Linking a site to php database

Butters · 24 Sep 2007 at 00:30

I know little about php but I have uploaded my site with .php file extensions.

Primarily to somehow echo the output of form fileds to a php database.

secondly, I would like to update my 'news' pages in an easy CMS style manner.

Can anyone point me in a suitable direction to achieve this?

The_KiD · 24 Sep 2007 at 08:59

Firstly there is no such thing as a PHP database, what you want is mySQL.

Check here for good tutorials: http://www.freewebmasterhelp.com/tutorials/phpmysql

Butters · 24 Sep 2007 at 10:13

MySQL, thats what I meant. Thanks

One thing that tutorial doesnt cover (AFAICS) is how to 'Log In' to the database through a website once all the tables are set up, etc.

Any ideas?

The_KiD · 24 Sep 2007 at 10:30

?

you mean for the site to connect to the db?

Code:

<?php
$dbhost = 'localhost';
$dbuser = 'root';
$dbpass = 'password';

$conn = mysql_connect($dbhost, $dbuser, $dbpass) or die                      ('Error connecting to mysql');

$dbname = 'petstore';
mysql_select_db($dbname);
?>

Kemik · 24 Sep 2007 at 10:30

You have to create a html form (e.g. username and password) then use a MySQL query to check to see if the username and password matches the one for the user in the database.

It's a bit more complicated than that though as you'll want to validate the form fields to make sure they only allow characters that you allow in the username and password.

Butters · 24 Sep 2007 at 10:54

so do I essentially put both your posts together and call it admin.php or something?

Then, from the login link goes off to admin.php where you enter the details and then click Submit / Login, whatever.

What would appear on the screen then?

Kemik · 24 Sep 2007 at 11:19

You could do it like the following:

login.html

Code:

<!-- html header -->

<!-- HTML form here with action of process.php -->

process.php

Code:

<?php 

$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];

// form validation goes here. If form validation == true then query database.

?>

Butters · 24 Sep 2007 at 13:19

am I over complicating this?

I just want to have a secure section on my site that I can add a news article to which then gets entered into the news page of my site.

I can live without the contacts thing to start with.

So, I've used phpmyadmin and created a table with 3 fields (ID, title, content).

I have created a MySQL db (news) and given it a username and password.

I've also created an HTML form (no action or method yet).

Just looking for some pointers now.

I guess to link to this article form, i could just use htaccess?

Thanks so far