PHP mysqli code to store form data in a database

This article is created to describe the way to store form data or the data entered by a user on the web, using PHP mysqli object-oriented and procedural scripts.

Store form data using PHP mysqli object-oriented script

I really do not know about your requirement for saving or storing user form data in the database. I mean, what type of data do you need to store? But here, I am going to create a form where users fill in their username along with a comment to store in the database.

Whatever the data you need to store, the process will be the same, as shown in the example given below:

<?php
   if($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST")
   {
      $server = "localhost";
      $user = "root";
      $pass = "";
      $db = "codescracker";
      
      $conn = new mysqli($server, $user, $pass, $db);
      
      if($conn -> connect_errno)
      {
         echo "Database connection failed!<BR>";
         echo "Reason: ", $conn -> connect_error;
         exit();
      }
      else
      {
         $user = $_POST["user"];
         $data = $_POST["data"];
         
         $sql = "INSERT INTO comments(user, data)
            VALUES('$user', '$data');";
         
         $res = $conn -> query($sql);
         if($res)
         {
            echo "Data inserted into the database successfully!";
            
            // block of code to process further...
         }
         else
         {
            echo "Something went wrong!<BR>";
            echo "Error description: ", $conn -> error;
            exit();
         }
      }
      $conn -> close();
   }
?>
<HTML>
<BODY>

<FORM METHOD="POST">
   Enter Data:<BR>
   <INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="user" MAXLENGTH="40" PLACEHOLDER="Enter Username"><BR>
   <TEXTAREA TYPE="text" STYLE="height:60px;" NAME="data" MAXLENGTH="240" PLACEHOLDER="Write Comment"></TEXTAREA><BR>
   <INPUT TYPE="submit" NAME="comment" VALUE="Submit">
</FORM>

</BODY>
</HTML>

Before executing the above example of storing form data in a database, a database named codescracker must be available, in which a table named comments must have the following fields:

All the data, should be stored in this table. Now here is the sample initial output produced by above PHP mysqli object-oriented script to store user data in the database:

Now enter the data, say codescracker in the Username field, whereas
PHP is Fun?
Is not it?
in Comment field. And then hit Submit button. Here is the output, which you will see:

Here is the snapshot of the table, customer, after executing the above script:

Note: The mysqli() function is used to open a connection to the MySQL database server in object-oriented style.

Note: The new keyword is used to create a new object.

Note: The connect_errno is used to get or return the error code (if any) from the last connect call in object-oriented style.

Note: The connect_error is used to get the error description (if any) from the last connection in object-oriented style.

Note: The query() function is used to perform queries on the MySQL database in object-oriented style.

Note: The error is used to return the description of the error (if any) from the most recent function call in object-oriented style.

Note: The exit() function is used to terminate the execution of the current PHP script.

Note: The close() function is used to close an opened connection in object-oriented style.

The above example can also be created in this way:

<?php
   if($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST")
   {
      $conn = new mysqli("localhost", "root", "", "codescracker");
      
      if(!$conn -> connect_errno)
      {
         $user = $_POST["user"];
         $data = $_POST["data"];
         
         $sql = "INSERT INTO comments(user, data)
            VALUES('$user', '$data');";
            
         if($conn -> query($sql))
            echo "Data inserted into the database successfully!";
      }
      $conn -> close();
   }
?>
<HTML>
<BODY>

<FORM METHOD="POST">
   Enter Data:<BR>
   <INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="user" MAXLENGTH="40" PLACEHOLDER="Enter Username"><BR>
   <TEXTAREA TYPE="text" STYLE="height:60px;" NAME="data" MAXLENGTH="240" PLACEHOLDER="Write Comment"></TEXTAREA><BR>
   <INPUT TYPE="submit" NAME="comment" VALUE="Submit">
</FORM>

</BODY>
</HTML>

Store Form Data using PHP mysqli Procedural Script

To store form data using a PHP mysqli procedural script, follow the example given below:

<?php
   if($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST")
   {
      $conn = mysqli_connect("localhost", "root", "", "codescracker");
      
      if(mysqli_connect_errno())
      {
         echo "Database connection failed!<BR>";
         echo "Reason: ", mysqli_connect_error();
         exit();
      }
      else
      {
         $user = $_POST["user"];
         $data = $_POST["data"];
         
         $sql = "INSERT INTO comments(user, data)
            VALUES('$user', '$data');";
         
         if(mysqli_query($conn, $sql))
            echo "Data inserted into the database successfully!";
         else
         {
            echo "Something went wrong!<BR>";
            echo "Error description: ", $conn -> error;
            exit();
         }
      }
      mysqli_close($conn);
   }
?>
<HTML>
<BODY>

<FORM METHOD="POST">
   Enter Data:<BR>
   <INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="user" MAXLENGTH="40" PLACEHOLDER="Enter Username"><BR>
   <TEXTAREA TYPE="text" STYLE="height:60px;" NAME="data" MAXLENGTH="240" PLACEHOLDER="Write Comment"></TEXTAREA><BR>
   <INPUT TYPE="submit" NAME="comment" VALUE="Submit">
</FORM>

</BODY>
</HTML>

Note: The mysqli_connect() function is used to open a connection to the MySQL database server in procedural style.

Note: The mysqli_connect_errno() is used to get or return the error code (if any) from the last connect call in procedural style.

Note: The mysqli_connect_error() function is used to return the error description (if any) from the last connection in procedural style.

Note: The mysqli_query() function is used to perform queries on the MySQL database in procedural style.

Note: The mysqli_error() function is used to return the description of the error (if any) from the most recent function call in object-oriented style.

Note: The mysqli_close() function is used to close an opened connection to the MySQL database in procedural style.

The examples given above look very simple and basic. Also, the data are getting saved in the database without even a basic filter, which may be sometimes malicious. Therefore, let me create another safe and secure PHP mysqli script that does the same job of storing form data in a database.

PHP mysqli Safe and Secure Script to Save Form Data in a Database

This example of storing user form data in a database was created using PHP mysqli safe and secure object-oriented script.

<?php
   $conn = new mysqli("localhost", "root", "", "codescracker");
   if($conn->connect_errno)
   {
      echo "Database connection failed!<BR>";
      echo "Reason: ", $conn->connect_error;
      exit();
   }
   if($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST")
   {
      function validate($x)
      {
         $x = trim($x);
         $x = stripslashes($x);
         $x = htmlspecialchars($x);
         return $x;
      }
      $stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO comments(user, data) VALUES (?, ?)");
      $stmt->bind_param("ss", $user, $data);
      $user = validate($_POST["user"]);
      $data = validate($_POST["data"]);
      if($stmt->execute())
         echo "Your comment posted successfully!";
   }
?>
<HEAD>
<STYLE>
   .myForm{width: 380px; margin: auto; padding: 12px;}
   .myForm h2{text-align: center;}
   .myForm input, textarea{width: 100%;}
   .myForm input{padding: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;}
   .myForm textarea{height: 80px; padding: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;}
   button{width: 100%; background-color: #008080; color: white; font-size: 1em; padding: 12px;}
   button:hover{cursor: pointer;}
   .display{width: 380px; margin: auto; border-left: 2px solid #ccc; padding: 12px;}
   .commentBox{margin-bottom: 12px;}
   .right{text-align: right;}
</STYLE>
<HTML>
<BODY>

<DIV CLASS="myForm">
   <FORM METHOD="POST">
   <h2>Enter the Comment</h2>
      <INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="user" MAXLENGTH="40" PLACEHOLDER="Enter Username"><BR>
      <TEXTAREA TYPE="text" NAME="data" MAXLENGTH="240" PLACEHOLDER="Write Comment"></TEXTAREA><BR>
      <BUTTON TYPE="submit">Post</BUTTON>
   </FORM>
</DIV>

<DIV CLASS="display">
<h2>Latest Comments</h2>
<?php 
   $sql = "SELECT * FROM comments ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 10";
   if($result = $conn->query($sql))
   {
      while($row = $result->fetch_row())
      {
         echo "<div class=\"commentBox\">";
         echo "By <B>", $row[2], "</B><BR>";
         echo $row[3];
         echo "<div class=\"right\">", $row[1], "</div>";
         echo "</div>";
      }
   }
   $conn->close();
?>
</DIV>

</BODY>
</HTML>

The output produced by the above PHP example is:

Now enter your username along with your comment, then hit the Post button to post your comment on the website. For example, let me type some random anonymous username along with a comment:

Now click on the Post button, and here is the new output:

Notice your latest comment, which is now on the website.

Note: The prepare() function is used to prepare an SQL statement before its execution on the MySQL database in object-oriented style, to avoid SQL injection.

Note: The bind_param() function is used to bind variables to a prepared statement as parameters in object-oriented style.

Note: The execute() function is used to execute a prepared statement on the MySQL database in object-oriented style.

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