db_conn.php

<?php

$servername = "localhost";
$username = "";
$password = "";
$dbname="";
$tblname="answer";

// Create connection
$connection = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password,$dbname);

// Check connection
if ($connection->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}



	function votes_insert($balnum, $selection)
	{
		$balnum = substr($balnum, 0,4) . substr($balnum,5,4);
		global $connection;
		$query = "insert into votes (vote_balnum, vote_selection) values ('$balnum', '$selection')";
		$result = mysqli_query ( $connection,  $query ) or die(mysqli_error($connection));
		$numrows = mysqli_num_rows($result);
		if ( $numrows ) {
			return TRUE;
		} else {
		return FALSE;
	}
	}
	function record_exists($table,$column,$value)
	{
		$value = substr($value, 0,4) . substr($value,5,4);
		echo $value;
		global $connection;
		$query = "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE {$column} = {$value}";
		$result = mysqli_query ($connection,  $query  );

		$numrows = mysqli_num_rows($result);
		if ( $numrows) {
			return TRUE;
		} else {

		return FALSE;
    }
	}





	?>