Modify multiple lines of an XML file using command line

Question

I have a users.php where admin can see all registered users information and he is able to change their levels with a form that goes to edit_level.php.

It's not working properly, when I change the level of a user, it is affecting the wrong user.

This is my form in users.php (I didn’t include all the user info , just the level part)

$sql = "SELECT * FROM users ORDER BY username ASC";
$result = mysqli_query($conn,$sql) or die(mysqli_error());
    
    if(mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0){
    while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)){

$level = $row['level'];

<form method='post' action='edit_level.php?ed=$id'>
    <input type='hidden' name='id' value='$row[id]'>
    <input type='text' name='level' value='$row[level]'>
    <input type='submit' name='submit' value='Change Level'>
}

This is edit_level.php

if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
    
    $ed_id = $_GET['ed'];
    $level = $_POST['level'];
    $sql = "UPDATE users SET level ='$level' WHERE id='$ed_id'";
    
    if(mysqli_query($conn,$sql)){
    echo "<p>User Level has been sucessfully udpated! <a href='users.php'>Click here to return to User List.</a>";
    }
    else{
        echo "<p><b>ERROR:User level has not been updated!";
    }   
}

Edit:

I actually just copied the same format of a delete function I have, but the delete was a link not a form.

<a href='deleteaccount.php?del=$id'>Delete</a> and then in the php: 

$del_id = $_GET['del']; 
$sql = "DELETE FROM users WHERE id='$del_id'";

Not sure how to do the same but with a form. I need a form because I want to be able to type a new value.

Solution

Use a proper xmltool, in shell, xmlstarlet is a good one :

xmlstarlet edit -L -u "//Model500[1]"  -v "AAA                                                                
BBB
CCC" file.xml

xmlstarlet edit -L -u "//Model500[2]" -v "111                                                               
333
555" file.xml


cat file.xml

The expression //Model500[2] is a Xpath expression

NOTE ¹

you need to enclose your xml with a tag like :

<root>
...
</root>

to be XML valid. I hope you cutted the XML file for the purpose of your question.

NOTE ²

You can also use python, perl, ruby etc... and a proper xml lib.

In perl :

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;

use XML::Simple;

my $xml_file = 'file.xml';

my $xml = XMLin(
    $xml_file,
    KeepRoot => 1,
    ForceArray => 1,
);

$xml->{root}->[0]->{Model500}->[0] = "AAA\nBBB\nCCC\n";
$xml->{root}->[0]->{Model500}->[1] = "111\n222\n333\n";

XMLout(
    $xml,
    KeepRoot => 1,
    NoAttr => 1,
    OutputFile => $xml_file,
);

Comments

[Tim3880]

Your post form stores the id as "id" but your script reads "ed", is that the problem?

[AnkiiG]

@Johnny : You have created form in while loop. So if there are 10 users then 10 forms will be created and all the hidden fields will have same name. This will not give you correct post values.

[Johnny]

Yes for each user there is a Submit button next to it. How should I do it?

[Johnny]

I had to use a form in a loop because I want to read the level from user table and be able to edit it and submit the changes. Not sure how to fix this.

[AnkiiG]

You should create one form and call ajax to update

[Johnny]

Hmm I'm not good with ajax

[Johnny]

No other way to do it? Where should my form be placed?

[Lupin]

You are editing a record according to this: action='edit_level.php?ed=$id', where do you take the $id from?

[Johnny]

I don't know, i actually just copied the same format of a delete function I have, but the delete was a link not a form. <a href='deleteaccount.php?del=$id'>Delete</a> and then in the php: $del_id = $_GET['del']; $sql = "DELETE FROM users WHERE id='$del_id'"; Not sure how to do the same but with a form. I need a form cuz I want to be able to type a new value.

[hakkikonu]

echo your post values on edit_level.php? What you're seeing?

[Johnny]

I did echo $level = $_POST['level']; Im seeing Registered for everyone, even for Administrator. I have 2 possible values for level in user table, Registered and Adminsitrator, default is Registered. Here is the DB line-->level ENUM('Registered','Administrator') NOT NULL DEFAULT 'Registered',

[Johnny]

Check this postimg.org/image/tbt3ti331, thats how my users.php look like

[Jeff Schaller]

bash has a lot of features, but it's not a text editor

[Ipor Sircer]

what's the rule?

[keyboard_solo]

Well I do understand that the bash is not supposed to be used for extensive text editing, but I thought one can use 'sed' for that purpose?

[Jeff Schaller]

I got confused when you said "any bash method" -- bash != sed

[Jesusaur]

Are the replacements based on rules, or is the end result not related to the initial values?

[keyboard_solo]

The end results are not related to the initial values. This code is just a snippet that I intend to integrate into a bigger set. For this instance, I would replace the ABC, BCD, etc with the user input. I am just looking for ways to easily modify the XML file where a certain variable repeats. It turns out 'sed' isn't the best way to modify XML files.

[CJ Dana]

Use any text editor in bash.(vi, vim, nano)

[Johnny]

I am a bit confused by what you said, I don't really understand what changes to make.

[Johnny]

when im clicking any button, im getting edit_level.php?ed=2 ed is always equal 2

[Johnny]

another thing, the only changes that happen is when I change the value of username c and press submit, it changes the value of username a (usernames according to the picture)

[Johnny]

Only the first row is getting updated, and its value only changes when the last row Submit button is pressed

[Johnny]

Can anyone help please?

[keyboard_solo]

Woah I have not heard of this tool but the format on this seems much more intuitive. Thanks. I will give this one a try.