The mgiDatabaseUpdate Tag
Tag Behavior
The mgiDatabaseUpdate tag modifies an existing database record
with information from a form submission. The mgiDatabaseUpdate
tag allows a record to be modified without full administrative
control of the database.
Tag Syntax
The mgiDatabaseUpdate tag has two required parameters and
three optional parameter. The tag form is:
<mgiDatabaseUpdate databaseFileLocation="File Path"
tableName="Table Name" writeEmptyValues="Yes/No" mode="Mode"
returnStatus="Yes/No">
Required Parameters:
- databaseFileLocation="File Path" where "File
Path" is the relative path to the database file that contains
the records to be modified. The database name is case-sensitive.
- tableName="Table Name" where "Table
Name" is the name of the database table that contains the
records to be modified. The table name is case-sensitive.
Optional Parameters:
- writeEmptyValues="Yes/No" where "Yes"
indicates that the data in database fields is erased for those
submitted form fields that are left blank and "No"
indicates that the data in database fields is kept intact for
those submitted form fields that are left blank. The default
is "No".
- mode="Mode" where "Mode" is the
current function of the mgiDatabaseUpdate tag. The "DeleteRecords"
function finds all records in the database that matches the criteria
in the key fields and deletes all records found.
- returnStatus="Yes/No" where "Yes"
displays the results of the database update and "No"
does not display the results of the database update. A "Yes"
is displayed if the database record was found and successfully
updated. A "No" is displayed if the database record
was not found or was not successfully updated.
Modifying Records - To modify a database record using
mgiDatabaseUpdate, you must create a form page and a return page.
The form page will contain form elements such as text fields,
text boxes, radio buttons, checkboxes, and popup menus. Name
any form element that is used to locate the record with the Key
Field syntax. Name any form element that is used to modify a
record with the Modification Field syntax. All fields and submit
buttons on your form page should be enclosed by HTML form tags
with an action that posts to the return page. The mgiDatabaseUpdate
tag and required parameters should be entered on the return page.
- Key Fields: Key Fields are used to locate the record
that will be modified. When information is submitted in a Key
Field, the database is searched and the first matching record
will be modified. To insure that a specific record is located
and modified, you can use a database field with unique data or
use multiple Key Fields in the form. If multiple Key Fields are
included, an AND search will be performed and the first record
that matches the criteria in ALL Key Fields will be modified.
At least one Key Field is required.
The syntax of a Key Field is:
name="keyfield=DatabaseFieldName"
- The database field names are case-sensitive.
- Modification Fields: Modification Fields are used
to update the record that matches the Key Field search. You may
modify any or all database fields for a particular record. When
the form is processed, only Modification Fields that contain
information will be updated in the database record. If a Modification
Field is left empty, the information in the corresponding database
field will not be updated. The syntax of a Modification
Field is:
name="field=DatabaseFieldName"
- The database field names are case-sensitive.
- Updates with Page Variables: On the return page (that
contains the mgiDatabaseUpdate tag), you can use a page variable(s)
to locate records (key fields) or update database fields (modification
fields) with the page variable value. To locate records with
a variable, enter a page variable in the HTML above the mgiDatabaseUpdate
tag. Name the variable with the syntax name="keyfield=DatabaseFieldName".
Note: you cannot modify the database with a form field (post
argument) AND a page variable with the same name. For example,
to locate the record of a particular client in the "Client"
database field, enter the following page variable above the mgiDatabaseUpdate
tag:
<mgiSet name="keyfield=Client">
Client A
</mgiSet>
- To update a database field with a variable, enter a page
variable in the HTML above the mgiDatabaseUpdate tag. Name the
page variable with the syntax name="field=DatabaseFieldName".
You can use multiple page variables to update multiple database
fields. For example, to submit the current date to the "Last
Modified" database field, enter the following page variable
above the mgiDatabaseUpdate tag:
<mgiSet name="field=Last Modified">
<mgiDate>
</mgiSet>
Example Usage and Output
In this example, a form page and return page have been created
to update pricing information for products. On the following
form page, there is one Key Field (SKU) and one Modification
Field (Price). The Key Field is named with the name="keyfield=DatabaseFieldName"
syntax. The Modification Field is named with the name="field=DatabaseFieldName"
syntax. The action of the HTML form tags that enclose the form
fields and submit button is the name of the return page (return.html).
<FORM ACTION="return.html" METHOD="POST">
<H3 ALIGN=CENTER>Price Update</H3>
Search for SKU: <INPUT NAME="keyfield=SKU" TYPE="text" SIZE="30">
Updated Price: <INPUT NAME="field=Price" TYPE="text" SIZE="30">
<INPUT TYPE="submit" NAME="Submit">
</FORM>
The return.html page contains the following mgiDatabaseUpdate
tag:
<mgiDatabaseUpdate databaseFileLocation="Catalog"
tableName="Products">
If an authorized visitor entered FJ8392 in the SKU
Key Field and entered 5.99 in the Price Modification Field,
the price of the first record (in the Products table of
the Catalog database) that matched the SKU FJ8392 would
be updated to 5.99.
Suggested Usage
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