Creating a simple PHP forum tutorial Learn to create forum step by step, in this tutorials use only simple

php code but powerful.

Overview In this tutorial create 5 files 1. create_topic.php 2. add_topic.php 3. main_forum.php 4. view_topic.php 5. add_answer.php Steps 1. Create table name "forum_question" and "forum_answer" in database "test". 2. Create file create_topic.php. 3. Create file add_topic. php. 4. Create file main_forum.php 5. Create file view_topic.php 6. Create file add_answer.php If you don't know how to create database and table read this tutorial Set up database

Table forum_question CREATE TABLE `forum_question` ( `id` int(4) NOT NULL auto_increment, `topic` varchar(255) NOT NULL default '',

`detail` longtext NOT NULL, `name` varchar(65) NOT NULL default '', `email` varchar(65) NOT NULL default '', `datetime` varchar(25) NOT NULL default '', `view` int(4) NOT NULL default '0', `reply` int(4) NOT NULL default '0', PRIMARY KEY (`id`) ) TYPE=MyISAM AUTO_INCREMENT=1 ; Table forum_answer CREATE TABLE `forum_answer` ( `question_id` int(4) NOT NULL default '0', `a_id` int(4) NOT NULL default '0', `a_name` varchar(65) NOT NULL default '', `a_email` varchar(65) NOT NULL default '', `a_answer` longtext NOT NULL, `a_datetime` varchar(25) NOT NULL default '', KEY `a_id` (`a_id`) ) TYPE=MyISAM; Create file create_topic.php View in Browser

############### Code <table width="400" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"> <tr> <form id="form1" name="form1" method="post" action="add_topic.php">

<td> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <tr> <td colspan="3" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><strong>Create New Topic</strong> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="14%"><strong>Topic</strong></td> <td width="2%">:</td> <td width="84%"><input name="topic" type="text" id="topic" size="50" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"><strong>Detail</strong></td> <td valign="top">:</td> <td><textarea name="detail" cols="50" rows="3" id="detail"></textarea></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Name</strong></td> <td>:</td> <td><input name="name" type="text" id="name" size="50" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Email</strong></td> <td>:</td> <td><input name="email" type="text" id="email" size="50" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td><input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit" /> <input type="reset" name="Submit2" value="Reset" /></td> </tr> </table> </td> </form> </tr> </table> Create file add_topic.php ############### Code <?php $host="localhost"; // Host name

$username=""; // Mysql username $password=""; // Mysql password $db_name="test"; // Database name $tbl_name="forum_question"; // Table name // Connect to server and select database. mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("cannot connect"); mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("cannot select DB"); // get data that sent from form $topic=$_POST['topic']; $detail=$_POST['detail']; $name=$_POST['name']; $email=$_POST['email']; $datetime=date("d/m/y h:i:s"); //create date time $sql="INSERT INTO $tbl_name(topic, detail, name, email, datetime)VALUES('$topic', '$detail', '$name', '$email', '$datetime')"; $result=mysql_query($sql); if($result){ echo "Successful<BR>"; echo "<a href=main_forum.php>View your topic</a>"; } else { echo "ERROR"; } mysql_close(); ?> Create file main_forum.php View in dreamweaver / diagram

############### Code <?php $host="localhost"; // Host name $username=""; // Mysql username $password=""; // Mysql password $db_name="test"; // Database name $tbl_name="forum_question"; // Table name // Connect to server and select databse. mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("cannot connect"); mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("cannot select DB");

$sql="SELECT * FROM $tbl_name ORDER BY id DESC"; // OREDER BY id DESC is order result by descending $result=mysql_query($sql); ?> <table width="90%" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"> <tr> <td width="6%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><strong>#</strong></td> <td width="53%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><strong>Topic</strong></td> <td width="15%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><strong>Views</strong></td> <td width="13%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><strong>Replies</strong></td> <td width="13%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><strong>Date/Time</strong></td> </tr> <?php while($rows=mysql_fetch_array($result)){ // Start looping table row ?> <tr> <td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['id']; ?></td> <td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><a href="view_topic.php?id=<? echo $rows['id']; ?>"><? echo $rows['topic']; ?></a><BR></td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['view']; ?></td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['reply']; ?></td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['datetime']; ?></td> </tr> <?php // Exit looping and close connection } mysql_close(); ?> <tr> <td colspan="5" align="right" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><a href="create_topic.php"><strong>Create New Topic</strong> </a></td> </tr> </table>

view_topic.php View in Dreamweaver / Diagram

############### Code <?php $host="localhost"; // Host name $username=""; // Mysql username $password=""; // Mysql password $db_name="test"; // Database name $tbl_name="forum_question"; // Table name // Connect to server and select databse. mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("cannot connect"); mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("cannot select DB"); // get value of id that sent from address bar $id=$_GET['id']; $sql="SELECT * FROM $tbl_name WHERE id='$id'"; $result=mysql_query($sql); $rows=mysql_fetch_array($result); ?> <table width="400" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"> <tr> <td><table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bordercolor="1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><strong><? echo $rows['topic']; ?></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><? echo $rows['detail']; ?></td>

</tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><strong>By :</strong> <? echo $rows['name']; ?> <strong>Email : </strong><? echo $rows['email'];?></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><strong>Date/time : </strong><? echo $rows['datetime']; ?></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> </table> <BR> <?php $tbl_name2="forum_answer"; // Switch to table "forum_answer" $sql2="SELECT * FROM $tbl_name2 WHERE question_id='$id'"; $result2=mysql_query($sql2); while($rows=mysql_fetch_array($result2)){ ?> <table width="400" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"> <tr> <td><table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><strong>ID</strong></td> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1">:</td> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><? echo $rows['a_id']; ?></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="18%" bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><strong>Name</strong></td> <td width="5%" bgcolor="#F8F7F1">:</td> <td width="77%" bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><? echo $rows['a_name']; ?></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><strong>Email</strong></td> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1">:</td> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><? echo $rows['a_email']; ?></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><strong>Answer</strong></td> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1">:</td> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><? echo $rows['a_answer']; ?></td> </tr>

<tr> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><strong>Date/Time</strong></td> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1">:</td> <td bgcolor="#F8F7F1"><? echo $rows['a_datetime']; ?></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> </table><br> <? } $sql3="SELECT view FROM $tbl_name WHERE id='$id'"; $result3=mysql_query($sql3); $rows=mysql_fetch_array($result3); $view=$rows['view']; // if have no counter value set counter = 1 if(empty($view)){ $view=1; $sql4="INSERT INTO $tbl_name(view) VALUES('$view') WHERE id='$id'"; $result4=mysql_query($sql4); } // count more value $addview=$view+1; $sql5="update $tbl_name set view='$addview' WHERE id='$id'"; $result5=mysql_query($sql5); mysql_close(); ?> <BR> <table width="400" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"> <tr> <form name="form1" method="post" action="add_answer.php"> <td> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <tr> <td width="18%"><strong>Name</strong></td> <td width="3%">:</td> <td width="79%"><input name="a_name" type="text" id="a_name" size="45"></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Email</strong></td>

<td>:</td> <td><input name="a_email" type="text" id="a_email" size="45"></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"><strong>Answer</strong></td> <td valign="top">:</td> <td><textarea name="a_answer" cols="45" rows="3" id="a_answer"></textarea></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td><input name="id" type="hidden" value="<? echo $id; ?>"></td> <td><input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit"> <input type="reset" name="Submit2" value="Reset"></td> </tr> </table> </td> </form> </tr> </table>

add_answer.php ############### Code <?php $host="localhost"; // Host name $username=""; // Mysql username $password=""; // Mysql password $db_name="test"; // Database name $tbl_name="forum_answer"; // Table name // Connect to server and select databse. mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("cannot connect"); mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("cannot select DB"); // Get value of id that sent from hidden field $id=$_POST['id']; // Find highest answer number. $sql="SELECT MAX(a_id) AS Maxa_id FROM $tbl_name WHERE question_id='$id'"; $result=mysql_query($sql); $rows=mysql_fetch_array($result); // add + 1 to highest answer number and keep it in variable name "$Max_id". if there no answer yet set it = 1

if ($rows) { $Max_id = $rows['Maxa_id']+1; } else { $Max_id = 1; } // get values that sent from form $a_name=$_POST['a_name']; $a_email=$_POST['a_email']; $a_answer=$_POST['a_answer']; $datetime=date("d/m/y H:i:s"); // create date and time // Insert answer $sql2="INSERT INTO $tbl_name(question_id, a_id, a_name, a_email, a_answer, a_datetime)VALUES('$id', '$Max_id', '$a_name', '$a_email', '$a_answer', '$datetime')"; $result2=mysql_query($sql2); if($result2){ echo "Successful<BR>"; echo "<a href='view_topic.php?id=".$id."'>View your answer</a>"; // If added new answer, add value +1 in reply column $tbl_name2="forum_question"; $sql3="UPDATE $tbl_name2 SET reply='$Max_id' WHERE id='$id'"; $result3=mysql_query($sql3); } else { echo "ERROR"; } mysql_close(); ?>