Something just wnet HORRIBLY wrong!

[noodles415]

wdf-randomstuff.jpg

I was testing the code to close the ticket and now everywhere on every page of the project there are random letters and numbers all over the code...

I don't understand why?

full size image: http://i.imgur.com/juoWbpm.png

close button code

<p><a href="<?=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']?>?tid=<?php echo $_GET['tid']; ?>&amp;close=1"><button type="button" class="btn btn-default">Close Ticket</button></a></p>

close ticket code

if (isset($_GET['close'])) {
    $viewcloseticketsql="UPDATE tickets SET status = ('<span class=\"label label-default\">Closed</span>') WHERE tid = '$tid'";
    $mysqli->query($viewcloseticketsql);  
    echo "<div class=\"alert alert-warning\" role=\"alert\">Ticket closed!</div>";
} 

[mlseim]

I can't troubleshoot your code without seeing the entire script, but I will say this ....

Your column called 'status' should just be a code of some kind ... example: 1
0 (or nothing) means it is opened, and when you close it, just write (set) that column to a 1

When you display your page and query the "status" column, you let PHP alter the HTML based on the status 'code'.

Example:

... query happens to get all columns for a given row ...

then output the HTML depending on the value of 'status' ...

if($result['status']==1){
echo "<span class=\"label label-default\">Closed</span>";
}
else{
echo "<span class=\"label label-default\">Not Closed</span>";
} 

If you are doing other things like that throughout your script, I would assume you're writing strange binary ascii values into a column of the wrong type.

[noodles415]

I can't troubleshoot your code without seeing the entire script, but I will say this ....

Your column called 'status' should just be a code of some kind ... example: 1
0 (or nothing) means it is opened, and when you close it, just write (set) that column to a 1

When you display your page and query the "status" column, you let PHP alter the HTML based on the status 'code'.

Example:

... query happens to get all columns for a given row ...

then output the HTML depending on the value of 'status' ...

if($result['status']==1){
echo "<span class=\"label label-default\">Closed</span>";
}
else{
echo "<span class=\"label label-default\">Not Closed</span>";
} 

If you are doing other things like that throughout your script, I would assume you're writing strange binary ascii values into a column of the wrong type.

Ooh, you couldn't just let me be lazy :'( that's a really good idea though. I'm going to fix that now, I see how I could be scrwing things up! Either way the issue seems to have resolved itself.

I do see that I could do the if/else with 0/1 but I want to have a lot of statuses

0 = closed
1 = open
2 = answered
3 = in progress
4 = escalated for management review

Actually preferably it could reference a seperate database table that i set up for this, so i can add/remove/edit status whenever i feel like it from the admin area of my system...

so I'm not sure how I would code this since i have more than once option. Could you please point me in the right direction for this? thank you, i really appreciate it!

[Jetstorm]

You can use a switch statement for multiple options.
You can read about it here PHP: switch - Manual
On that page there's also an example how to use multiple options with if...elseif if you don't like the switch idea.

[noodles415]

You can use a switch statement for multiple options.
You can read about it here PHP: switch - Manual
On that page there's also an example how to use multiple options with if...elseif if you don't like the switch idea.

Okay, I get how the switch statements works, but how would I incporated that with data from the MySQL database?

[mlseim]

I see what you're doing now ...

Make your 'status' column a 'text type' column and enter the words you showed me as your status ...

closed
open
answered
in progress
escalated for management review

You can use those words instead of 'code numbers' as I suggested.

My point is to NOT use HTML as the text in your database tables.

When the row is queried, whatever text is in the 'status' column can be displayed as the status.

You will still need to use logic in your PHP to decide what happens when a particular status is active.

If the status is "closed", you don't want want the user to be able to "escalate" it ... since it's already closed.
That type of logic would be handled by your PHP script.

[noodles415]

I see what you're doing now ...

Make your 'status' column a 'text type' column and enter the words you showed me as your status ...

closed
open
answered
in progress
escalated for management review

You can use those words instead of 'code numbers' as I suggested.

My point is to NOT use HTML as the text in your database tables.

When the row is queried, whatever text is in the 'status' column can be displayed as the status.

You will still need to use logic in your PHP to decide what happens when a particular status is active.

If the status is "closed", you don't want want the user to be able to "escalate" it ... since it's already closed.
That type of logic would be handled by your PHP script.

well its complicated because i want the fancy bootstrap labels youk now? otherwsie yeah that would work just fine. clients open tickets from the open tickets page. they can close tickets any time. adding a reply after closing ticket would set it open again
only from admin side would other status be available
if admin/staff answers it would be set to answered. admin could also set in progress or management review client would never need to do that

i'm not going to work on my program tonight because i am depressed i wont get anything done i am angry at myself right now i had a tough day and i don't want to get more angry. i'll check in once i've figured out the status. thanks again for the help i really appreciate you taking the time to help me learn along the way for free. im' glad i'm not getting paid for this and i have no deadline on it, just making it to learn, but i feel so useless and helpless not just in php/mysql but in my day job and company too... ok i'm going to sign off before i rant on here.

all the best and good night

[mlseim]

OK ...
I don't know you or your life situation, but you're taking the time to learn scripting ... but it's just scripting. You should not take it quite so seriously.

It seems like you may have started-out with a scripting project that might be a bit more advanced than a typical person might take-on when learning PHP.

Take a step-back and look at some of the positive things you've accomplished ... what you know now, that you didn't know before. You learn something new everyday.

[noodles415]

OK ...
I don't know you or your life situation, but you're taking the time to learn scripting ... but it's just scripting. You should not take it quite so seriously.

It seems like you may have started-out with a scripting project that might be a bit more advanced than a typical person might take-on when learning PHP.

Take a step-back and look at some of the positive things you've accomplished ... what you know now, that you didn't know before. You learn something new everyday.

Nah, yesterday had nothing to do with PHP/MySQL Just had a crappy day. Today is better - I'll be working on this tonight.

[noodles415]

I see what you're doing now ...

Make your 'status' column a 'text type' column and enter the words you showed me as your status ...

closed
open
answered
in progress
escalated for management review

You can use those words instead of 'code numbers' as I suggested.

My point is to NOT use HTML as the text in your database tables.

When the row is queried, whatever text is in the 'status' column can be displayed as the status.

You will still need to use logic in your PHP to decide what happens when a particular status is active.

If the status is "closed", you don't want want the user to be able to "escalate" it ... since it's already closed.
That type of logic would be handled by your PHP script.

Alright, so here is my switch statement. I tested to make sure $status was correct by echo'ing it and it was fine so I know that is not the problem. My problem now is that both Open and Closed are displayed at the same time though it should really only be showing one of them at a time.

$status = $row['status'];

  switch ($status) {
    case 0:
        echo "<td><span class=\"label label-default\">Closed</span></td>";
    case 1:
        echo "<td><span class=\"label label-success\">Open</span></td>";
  }