How can beginners address issues with PHP scripts not functioning as expected, such as in the case of a guestbook not posting entries?

Issue: If a guestbook is not posting entries, it may be due to errors in the PHP script handling the form submission. Check for syntax errors, ensure the form action is pointing to the correct PHP file, and verify that the form fields are being properly processed and stored in the database. 

<?php
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    $name = $_POST["name"];
    $message = $_POST["message"];
    
    // Connect to database and insert form data
    $conn = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");
    
    $sql = "INSERT INTO guestbook (name, message) VALUES ('$name', '$message')";
    
    if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
        echo "Entry posted successfully!";
    } else {
        echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
    }
    
    $conn->close();
}
?>

<form method="post" action="guestbook.php">
    Name: <input type="text" name="name"><br>
    Message: <textarea name="message"></textarea><br>
    <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

Keywords

PHP debugging guestbook form submission error handling

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