Thread

I am seeing a strange error when using the database class (global $DB).  When I try to use the EE tag {username} to save the current logged in user into the database (non EE table located in the EE database), the user is saved as {username}.

When I echo the sql statement, the username is correct.  But the value being saved in the database is:  {username}

It should be systemadmin.

I have php parsing set to output.

The user that is logged in is “systemadmin”

Here is a sample of my code:

global $DB; 

$username = '{username}';

$data = array(
    'FirstName' => $_POST['FirstName'], 
    'LastName' => $_POST['LastName'],                
    'ModifiedBy' => $username
    );

print_r($data);
      
$sql = $DB->update_string('Members', $data, "MemberID = 4584");    
$DB->query($sql);        

echo 'sql string: '.$sql;

Here is the output from the print_r statement:

Array ( [FirstName] => FirstTest [LastName] => LastTest [ModifiedBy] => systemadmin)

Here is the output from the echo statement:

sql string: UPDATE `Members` SET `FirstName` = 'FirstTest', `LastName` = 'LastTest', `ModifiedBy` = 'systemadmin' WHERE MemberID = 4584

But when I view the database table, the ModifiedBy field is set to {username} and not systemadmin

From the db table row:
MemberID = 4584
FirstName = FirstTest
LastName = LastTest
ModifiedBy = {username}  ==>  should be systemadmin

Any ideas why is it saving it as {username} and not systemadmin?

It’s a parse order issue. You should probably use

$SESS->userdata['username']

instead.

How can it be a parse issue if the print_r and echo $sql both show the correct username?

Wouldn’t this code

$sql = $DB->update_string('Members', $data, "MemberID = 4584");    
$DB->query($sql);

excute during the php parsing stage?  $sql has the correct value according to the echo statement.

I was trying to avoid using $SESS.

How can it be a parse issue if the print_r and echo $sql both show the correct username?

I said parse order. I think the value of {username} is simply not available when the query is run.

I was trying to avoid using $SESS.

Why? EE makes use of it, so it’s there, and you are using PHP already anyway, so I fail to quite see the point. Also, I am moving this thread to Howto.

Thanks.

Yes, parse order issue - sorry.

The reason for avoiding $SESS is in case I go to a cookies only mode. I thought $SESS variable would not be available.

Also, regarding the parsing order, it was my understanding that if PHP parsing stage was set to output, all the EE tags would be interpreted first and then the php code would run.  Is that true?

In this case,

$sql = $DB->update_string('Members', $data, "MemberID = 4584");    
$DB->query($sql);

should run after {username} is replaced with systemadmin in

$username = '{username}';

I enabled Display SQL Queries and it shows the query as

UPDATE `Members` SET `FirstName` = 'FirstTest', `LastName` = 'LastTest', `ModifiedBy` = '{username}' WHERE MemberID = 4584

but the echo $sql results in

UPDATE `Members` SET `FirstName` = 'FirstTest', `LastName` = 'LastTest', `ModifiedBy` = 'systemadmin' WHERE MemberID = 4584

Yes, parse order issue - sorry.

Yes. I am sorry, but that’s exactly the issue you’re running into. Standard Global Variables are parsed all together at the very end, just before final output is sent to the browser.

The reason for avoiding $SESS is in case I go to a cookies only mode. I thought $SESS variable would not be available.

The sessions class is available regardless of your method of authentication: cookies, sessions_ids or both.

Also, regarding the parsing order, it was my understanding that if PHP parsing stage was set to output, all the EE tags would be interpreted first and then the php code would run.  Is that true?

Mostly, yes.