How to capture (GET) multiple values sent in the same variable (PHP)?

Question

After a query, I am sending different values through the same variable (through an input):

 <input type="hidden" id="sku" name="sku" value="<?= $reg->sku ?>"> 

This way, my URL is as follows:

http://localhost/admin/anuncios/relatorios/exportado_confirm.php?sku=BL001_BA307&sku=BL001_BA308&sku=BL001_BA667&sku=BL001_BA668&sku=BL001_BA672&sku=BL003_BA309&sku=BL005_BA27&sku=BL166_BA7&sku=BL166_BA8&sku=BL178_BA310&sku=BL184_BA1&sku=BL184_BA4&sku=BL184_BA669&sku=BL202_BA5

But I can’t then capture all the "sku" sent through the $sku = $_GET['sku']);

'Cause when I run the next round UPDATE: $sql = "update anuncios set exportado = '1' where sku = '{$sku}'";

It can only capture the last value sent in the "sku" variable and run the UPDATE in that last "sku" listed in the URL.

I wish I could capture all the values, and this UPDATE rotate (while) while there is some value in the sku variable. Does anyone have any suggestions to help me?

Note: I’m actually doing everything by POST, just put by GET to be visible the values sent in the same variable.

Answer 1

The official structure of the URL is defined by RFC 2986, Session 3.4 addressing the definition of query and even in it there is no "official" way to pass multiple values to the same parameter. Being the query an opaque value - that is, its real meaning depends on the implementation that will parse the URL, the way to pass multiple values will vary.

In PHP, brackets are officially used after the field name:

<input type="hidden" id="sku" name="sku[]" value="BL001_BA307"> 
<input type="hidden" id="sku" name="sku[]" value="BL001_BA308"> 
<input type="hidden" id="sku" name="sku[]" value="BL001_BA667"> 

This will generate a URL similar to:

//localhost?sku[]=BL001_BA307&sku[]=BL001_BA308&sku[]=BL001_BA667

And PHP, when analyzing it, will generate a array with such information:

var_dump($_GET["sku"]);

array(3) {
  [0]=>
  string(11) "BL001_BA307"
  [1]=>
  string(11) "BL001_BA308"
  [2]=>
  string(11) "BL001_BA667"
}

So you can use all the information next to SQL, remembering that it should be properly converted to string before using it in the SQL query.

This technique will work for both GET and POST requests. The only difference, in fact, between them will be the way the values will be passed via HTTP request: in GET is via URL and in POST is via the body of the request.

As in the SQL query, the intended result is something like:

select ... where sku in ("BL001_BA307", "BL001_BA308", "BL001_BA667");

What you can do is use implode of PHP:

$sku = implode(",", array_map(function ($item) {
    return sprintf('"%s"', $item);
}, $_GET["sku"]));

// $sku = '"BL001_BA307", "BL001_BA308", "BL001_BA667"';

And in SQL:

select ... where sku in ({$sku});