This being my first post to the list, I want to thank everyone for all the insight and information that is so freely given here. I'm pleased to be a part of this community. I have been using zope for 6 months now, and I have started to build a python product, based on some pre-existing code (mostly Squishdot). I have been getting some strange variable mixups, that i can't track down. So I am coming to the group to try and figure it out. I should say that I have searched the archives, and read the relavent how-tos, and have not found the answers I am looking for. I realize that this is a syntax problem somewhere, and any help is greatly appreciated. This is a huge post, with a bunch of problems (i'm sure) and I apologize if it irritates anyone. Problem 1: I have a form that submits a bunch of fields to a python method "addSRPerson" This is based on "addPosting" in Squishdot. The first 10 fields work as expected, then the strangeness starts. The field "otherwebsite" seems to store the value of "description" except that it is stored in brackets and single quotes, like this: ['description'] The description and summary variables come up blank, and the only checkbox, switches to checked. I notice that some variables in Squishdot are defined simply with the variable name, while others are defined as variablename=''. I have a feeling this is where my problem is, because I do not understand the difference. Problem 2: I have a select box, that I want people to be able to select multiple items from. The selecting and submission seems to work, but I can't get them to display in the editPersonFrom page. I got this list into the addSRPerson method by using "styles=[]" is this the right way to do it? Also, how to make it not freak out with a single selection. Do I force it into a list on the input form? Thanks in advance for the help! -ed- here are snippits of the code ------------------------------------------------------------------- The python source, primary class ------------------------------------------------------------------- def addSRPerson(self,firstname,lastname,username,city,state,country, birthdate,mixingsince,personalwebsite, description, voicecontact,djname,otherwebsite='',file='', styles=[], summary='', email='',private='', REQUEST=None,RESPONSE=None,internal=0): """ add a person to the database this is based on Squishsite.addPosting """ firstname =strip(firstname) lastname=strip(lastname) username=strip(username) city=strip(city) state=strip(state) country=strip(country) birthdate =strip(birthdate) personalwebsite=strip(personalwebsite) voicecontact=strip(voicecontact) email=strip(email) private=private djname=strip(djname) styles=styles mixingsince=strip(mixingsince) otherwebsite=strip(otherwebsite) summary = strip(summary) if summary: summary =split(CRLF.sub('\n',summary),'\n') else: summary = None description = strip(description) if description: description =split(CRLF.sub('\n',description),'\n') else: description = None ------------------------------------------------------------------- The python source, post class ------------------------------------------------------------------- class StarRavePersonPost(StarRavePerson): """ A class for peoples' data Based on Class Article in Squishdot """ meta_type ='SRPersonPost' icon ='misc_/Squishdot/person_img' def __init__(self, id, srprojects, firstname, lastname, username, city, state, country, birthdate, personalwebsite, voicecontact, email, otherwebsite, description, validated, file, djname, styles, mixingsince, private, summary ): StarRavePerson.__init__(self,id,srprojects,firstname,lastname,username, city,state,country, birthdate,personalwebsite,voicecontact, email, otherwebsite, description, validated, djname, styles,mixingsince,private, file, summary) def manage_edit(self,firstname,lastname,username,city,state,country,birthdate, personalwebsite,voicecontact,otherwebsite,description, djname,styles,mixingsince,email='',private='',validated='', summary='',REQUEST=None,RESPONSE=None): """ edit a person """ firstname =strip(firstname) lastname=strip(lastname) username=strip(username) city=strip(city) state=strip(state) country=strip(country) birthdate =strip(birthdate) personalwebsite=strip(personalwebsite) voicecontact=strip(voicecontact) email=strip(email) description=strip(description) private=private id = self.id description =split(CRLF.sub('\n',description),'\n') summary =split(CRLF.sub('\n',summary),'\n') self.firstname =firstname self.lastname =lastname self.username =username self.city =city self.state =state self.country =country self.birthdate =birthdate self.personalwebsite=personalwebsite self.voicecontact =voicecontact self.email =email self.summary =summary self.djname =djname self.styles =styles self.mixingsince =mixingsince self.otherwebsite =otherwebsite self.description =description self.private =private self.validated =validated ------------------------------------------------------------------- a bit from The submission form (I left out most of the fields that work) ------------------------------------------------------------------- <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <STRONG>Other Website</STRONG> Any other websites that you are involved with </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="otherwebsite" VALUE="" SIZE="40"> </TD> </TR> <dtml-if "meta_type == 'StarRave Site'"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"><font color="RED">*</font><STRONG>Brief description</STRONG> One or two sentances describing yourself. </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <TEXTAREA NAME="summary" WRAP ROWS="5" COLS="50"></TEXTAREA></TD> </TR> </dtml-if> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"><font color="RED">*</font><STRONG>Description</STRONG> Your life's story goes here </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <TEXTAREA NAME="description" WRAP ROWS="14" COLS="50"><dtml-if body><dtml-in body>> <dtml-var sequence-item html_quote> </dtml-in></dtml-if></TEXTAREA> </TD> </TR> <TR><TD> </TD><TD>If you are a Dj fill out these fields</TD></TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <STRONG>Dj Pseudonym</STRONG> </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="djname" VALUE="" SIZE="40"> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <STRONG>Styles</STRONG> Select multiples with shift-click </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <dtml-if has_styles> <SELECT NAME="styles" size="4" multiple> <OPTION VALUE="" SELECTED> <dtml-in styles_list> <OPTION VALUE="<dtml-var sequence-item html_quote>"><dtml-var sequence-item> </dtml-in styles_list> </SELECT> <dtml-else> <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="subject" VALUE="" SIZE="40"> </dtml-if has_subjects> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <STRONG>Mixing since</STRONG> Date that you started spinning. Unknown format </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="mixingsince" VALUE="" SIZE="40"> </TD> </TR> ------------------------------------------------------------------- a bit from The edit form (I left out most of the fields that work) ------------------------------------------------------------------- <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <STRONG>Other Website</STRONG> </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="otherwebsite" VALUE="<dtml-var otherwebsite html_quote>" SIZE="40"> </TD> </TR> <dtml-if "meta_type == 'SrPersonPost'"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"><STRONG>Summary</STRONG> </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <dtml-if "REQUEST.has_key('summary')"> <TEXTAREA NAME="summary" WRAP ROWS="5" COLS="50"><dtml-if "REQUEST['summary']"><dtml-var "REQUEST['summary']" html_quote newline_to_br></dtml-if></TEXTAREA> <dtml-else> <TEXTAREA NAME="summary" WRAP ROWS="5" COLS="50"><dtml-if summary><dtml-in summary><dtml-var sequence-item html_quote></dtml-in summary></dtml-if summary></TEXTAREA> </dtml-if> </TD> </TR> </dtml-if> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"><STRONG>Description</STRONG> </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <dtml-if "REQUEST.has_key('description')"> <TEXTAREA NAME="description" WRAP ROWS="5" COLS="50"><dtml-if "REQUEST['description']"><dtml-var "REQUEST['description']" html_quote newline_to_br></dtml-if></TEXTAREA> <dtml-else> <TEXTAREA NAME="description" WRAP ROWS="14" COLS="50"><dtml-if description><dtml-in description><dtml-var sequence-item html_quote></dtml-in description></dtml-if description></TEXTAREA> </dtml-if> </TD> </TR> <TR><TD> </TD><TD>Dj fields</TD></TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <STRONG>Dj Pseudonym</STRONG> </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <dtml-if "REQUEST.has_key('email')"> <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="djname" VALUE="<dtml-var "REQUEST['djname']" html_quote>" SIZE="40"> <dtml-else> <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="djname" VALUE="<dtml-var djname html_quote>" SIZE="40"> </dtml-if> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <STRONG>Styles</STRONG> </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <dtml-if has_styles> <SELECT NAME="styles" size="4" multiple> <dtml-if "REQUEST.has_key('styles')" > <dtml-if "REQUEST['styles']" > <OPTION VALUE=""> <dtml-else> <OPTION VALUE="" SELECTED> </dtml-if> <dtml-else> <OPTION VALUE=""> </dtml-if> <dtml-in styles_list> <dtml-if "REQUEST.has_key('styles')" > <dtml-if "_['sequence-item'] == REQUEST['styles']"> <OPTION VALUE="<dtml-var sequence-item html_quote>" SELECTED><dtml-var sequence-item> <dtml-else> <OPTION VALUE="<dtml-var sequence-item html_quote>"><dtml-var sequence-item> </dtml-if> <dtml-else> <dtml-if "_['sequence-item'] == styles"> <OPTION VALUE="<dtml-var sequence-item html_quote>" SELECTED><dtml-var sequence-item> <dtml-else> <OPTION VALUE="<dtml-var sequence-item html_quote>"><dtml-var sequence-item> </dtml-if> </dtml-if> </dtml-in styles_list> </SELECT> <dtml-else> <dtml-if "REQUEST.has_key('username')" > <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="styles" VALUE="<dtml-var "REQUEST['styles']" html_quote>" SIZE="40"> <dtml-else> <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="styles" VALUE="<dtml-var styles html_quote>" SIZE="40"> </dtml-if> </dtml-if has_styles> -------------------------------------------------------------------