Stop INSERT INTO from creating new row when page is refreshed

Question

I have this code below and it works fine except when I refresh the page it inserts a blank row. Does anyone know what I need to do here?

<?php
$con=mysqli_connect("localhost","name","password","inventory");
// Check connection
if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
  echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
}

// escape variables for security
$inv_number = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['inv_number']);
$date = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['date']);
$date_type = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['date_type']);
$item1 = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['item1']);
$location1 = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['location1']);

$sql="INSERT INTO invoice (inv_number, date, date_type, item1, location1)
VALUES ('$inv_number', '$date', '$date_type', '$item1', '$location1')";

if (!mysqli_query($con,$sql)) {
  die('Error: ' . mysqli_error($con));
}
echo 'Invoice #'.$_POST['inv_number'].' recorded'; 

mysqli_close($con);
?>

I tried finding conditional if statements that can keep the code from creating blank rows but to no avail have I found a working solution.

Any help is appreciated.

use header like this header('Location: http://www.example.com/'); — arif_suhail_123, Sep 15 '14 at 04:37
thats what basically happens, you refreshed the page, another request is made, your PHP is once again executed, thus another insertion — Kevin, Sep 15 '14 at 04:47
if (empty($_POST) == true) { header('Location: back to the page'); }else{ set your variable and run your query } — arif_suhail_123, Sep 15 '14 at 04:51

arif_suhail_123 · Answer 1 · 2014-09-15T05:23:21.713

<?php
$con=mysqli_connect("localhost","name","password","inventory");
// Check connection
if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
  echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
}
if (empty($_POST['inv_number']) || empty($_POST['date']) ||empty($_POST['date_type'])
    || empty($_POST['item1']) || empty($_POST['location1'])) 
    {
      echo "Re direct user by using header or show them messages";

    }
else {
    // set your variable and run your query 
    //i just copy and posted your code from your question
// escape variables for security
$inv_number = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['inv_number']);
$date = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['date']);
$date_type = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['date_type']);
$item1 = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['item1']);
$location1 = mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['location1']);

$sql="INSERT INTO invoice (inv_number, date, date_type, item1, location1)
VALUES ('$inv_number', '$date', '$date_type', '$item1', '$location1')";

if (!mysqli_query($con,$sql)) {
  die('Error: ' . mysqli_error($con));
}
echo 'Invoice #'.$_POST['inv_number'].' recorded'; 
}
mysqli_close($con);
?>

Important to note your query will not run, if any of the feild which is given in if statement are empty

Please read the comment in the solution

Stop INSERT INTO from creating new row when page is refreshed

1 Answers1