on but since these elements get added dynamically, it would be hard to add an index. Is there any other way?

EDIT:

As suggested, I changed my form. I also included my whole HTML now, because I think I'm missing something here. My HTML now:

<div class="form-group">
  <label class="col-md-2">Name(z.B. 1)</label>
  <div class="col-md-10">
    <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[][level]">
  </div>

  <label class="col-md-2">Bauzeit(In Sekunden)</label>
  <div class="col-md-10">
    <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[][build_time]">
  </div>
</div>

<div class="form-group">
  <label class="col-md-2">Name(z.B. 1)</label>
  <div class="col-md-10">
    <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[][level]">
  </div>

  <label class="col-md-2">Bauzeit(In Sekunden)</label>
  <div class="col-md-10">
    <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[][build_time]">
  </div>
</div>

The output I get now is:

[levels] => Array ( 
  [0] => Array ( [level] => 1 ) 
  [1] => Array ( [build_time] => 234 ) 
  [2] => Array ( [level] => 2 ) 
  [3] => Array ( [build_time] => 456 ) 
)

Edit 2:

As suggested in your edit, I edited my form and moved the square brackets to the end of the name. The output I get now is:

[levels] => Array ( 
  [level] => Array ( 
    [0] => 1 
    [1] => 2 
  ) 
  [build_time] => Array ( 
    [0] => 234 
    [1] => 456 
  )
) 

I guess that would kinda work but it still looks complicated. No better way?

Answer

Hanky Panky picture Hanky Panky · Nov 25, 2013

Simply add [] to those names like

 <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[level][]">
 <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Titel" name="levels[build_time][]">

Take that template and then you can add those even using a loop.

Then you can add those dynamically as much as you want, without having to provide an index. PHP will pick them up just like your expected scenario example.

Edit

Sorry I had braces in the wrong place, which would make every new value as a new array element. Use the updated code now and this will give you the following array structure

levels > level (Array)
levels > build_time (Array)

Same index on both sub arrays will give you your pair. For example

echo $levels["level"][5];
echo $levels["build_time"][5];