Why is database updating everytime I refresh browser?

Question

Something is up with my code but I';m not sure what. I have created a very basic music library input form that saves to a mySQL table and outputs the data to the screen as well. For some reason it updates everytime I refresh my browser page and saves to the database. Can somebody tell me where I'm going wrong here? Thanks, Tim

<?php
    //connect
    $link = mysqli_connect("localhost", "my_username", "mypassword", "mydb");

    //create user feedback if library has been updated
    if(isset($_POST['submit'])) {
        $cleanartist = mysqli_real_escape_string($link, $_POST['Artist']);
        $cleantitle = mysqli_real_escape_string($link, $_POST['Title']);

        //create query statement
        $sql = "INSERT INTO albums (Artist, Title) VALUES ('$cleanartist', '$cleantitle')";

        //run query
        mysqli_query($link, $sql);

        echo "Thanks, added to library";
    }

    mysqli_close($link);
?>


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <meta charset="utf-8">
        <title>Music Library</title>
    </head>
    <body>
        <form class="" action="music_library.php" method="post">
            <p>Add Artist<input type="text" name="Artist"></p>
            <p>Album Title<input type"text" name="Title"></p>
            <input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit">
        </form>

        <?php

            //connect to db
            $link = mysqli_connect("localhost", "my_username", "mypassword", "mydb");

            //create query statement
            $qry = "SELECT * FROM albums";

            //run query and store result in variable
            $result = mysqli_query($link, $qry);

            //loop through returned data and output to screen
            while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
                echo '<tr>';
                foreach($row as $field) {
                    echo '<td>' . $field . '</td>' . '</br>';
                }
            }

            mysqli_close($link);

        ?>

    </body>
</html>

why you refresh page, browsers asks you something like "data will be resent, are you sure?" what do you click on this window? — Iłya Bursov, May 17 '16 at 20:44
once you submit the data the variable contain the value you enter, so every time you refresh the browser the same value previously enter are insert into database... Sorry fro my bad english...The problem is that you set the variable once you submit the form — Sajjad Khan, May 17 '16 at 21:04
Hello Tim, I've edited the answer to use your page link. Can you undo the -1? Thanks — Richard, May 18 '16 at 07:13
Rich, no problem, how do I go about doing that? I'm a newish novice member here and not sure of what to do to achieve what you need? — Tim Williams, May 18 '16 at 07:18

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:52

0

You can find some hints on one of these 2 answers

PHP Redirect to another page after form submit

PHP header() redirect with POST variables

basically, you need to call header("Location: music_library.php"); when the operation is succesfull.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:52

Community

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answered May 17 '16 at 20:45

Richard

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Lashane - yeah it says the data may be resent click ok or cancel – Tim Williams May 17 '16 at 21:10
Andy - Yes I guess that is what is doing it – Tim Williams May 17 '16 at 21:11
Sajjad - Do you mean to set the variables outside of the if statement i.e before the form is sent? – Tim Williams May 17 '16 at 21:11
Richard - thanks for that, I tried using that, but I don't have another php page to redirect to, all the code is on the one page so I just need to refresh it without the database updating, but for the info to be added to the table data displayed below the form.... – Tim Williams May 17 '16 at 21:14
Hello Tim, you can refresh to the same page. Sorry. I didn't realize that. – Richard May 18 '16 at 06:35

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 17 '16 at 21:12

0

When you refresh a page that before it submitted data to it, its again submitted! you can simply unset variable after storing data to database with this function :

unset($_POST['submit']);

answered May 17 '16 at 21:12

Hossein

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Hossein, Thanks mate - I tried adding the code in, but it still seems to be resending the previous form data – Tim Williams May 17 '16 at 21:38
as a test add header('Location: music_library.php'); after inserting data. and check now adding data again? – Hossein May 17 '16 at 21:46
@hosseinbarzegari you must be kidding, how this can solve the problem at all? – Iłya Bursov May 17 '16 at 21:53

Why is database updating everytime I refresh browser?

2 Answers2