Mysql_query Unknown column 'name' in 'where clause'

Question

stackoverflow this is my very first post :D. Now down to business, I am creating a private game site, that will be pulling IP Addresses (not sure if that's even legal, but I want the code done in case it is, so I can just put up my site) and storing them in a mysql database, since the names are already in the table. I have a form getting user input, that being the Name of the person:

                <form action="/PHP/MembersIP.php" method="post">
                In Game Name: <input type="text" name="Name">
                <input type="submit">

And I have my external php file:

            //the queries are written into their values
            $selectname = "SELECT * from Members WHERE Name = " . $_POST['Name'];
            $updateIP = "UPDATE Members SET IP = " . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] . "WHERE Name = " . $_POST['Name'];

            //check if the name is valid, if so add ip address in the row of the name given
            if (!mysql_query($selectname) ) {
            die('Your in game name was not found inside the database. Please check for misspellings, and try again. If problem persists please contact a guild official, or site manager. Inform them of the error: ' . mysql_error());
            } else {mysql_query($updateIP);}

When entered a fake value for the name, while testing I got the right string:

 Your in game name was not found inside the database. Please check for misspellings, and try again.If problem persists please contact a guild official, or site manager. Inform them of the error: Unknown column 'lol' in 'where clause'

But since the error code looked weird, I entered a real name in my database, and the same thing came out:

 Your in game name was not found inside the database. Please check for misspellings, and try again. If problem persists please contact a guild official, or site manager. Inform them of the error: Unknown column 'name' in 'where clause'

So i know it's my first query (second one would fail too since i did it the same way) that has something wrong with calling the column "Name" and finding the value $_POST["Name"]. I just cant figure it out, so can someone help out a bit, and explain. For any tips out there please wait until I have gotten my explanation before giving me your additional information.

Thank you

Edit:

Thank you everyone, I fixed the problem. When I originally wrote the script, and it gave me the error, I changed it to:

SELECT * from Members WHERE Name = '" . $_POST['Name'] . "';";

Since I had no success clause it gave me a blank page, so I thought it had worked. I checked my table and the ip cell was still blank, so I thought it had not been run at all, so I went back to the base of the root with the error code and searched for problems with the code, but I couldn't find any problem except the one I had just fixed that had not "worked". That is the moment all code stopped making sense to me, and I came here to post. But after looking at others answers I noticed I needed a script to test if any code had run, so I added a success script, and before I retested:

SELECT * from Members WHERE Name = '" . $_POST['Name'] . "';";

I noticed I had other code that I had written the same way that popped up the error:

UPDATE Members SET IP = " . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] . "WHERE Name = " . $_POST['Name'];

Finally I added the success script and edited both queries, and it was successful. Here's the updated php:

$selectname = "SELECT * from Members WHERE Name = '" . $_POST['Name'] . "';" ;
$updateIP = "UPDATE Members SET IP = '" . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] . "' WHERE Name = '" . $_POST['Name'] . "';";
if (!mysql_query($selectname) )
{
    die('Your in game name was not found inside the database. Please check for misspellings, and try again. If problem persists please contact a guild official, or site manager. Inform them of the error: ' . mysql_error());
}
else
{
    mysql_query($updateIP); 
    echo "Thank you " . $_POST['Name'] . ", this device's Ip Address has been saved. You may now edit your account, and use guild resources from this device.";
}

Moral of the story always add strings to test code. ty everyone

The `mysql_` functions are [deprecated](http://php.net/manual/en/changelog.mysql.php). Don't use them. — Jonathon Reinhart, Sep 03 '13 at 01:09
Your first query should look like this: $selectname = "SELECT * FROM Members WHERE Name = " . $_POST['Name']; — SITDGNymall, Sep 03 '13 at 01:11
Jonathon Reinhart please help I understood that they are deprecated, but I could not figure what else I could use. I learned mysql_query from old posts (years before now) — Chris Bernard, Sep 03 '13 at 02:13
@ChrisBernard read this http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4598854/how-do-i-migrate-my-site-from-mysql-to-mysqli — Charaf JRA, Sep 03 '13 at 02:16
Thank you @FaceOfJock, I remember using that, but I had not understood the difference, I think this will be of great use to me, again thank you, I'll be able to vote up your answer in a moment or so. — Chris Bernard, Sep 03 '13 at 02:20
@Chris Bernard, if you found the solution yourself, submit it as an answer instead of editing the question. — roninblade, Sep 03 '13 at 03:02
@roninblade I am a new user, stackoverflow wont allow me to answer my own question, until I have a certain amount of reputation. — Chris Bernard, Sep 03 '13 at 03:09

score -2 · Answer 1 · edited Sep 03 '13 at 01:15

-2

How about putting the value within quotes like Name = 'test'

In your case the query would then be...

"SELECT * from Members WHERE Name = '" . $_POST['Name'] . "'";

edited Sep 03 '13 at 01:15

Prix

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answered Sep 03 '13 at 01:11

user2260040

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That won't help if the column can't be found in the first place. – Sep 03 '13 at 01:12
It will. As the user is passing a value of name without the quotes and mysql is thinking that name is a column name. Hence the error message. – user2260040 Sep 03 '13 at 01:15

Mysql_query Unknown column 'name' in 'where clause'

1 Answers1