ASIHTTPRequest Issue - Cannot POST data to Database

Question

I'm trying to build an objective C app which posts data to a remote database using ASIHTTPRequest. Currently, I am using MAMP Server and am struggling to get it to work. The php file works when run online, but I am having trouble getting the iphone app to post data to the php file. HEre is my code:

dbconnect.h

#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>


@interface dbconnect : NSObject {

}

-(void) postToDB:(NSString*) msg;

@end

dbconnect.m

#import "dbconnect.h"
#import "ASIFormDataRequest.h"

@implementation dbconnect

-(void) postToDB:(NSString*) msg{
    NSString *myphp = @"/Applications/MAMP/htdocs/databases/test.php";
    NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:myphp];
    ASIFormDataRequest *request = [ASIFormDataRequest requestWithURL:url];
    [request setPostValue:msg forKey:@"message"];
}

@end

main

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "dbconnect.h"

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
    dbconnect* dbc;
    dbc = [[dbconnect alloc]init];
    [dbc postToDB:@"TESTING"];
    NSAutoreleasePool * pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];    
    int retVal = UIApplicationMain(argc, argv, nil, nil);       
    [pool release]; 
    return retVal;
}

php

<?php

//connect to database
function connect() {
  $dbh = mysql_connect ("localhost", "root", "root") or die ('I cannot connect to the database because: ' . mysql_error());
  mysql_select_db("testers", $dbh); 
  return $dbh;
}

//store posted data
if(isset($_POST['message'])){
  $message = $_POST['message'];
  $dbh = connect();
  $query = "INSERT INTO  messages (message) VALUES ('$message')";
  $result = mysql_query( $query ) or die ("didn't query");  
}
?>

Now I know it is bad practise to change the main method, but I just wanted to build a quick and dirty iphone/php dummy connection to get it working and the main method was the easiest option. Of course in the real app, I will use a view to trigger such actions...

My code compiles and there are no errors, iOSSimulator loads up..but nothing gets posted to my database...

EDIT:

Sorry I did add that but I copied my old version over. It still doesn't work even when using an asynchronous request, below is the current version of the postToDB function:

@implementation dbconnect

-(void) postToDB:(NSString*) msg{
    NSString *myphp = @"/Applications/MAMP/htdocs/databases/test.php";
    NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:myphp];
    ASIFormDataRequest *request = [ASIFormDataRequest requestWithURL:url];
    [request setPostValue:msg forKey:@"message"];
    [request startAsynchronous];
}

@end

Have you considered that messing around with main is the cause of the problem? You are trying to do all the data stuff, but you haven't made the call to UIApplicationMain yet. Are you sure all the data connection are setup? Perhaps you should just create a view with a button on it and test it "properly" — Nick Bull

Justin Justin · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-06T13:28:47

All else aside, your request is never executed. Make sure to invoke startSynchronous or startAsynchronous on the request object. Please consider reading the "How To use it" guide to ASIHTTPRequest.

ASIHTTPRequest Issue - Cannot POST data to Database

1 Answers