Creating Your Own Ajax Poll System

Nov 16, 2011

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Creating own ajax poll system. Today I prepared new interesting tutorial – we will creating own Poll system (AJAX) for your projects with PHP. Polls, answers and results I going to keep in single SQL table. When we will vote for one of variants – jQuery will POST data, and then we will animate our results in realtime.

Live Demo

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download in package

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Now – download the source files and lets start coding !

Step 1. SQL

We will need to add one table into our database:

CREATE TABLE `s183_polls` (
  `id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment,
  `title` varchar(255) default '',
  `answers` text NOT NULL,
  `results` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '',
  `total_votes` int(10) NOT NULL default '0',
  `when` int(10) NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY  (`id`)
) ENGINE=MyISAM  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
INSERT INTO `s183_polls` (`id`, `title`, `answers`, `results`, `total_votes`, `when`) VALUES
(NULL, 'First poll question', 'Answer 1<sep>Answer 2<sep>Answer 3<sep>Answer 4', '', 0, UNIX_TIMESTAMP()),
(NULL, 'Second poll question', 'Answer 21<sep>Answer 22<sep>Answer 23<sep>Answer 24', '', 0, UNIX_TIMESTAMP()+1),
(NULL, 'Third poll question', 'Answer 31<sep>Answer 32<sep>Answer 33<sep>Answer 34', '', 0, UNIX_TIMESTAMP()+2),
(NULL, 'Forth poll question', 'Answer 41<sep>Answer 42<sep>Answer 43<sep>Answer 44', '', 0, UNIX_TIMESTAMP()+3),
(NULL, 'Fifth poll question', 'Answer 51<sep>Answer 52<sep>Answer 53<sep>Answer 54', '', 0, UNIX_TIMESTAMP()+4);

This is pur main Polls table.

Step 2. PHP

Here are source code of our main file:

index.php

<?php
// disable  warnings
if (version_compare(phpversion(), "5.3.0", ">=")  == 1)
  error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE & ~E_DEPRECATED);
else
  error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE);
require_once('classes/CMySQL.php'); // including service class to work with database
if ($_POST['do'] == 'vote') { // in case if we submitted poll
    $iPollId = (int)$_POST['id'];
    $iAnswer = (int)$_POST['answer'];
    if ($iPollId && $iAnswer >= 0 && ! isset($_COOKIE['av' . $iPollId])) {
        // get poll info
        $aPollInfo = $GLOBALS['MySQL']->getRow("SELECT * FROM `s183_polls` WHERE `id` = '{$iPollId}'");
        // updating of poll results
        $aAnswers = explode('<sep>', $aPollInfo['answers']);
        $iCnt = count($aAnswers);
        $aVotes = ($aPollInfo['results'] == '') ? array_fill(0, $iCnt, 0) : explode('<sep>', $aPollInfo['results']);
        $aVotes[$iAnswer]++;
        $iVotesCount = array_sum($aVotes);
        $sVotes = implode('<sep>', $aVotes);
        $GLOBALS['MySQL']->res("UPDATE `s183_polls` SET `results` = '{$sVotes}', `total_votes` = {$iVotesCount} WHERE `id` = {$iPollId}");
        // recalculation of percents
        $iVotesCnt = $aPollInfo['total_votes'] + 1;
        $aPercents = array();
        foreach ($aAnswers as $i => $sAnswer) {
            $aPercents[$i] = round( (0 != $iVotesCnt ? (( $aVotes[$i] / $iVotesCnt ) * 100) : 0), 1);
        }
        setcookie('av' . $iPollId, '1', time() + 24*3600, '/'); // easy protection from duplicate votes
        // return back to JS
        echo json_encode($aPercents);
        exit;
    } else {
        exit;
    }
}
$sCode = '';
$iItemId = (int)$_GET['id'];
if ($iItemId) { // View item output
    $aItemInfo = $GLOBALS['MySQL']->getRow("SELECT * FROM `s183_polls` WHERE `id` = '{$iItemId}'"); // get poll info
    $aAnswers = explode('<sep>', $aItemInfo['answers']);
    $iCnt = count($aAnswers);
    $aVotes = ($aItemInfo['results'] == '') ? array_fill(0, $iCnt, 0) : explode('<sep>', $aItemInfo['results']);
    $iVotesCnt = $aItemInfo['total_votes'];
    $sAnswers = '';
    foreach ($aAnswers as $i => $sAnswer) {
        $fPercent = round((0 != $iVotesCnt ? (($aVotes[$i] / $iVotesCnt) * 100) : 0), 1);
        $sAnswers .= "<div id='{$i}'><div>{$sAnswer} (<span>{$aVotes[$i]}</span>)</div><div class='row' style='width:{$fPercent}%'>{$fPercent}%</div></div>";
    }
    ob_start();
    ?>
<h1><?= $aItemInfo['title'] ?></h1>
<h3><?= date('F j, Y', $aItemInfo['when']) ?></h3><hr />
<div class="answers"><?= $sAnswers ?></div>
<hr /><h3><a href="<?= $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] ?>">back</a></h3>
<script>
$(function(){
    $('.answers > div').click(function () {
        var answer = $(this).attr('id');
        var $span = $(this).find('span');
        $.post('<?= $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] ?>', {id: <?= $iItemId ?>, answer: answer, do: 'vote'},
            function(data){
                if (data) {
                    var da = eval('(' + data + ')');
                    for (var p in da) {
                        $($('.answers > div .row')[p]).animate({
                            width: da[p] + "%"
                        }, 500);
                        $($('.answers > div .row')[p]).text(da[p] + "%");
                    }
                    $span.text(parseInt($span.text()) + 1);
                }
            }
        );
    });
});
</script>
    <?
    $sCode .= ob_get_clean();
} else {
    $sCode .= '<h1>List of polls:</h1>';
    // taking info about all polls from database
    $aItems = $GLOBALS['MySQL']->getAll("SELECT * FROM `s183_polls` ORDER by `when` ASC");
    foreach ($aItems as $i => $aItemInfo) {
        $sCode .= '<h2><a href="'.$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'].'?id='.$aItemInfo['id'].'">'.$aItemInfo['title'].'</a></h2>';
    }
}
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" >
    <head>
        <meta charset="utf-8" />
        <title>Creating own ajax poll system | Script Tutorials</title>
        <link href="css/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
        <script type="text/javascript" src="js/jquery-1.5.2.min.js"></script>
    </head>
    <body>
        <div class="container">
            <?= $sCode ?>
        </div>
        <footer>
            <h2>Creating own own ajax poll system</h2>
            <a href="https://www.script-tutorials.com/creating-own-ajax-poll-system/" class="stuts">Back to original tutorial on <span>Script Tutorials</span></a>
        </footer>
    </body>
</html>

When we open this page in first time – it will draw list of polls. Each poll unit have own page. At this page we going to display Poll title, date of adding and all possible answers. On click – script will send (POST) data to same script. In this moment we are adding this vote, and then we will send back new percentages for all variants. And jQuery will re-animate all these bars. I added my comments in most of places for better understanding.

I have another one PHP file in my project:

classes/CMySQL.php

This is service class to work with database prepared by me. This is nice class which you can use too. Database connection details present in that class file in few variables, sure that you will able to configure this to your database. I will not publish sources of this file – this is not necessary right now. Available in package.

Step 3. JS

js/jquery-1.5.2.min.js

This is just jQuery library. Available in package.

Step 4. CSS

Now – all used CSS styles:

css/main.css

*{
    margin:0;
    padding:0;
}
body {
    background-repeat:no-repeat;
    background-color:#bababa;
    background-image: -webkit-radial-gradient(600px 200px, circle, #eee, #bababa 40%);
    background-image: -moz-radial-gradient(600px 200px, circle, #eee, #bababa 40%);
    background-image: -o-radial-gradient(600px 200px, circle, #eee, #bababa 40%);
    background-image: radial-gradient(600px 200px, circle, #eee, #bababa 40%);
    color:#fff;
    font:14px/1.3 Arial,sans-serif;
    min-height:600px;
}
footer {
    background-color:#212121;
    bottom:0;
    box-shadow: 0 -1px 2px #111111;
    display:block;
    height:70px;
    left:0;
    position:fixed;
    width:100%;
    z-index:100;
}
footer h2{
    font-size:22px;
    font-weight:normal;
    left:50%;
    margin-left:-400px;
    padding:22px 0;
    position:absolute;
    width:540px;
}
footer a.stuts,a.stuts:visited{
    border:none;
    text-decoration:none;
    color:#fcfcfc;
    font-size:14px;
    left:50%;
    line-height:31px;
    margin:23px 0 0 110px;
    position:absolute;
    top:0;
}
footer .stuts span {
    font-size:22px;
    font-weight:bold;
    margin-left:5px;
}
.container {
    border:3px #111 solid;
    color:#000;
    margin:20px auto;
    padding:15px;
    position:relative;
    text-align:center;
    width:500px;
    border-radius:15px;
    -moz-border-radius:15px;
    -webkit-border-radius:15px;
}
.answers > div {
    cursor:pointer;
    margin:0 0 0 40px;
    padding:10px;
    text-align:left;
}
.answers > div:hover {
    background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4);
}
.answers div .row {
     background-color:#0f0;
}

Live Demo

Conclusion

Today we built the great AJAX Poll system for your website. Sure that this material will be useful for your own projects. Good luck in your work!

7 COMMENTS

William Rouse Nov 17, 2011 at 8:42 pm

I can not get to work running under Netbeans and the editor shows syntax errors in the javascript in the index.php file.
Would you check this out please.
Thanks!
William Rouse

- admin Nov 21, 2011 at 7:34 am
  
  Hello William Rouse,
  
  What exactly JS syntax error did you get?
  
William Rouse Nov 26, 2011 at 12:03 am

In the following script there are errors: The first one occurs on the line starting with ” $.post(”, ”
The error says invalid property ID.

Then a series of errors follow based on this and cascades through the end of of the script.

$(function(){
$(‘.answers > div’).click(function () {

var answer = $(this).attr(‘id’);
var $span = $(this).find(‘span’);

$.post(”, {id: , answer: answer, do: ‘vote’},
function(data){
if (data) {
var da = eval(‘(‘ + data + ‘)’);
for (var p in da) {
$($(‘.answers > div .row’)[p]).animate({
width: da[p] + “%”
}, 500);
$($(‘.answers > div .row’)[p]).text(da[p] + “%”);
}
$span.text(parseInt($span.text()) + 1);
}
}
);
});
});

- admin Jan 8, 2012 at 5:12 pm
  
  Hello William,
  
  I see, but, did you check original code?
  It contain:
  $.post(‘<?= $_SERVER[‘PHP_SELF’] ?>’, {id: <?= $iItemId ?>, answer: answer, do: ‘vote’},
  And, pay attention, that original file is PHP file. So, both variables will transformed to proper values in result of execution, right?
  $_SERVER[‘PHP_SELF’] will converted to URL of current page, $iItemId – to active Item ID,
  One point, maybe short_open_tags disabled at your Netbeans ?
  As for information – this param allow us use <? instead <?php
  
William Rouse Nov 26, 2011 at 12:15 am

This line starting with
$.post(”,
generates a syntax error that reads invalid proper ID

Julius Jun 30, 2012 at 10:27 am

does this use the computer’s IP address to know whether you have already voted?

- admin Jul 14, 2012 at 11:55 am
  
  Hello Julius,
  Current version uses Cookies. I don’t store IPs into database (but this is possible too)