Can not insert data into mysql database with php

Question

I am having trouble inserting data to my table via PHP. The "cc_connect.php" is the file that connects the database. The form is there but when I submit it, no data is added to my table. I've followed several tutorials and matched their methods without success. Is something not set up in my db?

the function $dbcon is associated with my connection

<form method="post" action="cc_registration.php">
<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="true" />

    First Name: <input type="text" name="first_name" />
    Last Name: <input type="text" name="last_name" />

<br />
<input type="submit" value="submit" />

  <?php

   if(isset($_POST['submit'])) {

   include ('cc_connect.php');

   if (!$dbcon) {

   die("Can not Connect: " . mysql_error());

}

   mysql_select_db("cooperstown",$dbcon);

$sql = "INSERT INTO cobra_registration (first_name,last_name) VALUES ('$_POST[first_name]', '$_POST[last_name]')";

mysql_query($sql,$dbcon);



mysql_close($dbcon);

}

  ?>

Answer 1

$_POST['submit'] is never set because you are passing submitted .

change:

<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="true" />

to:

<input type="hidden" name="submit" value="true" />

As a side note your current query can easily be hacked. Use Prepared statements instead like PDO or MysQLi, here is an example in PDO:

$fName = isset($_POST['first_name']) ? $_POST['first_name'] : '';
$lName = isset($_POST['last_name']) ? $_POST['last_name'] : '';

if ($fName && $lName) {
   $stmt = $db->prepare('
      INSERT INTO cobra_registration (first_name,last_name) 
      VALUES (:fname, :lname)
   ');

   $stmt->bindParam(':fname', $fName, PDO::PARAM_STR);
   $stmt->bindParam(':lname', $lName, PDO::PARAM_STR);

   $res = $stmt->execute();

   if ($res) {
      echo 'Success';
   } else {
      echo 'Failure';
   }
}

Answer 2

The mysql_* functions are deprecated, and should no longer be used. Look into mysqli or PDO .

IMPORTANT NOTE

This is WIDE open to SQL Injection attacks . You should use prepared statements to protect against such attacks.

GGio nailed his answer, it was the submitted , but checking for submit . He also provided a PDO example, so I'll demonstrate the same thing in mysqli:

$firstName = isset($_POST['first_name']) ? $_POST['first_name'] : '';
$lastName = isset($_POST['last_name']) ? $_POST['last_name'] : '';

if ($firstName && $lastName) {
    $stmt = $mysqli->prepare("INSERT INTO cobra_registration (first_name,last_name) 
  VALUES (?, ?)"); 
    $stmt->bind_param("ss", $firstName, $lastName);
    $stmt->execute();  

}