1

I have a webpage which contains a form, like the following:

<Form action=”search.php” method=”POST”>
<fieldset>
<legend> Enter your search below </legend>
<textarea name=”query”> </textarea>
</fieldset>
</form>

The users text is read from query and search results are displayed using code in the following section:

if ($_POST['query'])
{
//Users query is read and results from a search API are displayed
}

The next thing that happens is that a list of synonyms are generated, stored in a multidimensional array called $synonyms which I have displayed in a left-hand-navigation bar, using the code shown below. $newline prints a newline (as the variable name suggests)

Example of a $synonyms array:

array(3) 
{ [0]=> array(2) 
    { [0]=> string(9) "chelonian" 
      [1]=> string(17) "chelonian reptile" } 

 [1]=> array(6) 
{ [0]=> string(7) "capsize" 
  [1]=> string(11) "turn turtle" 
  [2]=> string(8) "overturn" 
  [3]=> string(9) "turn over" 
  [4]=> string(8) "tip over" 
  [5]=> string(9) "tump over" } 

 [2]=> array(4) 
 { [0]=> string(4) "hunt" 
   [1]=> string(3) "run" 
   [2]=> string(9) "hunt down" 
   [3]=> string(10) "track down" } 

}

Code used to output the array:

foreach ($synonyms as $test)
{   foreach ($test as $test2)
    {
    echo $test2.$newline.$newline;
    }
}

What I want to happen is:

Turn each synonym into a clickable link..if the user clicks the synonym "capsize", the word capsize is sent to the section where the synonym(previously query) is read and processed into results.. ie. back to this section: 

if ($_POST['query'])
{
// Synonym is read and results from a search API are displayed
// Previously 'query' was read here
// The cycle continues again
}

Any ideas or suggestions on this one would be great, thanks guys.

Micha
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Tom
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    Clickable links will always try to do a GET request. if you need that to be a POSt, then you'll have to use `
    `s, or use javascript to intercept the click and build a POST dynamically.
     – Marc B Jul 19 '13 at 16:39

1 Answers1

2

You should use GET in search form. Then list synonyms as shown below

foreach ($synonyms as $test)
{   foreach ($test as $test2)
    {
     // I used <br/> for newline
     printf('<a href="search.php?query=%1$s">%1$s</a><br/>', $test2);
    }
}

Edit: And obviously, you should replace $_POST['query'] with $_GET['query']

Oguzhan Ozel
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  • Hey oozel. Thanks. It does indeed turn term into links. When I click it, it goes to mywebsite.com/search.php?query=capsize.. however, this just displays the form on my page. I may need to do some more tweeking. Thank you, and I will attempt to implement your solution very soon!.. What does `%1$s` signify in your code? – Tom Jul 19 '13 at 17:00
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    It's the placeholder for string value. In other words, it indicates that a string value will come here (and your string value is $test2). You should take a look at **sprintf** manual http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.sprintf.php – Oguzhan Ozel Jul 19 '13 at 17:06