code OK for large number of hits?

On Mon, 05 May 2008 10:25:06 +0200, Matthias Watermann <lists@mwat.de>
wrote:

>On Mon, 05 May 2008 07:16:35 +0100, Geoff Cox wrote:
>
>> [...]
>> where the user is typing a number into a box
>>
>> var number_check = number_given;
>> if ( (number_check >7) || (number_check < 1) ) { alert("The number must
>> be in the range 1 to 7!"); } else
>> if (isNaN(number_check)) {
>> alert("Please enter a valid number"); } else {
>> sendGroup1Lab1(number_check);
>> }
>
>You must _never_ rely on client-side validation! As far as the
>server-side script is concerned you should at least assume the user
>switched JavaScript off (not to mention intended malformed values).
>
>> I have changed (***) the php to
>>
>> $result1 = $_GET['answer1'];
>> $result2 = $_GET['answer2'];
>> $result3 = $_GET['answer3'];
>> $result4 = $_GET['answer4'];
>
>If those values are supposed to be numbers you should at least
>ensure that:
>
>$result1 = $_GET['answer1'] * 1;
>$result2 = $_GET['answer2'] * 1;
>$result3 = $_GET['answer3'] * 1;
>$result4 = $_GET['answer4'] * 1;


>(There's no need for those "$result" variables: Why keep the same value
>in memory multiple times?) Do _not_ assume all the expected CGI
>arguments are there actually but always check that.

Matthias,

I'm not clear what you mean above re the "no need for those "$result"
variables" - could you please explain?

Cheers

Geoff


>
>> [...]
>> $result4 = mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['favorite']); ***
>
>What's "favorite" supposed to be? A string? A number (real or integer)?
>How do you validate that?
>
>> mysql_query("INSERT INTO mytable (answer1,answer2,answer3,answer4)
>> VALUES ('$result1','$result2','$result3','$result4')");
>
>The single quote are needed for string values, while those "$resultX"
>variables are integers. Hence you could omit the single quotes.
>
>> I see that mysql_real_escape_string can only be used after connecting
>> to the database?
>
>Yes. However, id you'd validate the user provided values there's not
>much need for such a call anyway. And escaping possibly malicious
>values might avoid some SQL injection problem but it does _not_ avoid
>your tables being filled with useless data.
>
>> Is the above safer?
>
>Further improvement could be gained by not using the tables directly
>but calling an stored procedure which could implement additional
>validation. But that's another topic and probably oversized for
>your application.
>
>However, you should switch from HTTP/GET to HTTP/POST. While that's
>not a safety net as such at least it makes it a _little_ harder to
>fake the CGI arguments.

On Mon, 05 May 2008 12:51:09 +0200, Geoff Cox <gcox@freeuk.notcom> wrote:
>> If those values are supposed to be numbers you should at least
>> ensure that:
>>
>> $result1 = $_GET['answer1'] * 1;
>> $result2 = $_GET['answer2'] * 1;
>> $result3 = $_GET['answer3'] * 1;
>> $result4 = $_GET['answer4'] * 1;
>
>
>> (There's no need for those "$result" variables: Why keep the same value
>> in memory multiple times?) Do _not_ assume all the expected CGI
>> arguments are there actually but always check that.
>
> Matthias,
>
> I'm not clear what you mean above re the "no need for those "$result"
> variables" - could you please explain?

It's more of a discussion for comp.lang.php.

However, I do NOT agree that those $result variables are unneeded: it's a
Good Practise to leave the GET/POST/COOKIE/ARG superglobals arrays as
read-only. Who knows what other code would do next? And one could want to
log illegal values later on for instance. As soon as one wants to alter
it, use a 'normal' variable. Certainly with the limited GET array, memory
will seldomly be the problem.

Nothing to do with MySQL anymore, f'up comp.lang.php
--
Rik Wasmus

On Mon, 05 May 2008 11:51:09 +0100, Geoff Cox wrote:

> [...]
>>(There's no need for those "$result" variables: Why keep the same value
>>in memory multiple times?) Do _not_ assume all the expected CGI
>>arguments are there actually but always check that.
>
> Matthias,
>
> I'm not clear what you mean above re the "no need for those "$result"
> variables" - could you please explain?

As I've shown in my validation examples you can "clean" the CGI arguments
directly in the global "$_GET" list. I consider it a waste of memory to
duplicate those values. But just was just a hint. The other points were
more important.


--
Matthias
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Matthias Watermann wrote:
> On Mon, 05 May 2008 11:51:09 +0100, Geoff Cox wrote:
>
>> [...]
>>> (There's no need for those "$result" variables: Why keep the same value
>>> in memory multiple times?) Do _not_ assume all the expected CGI
>>> arguments are there actually but always check that.
>> Matthias,
>>
>> I'm not clear what you mean above re the "no need for those "$result"
>> variables" - could you please explain?
>
> As I've shown in my validation examples you can "clean" the CGI arguments
> directly in the global "$_GET" list. I consider it a waste of memory to
> duplicate those values. But just was just a hint. The other points were
> more important.
>
>

You can. But I agree with Rik. It is better to consider the $_GET and
$_POST values to be read-only.

Which is more important - maintainability and serviceability of the
application, or 50 bytes of memory?

But this is also a PHP question, not a MySQL one.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex@attglobal.net
==================

On Mon, 05 May 2008 10:25:06 +0200, Matthias Watermann wrote:
> $hits = array();

As a completely juvenile aside, variable names like this make me giggle.

--
3. My noble half-brother whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept
anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon.
--Peter Anspach's list of things to do as an Evil Overlord

On Mon, 05 May 2008 10:22:55 -0500, Peter H. Coffin wrote:

> [...]
>> $hits = array();
>
> As a completely juvenile aside, variable names like this make me giggle.

You're welcome! Laughing improves your health, or so I hear :-)

--
Matthias
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