PHP - Advice On Simple Php For A Newbie?

I am creating a site to display some products. For ease of updating I want it to run off a MySQL database. I have created the database and php scripts to output and input data etc. I know want to show that data in my web pages. My question is.... Is it best to insert HTML into the php output script to display the information and make the site look how I want....OR ....... should I create a template of the site in HTML and then somehow call the php output script (and the particular row of the database...)

Basically... should I put the html code into the php - OR - put the php into the HTML??

I hope this make sense......

thanks

Hey all,
I've been programming with php for about 3 months now and am still out to lunch on a lot of it. I was hoping someone could help me clear up a problem I'm having with my script.

It's a simple script that takes a user selection from the previous page ($StarterPackGroup) and executes a list of randomized functions based on the users selection. (There are 4 races to choose from, here's the url to the page that provides the info for $StarterPackGroup for my script.

http://www.eardrumvalley.com/backdoor/MINI_TACTICS/Starter_Pack.php

Once the user has selected one of 4 races, it takes them to this php script and rolls for their first "pack". I currently only have the "aqua elves" responding, so click on them.

Now, I have the page setup so it generates random numbers, and I know the numbers ARE generating, because I see them with an echo command (you will too, they are at the top of the page). However, the problem I'm having, is trying to utilize these random generated numbers in my other functions. ie: I create $UncommonUnit[$i], $CommonUnit[$i], $RareUnit[$i] and $MonsterUnit in the NewStarterPackRoll function.... however, i can't seem to utilize them in my other functions. How do I pass this info to another function?

The echo returns the random numbers from $CommonUnit, $UncommonUnit, $RareUnit and $MonsterUnit just fine WITHIN the StarterPackRoll function, but not later on in the AquaElfStarterPack function. Anytime I try to echo the return value of these holders, I get a blank value... I also know the value isn't being passed between functions because none of my if statements are working either. All the units receive a default allocation (Trooper, Hero, Champion, Skel Sprite), if the randomized numbers were passing, these would be giving me other values as well.

Please help,
I'm convinced there's a simple answer, and I'm just an idiot when it comes to PHP.
Lend me a hand!


CODING INFO
-----------------

THE DATE ENTREE SCREEN - "http://www.eardrumvalley.com/backdoor/MINI_TACTICS/Starter_Pack.php"

(BE SURE TO PICK AQUA ELVES, THEY ARE THE ONLY RACE THAT SENDS VALUES)
This will bring you to the script page after you submit the selection:

THE SCRIPT CODE ON "Open_First_Pack.php" after the data is sent is as follows: (please browse to webpages to see results of code).
<?php
   function RaceCheck($StarterPackGroup) {
      if ($StarterPackGroup=="AquaElves") {
         AquaElfStarterPack();
      }
   }


   function NewStarterPackRoll() {
      $i = 0;
      while ($i < 9) { 
         $i = $i + 1;
         $CommonUnit[$i] = rand(1, 100);
         echo "" . $CommonUnit[$i] . " ";
      }
      $i = 0;
      while ($i < 4) { 
         $i = $i + 1;
         $UncommonUnit[$i] = rand(1, 100);
      }
      $i = 0;
      while ($i < 2) { 
         $i = $i + 1;
         $RareUnit[$i] = rand(1, 100);
      }
      $MonsterUnit = rand(1, 100);
   }
   
   
   function AquaElfStarterPack() {
         $i=0;
         echo "<p><b>Commons:</b><br>";
         while ($i < 9) {
            $i=$i + 1;
            if ($CommonUnit[$i] <= 20) { $OpenedCommon[$i] = "Trooper"; }
            else if ($CommonUnit[$i] <= 40) { $OpenedCommon[$i] = "Bowman"; }
            else if ($CommonUnit[$i] <= 65) { $OpenedCommon[$i] = "Sentinal"; }
            else if ($CommonUnit[$i] <= 80) { $OpenedCommon[$i] = "Horseman"; }
            else if ($CommonUnit[$i] <= 100) { $OpenedCommon[$i] = "Evoker"; }
            echo "" . $CommonUnit[$i] . " ";
            echo "" . $OpenedCommon[$i] . "<br>";
         }
         echo "</p><p><b>Uncommons:</b><br>";
         $i=0;
         while ($i < 4) {
            $i=$i + 1;
            if ($UncommonUnit[$i] <= 20) { $OpenedUncommon[$i] = "Hero"; }
            else if ($UncommonUnit[$i] <= 40) { $OpenedUncommon[$i] = "Archer"; }
            else if ($UncommonUnit[$i] <= 65) { $OpenedUncommon[$i] = "Courier"; }
            else if ($UncommonUnit[$i] <= 85) { $OpenedUncommon[$i] = "Knight"; }
            else if ($UncommonUnit[$i] <= 100) { $OpenedUncommon[$i] = "Conjurer"; }
            echo "" . $UncommonUnit[$i] . " ";
            echo "" . $OpenedUncommon[$i] . "<br>";
         }
         echo "</p><p><b>Rares:</b><br>";
         $i=0;
         while ($i < 2) {
            $i=$i + 1;
            if ($RareUnit[$i] <= 15) { $OpenedRare[$i] = "Champion"; }
            else if ($RareUnit[$i] <= 35) { $OpenedRare[$i] = "Sharp Shooter"; }
            else if ($RareUnit[$i] <= 55) { $OpenedRare[$i] = "Herald"; }
            else if ($RareUnit[$i] <= 80) { $OpenedRare[$i] = "Eagle Knight"; }
            else if ($RareUnit[$i] <= 100) { $OpenedRare[$i] = "Enchanter"; }
            echo "" . $RareUnit[$i] . " ";
            echo "" . $OpenedRare[$i] . "<br>";
         }
         echo "</p><p><b>Monster:</b><br>";
         if ($MonsterUnit <= 25) { $OpenedMonster = "Skeleton Sprite"; }
         else if ($MonsterUnit <= 45) { $OpenedMonster = "Tako"; }
         else if ($MonsterUnit <= 75) { $OpenedMonster = "Coral Giant"; }
         else if ($MonsterUnit <= 100) { $OpenedMonster = "Gryphon"; }
            echo "" . $MonsterUnit . " ";
            echo "" . $OpenedMonster . "</p>";
      }
      
      NewStarterPackRoll();
      RaceCheck($_REQUEST['StarterPackGroup']);
?>

(php is a weakness)     Here is the HTML portion for the form:     <form action="send_form_email.php" id="contacts-form" method="post">

Hey there, I just started learning PHP as my first language and after being on different forums for several years I know that you can learn a lot from the knowledge of the communities so I figure may aswell be here on my PHP endeavour. I'm not computer/code illiterate so no need to dumb anything down.

My question is about this little script:
Code: [Select]
<?php
foreach($_REQUEST as $value) {
echo $value;
}
?>
I fully understand what it does, I just don't understand how really. What confuses me is how is anything in the $_REQUEST array as I didn't specify/ how does $_REQUEST know what information to pull.

Code: [Select]
  <label for="first_name">First Name:</label>
  <input type="text" name="first_name" size="20"/><br />
  <label for="last_name"><Last Name:</label>
  <input type="text" name="last_name" size="20"/><br />
  <label for="email">Email Address:</label>
  <input type="text" name="email" size="50"/><br />
Appreciate any explanations for my newbie self. 

This topic has been moved to JavaScript Help.

http://www.phpfreaks.com/forums/index.php?topic=308937.0