How can we access the ID of the record we want to delete from the URL when loading the details page?

/ / Published in Web Development, EITC/WD/PMSF PHP and MySQL Fundamentals, Advancing with MySQL, Deleting a record, Examination review

To access the ID of the record we want to delete from the URL when loading the details page in web development using PHP and MySQL, we can utilize the concept of URL parameters or query strings. This can be achieved by appending the record ID to the URL as a parameter, which can then be accessed in the PHP script handling the deletion process.

Here's a step-by-step explanation of how you can implement this functionality:

1. Construct the URL:
– Assume you have a list of records displayed on a page, each with a unique ID.
– When generating the link to the details page for a specific record, append the record ID to the URL as a parameter.
– For example, if the details page is "details.php" and the record ID is 123, the URL would be "details.php?id=123".

2. Retrieve the ID in PHP:
– In the PHP script handling the details page, you can access the ID parameter using the global `$_GET` superglobal variable.
– The `$_GET` variable is an associative array that contains all the parameters passed in the URL.
– To retrieve the ID, you can use `$_GET['id']`.
– For example, `$id = $_GET['id'];` would assign the value 123 to the `$id` variable.

3. Sanitize the ID:
– It is important to sanitize the ID value to prevent SQL injection attacks.
– Use appropriate sanitization functions such as `intval()` or prepared statements to ensure the ID is treated as an integer and is safe for database operations.

4. Perform the deletion:
– Once you have the sanitized ID, you can use it in your MySQL query to delete the corresponding record from the database.
– Construct the DELETE query, incorporating the ID value in the WHERE clause.
– Execute the query using appropriate MySQL functions like `mysqli_query()` or PDO methods.

By following these steps, you can access the ID of the record you want to delete from the URL when loading the details page and use it to perform the deletion operation.

Example:
Suppose you have a website that lists books, and each book has a unique ID. On the details page for a book, you want to provide a delete button to remove that book from the database.

In the list page, you generate the link for each book like this:

html
<a href="details.php?id=123">View Details</a>

In the details.php script, you retrieve the ID and perform the deletion:

php
$id = intval($_GET['id']);
// Perform necessary validation and authorization checks before deletion
// Delete the record from the database
$query = "DELETE FROM books WHERE id = $id";
mysqli_query($connection, $query);

Remember to adapt the code to your specific database structure and connection setup.

Accessing the ID of the record to be deleted from the URL when loading the details page involves appending the ID as a parameter in the URL and retrieving it using the `$_GET` superglobal in PHP. Sanitize the ID to ensure security and then use it in the MySQL query for deletion.

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