Re: [PHP-DB] Saving an array to a mySQL table

Ron Piggott wrote:
> I am writing a shopping cart.  I am now ready to take the order from
> being in a session variable
> $_SESSION['product_selected'][$product_reference_number] to store it
> into the orders table.  
> 
> While the products selected are being displayed in a loop I have the
> piece of code
> 
> $final_order .= $_SESSION['selection'][$product_reference]
> 
> Of course this is only capturing the quantity of $product_reference, not
> assigning the array to $final_order and the quantity being ordered.
> 
> I am trying to maintain inventory control in my shopping cart and want
> to be able to query the orders table to find out what products have left
> so I don't sell something I don't have.  

A couple of ways:

- serialize it first (see php.net/serialize). Doing this means searching
in that table is horrible. This may or may not be a concern but it's
something to be aware of.

- save the details in a new table:

foreach ($array as $k => $v) {
  $query = "insert into new_table(cart_id, product_id, product_qty)
values (....)";
}

which makes searching easier (eg you could check that nobody is trying
to buy a product before making it "inactive" or "not for sale").

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