PHP insert into sql with array

Question

the following code works to grab a return value from a php run_instance script. However, the value returned ($instanceIds) is in an array format. I need to insert these values, along with the userName and serverName into an sql database in separate rows for each value that is contained within the $instanceIds array. However, where I am getting confused is that I don't know how to insert the $instanceIds into the database in a way so that the userName and serverName are inserted over and over again until the end of the array. Any help is greatly appreciated

<?php
session_start();
$name=mysql_real_escape_string($_SESSION['username']);

include 'mysql_connect.php';

// Select the database to use
mysql_select_db("database",$con);

// Describe the now-running instance to get the public URL
$result = $ec2Client->describeInstances(array(
    'InstanceIds' => $instanceIds,
));


$server_record = mysql_query("INSERT INTO server_tbl (userName, serverName, serverId, isRunning) VALUES ('$name', 'runtest', '$instanceIds', 'X'");

print_r($instanceIds);

?>

Answer 1

foreach ($instanceIds as $instanceId) {
    $server_record = mysql_query("INSERT INTO server_tbl "
        . "(userName, serverName, serverId, isRunning) "
        . "VALUES ('$name', 'runtest', '$instanceId', 'X'");
}

Answer 2

1. You really, really should not use mysql_real_escape_string() or mysql_query() or any of the mysql functions. They are deprecated, insecure, and will be removed from PHP in the future, breaking your entire app. Please save yourself and your users a lot of headache by using mysqli or PDO instead.

2. Use a foreach loop to iterate over the array.

    foreach ($instanceIds as $id){
        $sql = "INSERT INTO server_tbl (userName, serverName, serverId, isRunning) VALUES ('$name', 'runtest', '$id', 'X')";
   
        //do your insert here with the above SQL statement, depending on whether you use mysqli or PDO