PHP - Automatic Update

Can anyone post a generic update function to update mysql table.
The manual approach:

update $tablename
set $column1='a', $column2='b'
where $id=$value;

Hi i have this simple update form and scrip but somehow it doesnt seem to be update the field on the database can someone help out please.
The html form is the second form bellow where the action send to status_update.php
HTML FORM
Code: [Select]
<?php                include("../header.html");            ?>
<?php                include("header_news.html");            
extract($_REQUEST,EXTR_SKIP);
?><?php            
/*                print("sfilm_refnum = $sfilm_refnum<BR>");                
print("sfilm_addr01 = $sfilm_addr01<BR>");                
print("sfilm_postcode = $sfilm_postcode<BR>");                
print("Film Client = $fclient<BR>");            */             
?>           
<form id="search" action="list.php" method="post" name="search">               
<table width="780" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" bgcolor="#eeeeee">                   
<tr>                       
<td align="right" width="140"></td>                       
<td width="320"><span class="hofblack10">                           
</span>                           
</td>                       
<td align="center" width="100"><input type="hidden" name="lstart" value="<?php print("$lstart"); ?>" /><input type="hidden" name="lend" value="<?php print("$lend"); ?>" /><input type="hidden" name="lamount" value="<?php print("$lamount"); ?>" /></td>                        <td align="center" width="100"></td>                       
<td align="right"></td>                   
</tr>               
</table>           
</form>           
<table width="780" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" bgcolor="#4050c4">               
<tr>                 
<td width="60" class="hofwhite10">action</td>                   
<td width="140"><span class="hofwhite14">DATE</span></td>                   
<td width="80"><span class="hofwhite14">ID</span></td>                   
<td><span class="hofwhite14">News Titile</span></td>                   
<td width="100"><span class="hofwhite14">Status</span></td>               
</tr>               
<tr height="0">                 
<td bgcolor="white" width="60"></td>                   
<td bgcolor="white" width="140" height="0"></td>                   
<td bgcolor="white" width="80" height="0"></td>                   
<td bgcolor="white" height="0"></td>                   
<td bgcolor="white" width="100" height="0"></td>               
</tr>           
</table><table width="780" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"><tr>                   
<td width="60"></td>                 
<td width="80"></td>                   
<td><a class="blueullrg" href="add.php">Add News</a></td>                   
<td align="right" width="120"></td>               
</tr>               
<tr height="0">                   
<td width="60" height="0"></td>                 
<td width="80" height="0"></td>                   
<td height="0"></td>                   
<td align="right" width="120" height="0"></td>               
</tr>           
</table>  <?php          
//get the DB connection variables    
include("../../../includes/config.php");        
//connect to DB        
$connection = @mysql_connect($db_address,$db_username,$db_password) or die("Couldn't CONNECT.");        
$db = @mysql_select_db($db_name, $connection) or die("Couldn't select DATABASE.");                
$query2="SELECT * FROM news WHERE !(news_status='deleted')";        
$result2 = mysql_query($query2) or die("Couldn't execute QUERY - Select NEWS Qty");        
$fqty = mysql_num_rows($result2);            
//SELECT or FIND the same USERNAME        
$query3="SELECT * FROM news WHERE !(news_status='deleted') ORDER BY news_id DESC";        
$result3 = mysql_query($query3) or die("Couldn't execute QUERY - Select NEWS");        
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result3))            
{                
$news_id                 = $row['news_id'];                
$news_title                = $row['news_title'];                
$news_story                = $row['news_story'];                
$news_image                = $row['news_image'];                
$news_image_caption        = $row['news_image_caption'];                
$news_image_link        = $row['news_image_link'];                
$news_date_day            = $row['news_date_day'];                
$news_date_month        = $row['news_date_month'];                
$news_date_year            = $row['news_date_year'];                
$news_status            = $row['news_status'];                
$news_website            = $row['news_website'];                
$news_date_created        = $row['news_date_created'];        
        $news_date_modified        = $row['news_date_modified'];    ?>           
        <table width="780" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" bgcolor="#eeeeee">               
        <tr>                 
        <td width="60"><span class="hofblack10">                   
         <?php                    
         if($news_status=="deleted"){                        
         print("<a class='hifblack10'>deleted</span>");                    
         }ELSE{                        
         print("<a class='blueul' href='edit.php?id=$news_id'>edit</a>");                    
         }                    
         ?>                 
          </span></td>                   
          <td width="140"><span class="titlegrey12">                     
          <?php                      
          if(!$news_date_day) 
          { echo "00"; }
          else{ echo $news_date_day; }                      
          echo "/";                     
           if(!$news_date_month) { echo "00"; }else{ echo $news_date_month; }                      
           echo "/";                      
           if(!$news_date_year) { echo "0000"; }else{ echo $news_date_year; }                    
           ?>                   
           </span></td>                   
           <td width="80"><span class="titlegrey12"><?php                    print("$news_id");                    ?></span>
           </td>                   
           <td><?php                    
           if($news_status=="deleted")
           {                        
           print("<class='hofblack10'>$news_title</span>");                    
           }ELSE{                        
           print("<a class='blueul' href='edit.php?id=$news_id'>$news_title</a>");                    
           }                    
           ?></td>                   
           <td width="100">                       
           <form id="list_update" action="status_update.php" method="post" name="list_update">                           
        <select name="newnstatus" size="1">                               
           <option  <?php if($row['news_status'] == "") 
           {
            print("selected");
           } ?>
           selected="selected" value="">Status...</option>                               
           <option  <?php if($row['news_status'] == "on")
           {
            print("selected");
           } ?> value="on">On</option>
               <option  <?php if($row['news_status'] == "off")
           {
            print("selected");
           } ?> value="off">Off</option>
            <option  <?php if($row['news_status'] == "deleted")
           {
            print("selected");
           } ?> value="deleted">Delete</option>
        </select>
         <input type="hidden" name="nstatus" value="<?php echo $row[news_status]; ?>" />                           
           <input type="hidden" name="id" value="<?php echo $row[news_id]; ?>" />                       
           <input type="submit" name="update" value="update" />                       
           </form>                     
            </td>               
            </tr>               
            <tr height="0">                 
            <td bgcolor="white" width="60"></td>                   
            <td bgcolor="white" width="140" height="0"></td>                   
            <td bgcolor="white" width="80" height="0"></td>                   
            <td bgcolor="white" height="0"></td>                   
            <td bgcolor="white" width="100" height="0"></td>               
            </tr>           
            </table>
            <?php            }        mysql_close($connection);//}?>           
            <table width="780" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4">         
            <tr>                   
            <td width="60"></td>                 
            <td width="80"></td>                   
            <td><a class="blueullrg" href="add.php">Add News</a></td>                   
            <td align="right" width="120"></td>               
            </tr>           
            </table><?php                // include("list_navigation.html");            ?>
            <?php                include("../footer.html");            ?>
            </div></body></html>
The action script php
Code: [Select]
<?php
/*    echo "fstatus: ".$fstatus."<BR>";    
echo "id: ".$id."<BR>";    
echo "fclient: ".$fclient."<BR>";    
echo "newfstatus: ".$newfstatus."<BR>";*/    
//set the date of agreement        
$timestamp = date('l jS \of F Y h:i:s A');    
//get the DB connection variables        
include("../../../includes/config.php");
//connect to DB        
$connection = @mysql_connect($db_address,$db_username,$db_password) or die("Couldn't CONNECT.");        
$db = @mysql_select_db($db_name, $connection) or die("Couldn't select FILMS DATABASE.");    
// All appears well, so enter into database                
$query= "UPDATE news SET news_status = '$newnstatus' WHERE news_id='$id'";

$result = mysql_query($query) or die("could not execute query - Update FILMS Record to DB");    
//setup an email to the Admin @ hof, w/o attachment            
$emailto="xx@xxx.co.uk";        
$emailfrom="no-reply@xxxx.co.uk";        
$emailsubject="xx Record Updated";        
$emailmessage="Hello Registrar\n\n";        
$emailmessage.="News ID: ".$id."\n";        
$emailmessage.="Updated on: ".$timestamp."\n\n";        
$emailmessage.="Status was: ".$nstatus."\n";        
$emailmessage.="Status now: ".$newfnstatus."\n";        
$emailmessage.="Thank you,\n\n";        
$emailmessage.="Web Site ROBOT\n";        
$emailmessage.="(Administrator)\n";        
$emailmessage.="xxx.co.uk | xxx.biz\n";        
$emailmessage.="----------------------------------------------\n";        
$emailmessage.="e. http://www.xxx.co.uk/contact.php\n";        
$emailmessage.="w. http://www.xxx.co.uk\n";        
$emailheader="From: xxx.co.uk<$emailfrom>";
$emailheader  .= 'Cc: xxx@xxx.co.uk'."\r\n";
$emailheader  .= 'Bcc: xxx@xxxxx.co.uk'."\r\n";        
$ok=mail($emailto,$emailsubject,$emailmessage,$emailheader);        
mysql_close($connection);            
if ($ok)
 {        
 header("Location: list.php"); 
 /* Redirect browser */        
 exit;    
 } else {        
 $errmsg="There was a problem, please try later or telephone us direct.";        
 $errsta="1";        
 include("edit_error.html");        
 //echo "<p>Mail could not be sent. Sorry!</p>";        
 exit;    
 }        
 ?> Thanks in advance

what Im basically trying to do is just like a phpmyadmin function... you select rows you want to update with a checkbox and then it takes you to a page where the rows that are clicked are shown in forms so that you can view and edit info in them... and then have 1 submit button to update them all at once.

I want to upload a file automatically at any time from my home PC to a website I am developing. I can upload OK using a form with 'enctype="multipart/form-data"' but this requires manual operation to select a file and to submit the upload request. Is there a way the upload process can be made to happen with no operator present?

I also want to download from the website to my PC automatically ie. download a file (as it becomes available) from the website to a specified location on my PC, without operator intervention. Help. Thanks.

Hello , I'm here with a problem facing with automatic login , I'm not able to login programmatically and fill the forms programatically to other website . here is the code which i have tried .   <?php