Post excerpt in custom meta box... help with proper php format

Question

I have a custom meta box attached to a post type that displays ways for customers to submit new ideas. Customers are supposed to summarize their idea in 30 characters or less, which seems like a good use for post_excerpt. I'm not great with php (still learning) so any help with getting the echo statement right would be appreciated.

Below is my custom meta box as it stands. For simplicity I have stripped away everything else.

The post excerpt will display in the meta box but any edits will not save there. What am I doing wrong?

function idea_information() {
    global $post;

    // Noncename needed to verify where the data originated
    echo '<input type="hidden" name="ideameta_noncename" id="ideameta_noncename" value="' .
    wp_create_nonce( plugin_basename(__FILE__) ) . '" />';

    // Get the location data if its already been entered
    $quicknote = get_post_meta($post->ID, '_ideas_quicknote', true);


    // Echo out the fields
    echo '<h3>Basics</h3>
          <input type="text" name="excerpt" id="excerpt" value="' . $post->post_excerpt  . '"/>';

}

// Save the Metabox Data

function whiteout_save_idea_meta($post_id, $post) {

    // verify this came from the our screen and with proper authorization,
    // because save_post can be triggered at other times
    if ( !wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['ideameta_noncename'], plugin_basename(__FILE__) )) {
    return $post->ID;
    }

    // Is the user allowed to edit the post or page?
    if ( !current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post->ID ))
        return $post->ID;

    // OK, we're authenticated: we need to find and save the data
    // We'll put it into an array to make it easier to loop though.
    $station_meta['_ideas_quicknote'] = $_POST['_ideas_quicknote'];

    // Add values of $station_meta as custom fields

    foreach ($station_meta as $key => $value) { // Cycle through the $station_meta array!
        if( $post->post_type == 'revision' ) return; // Don't store custom data twice
        $value = implode(',', (array)$value); // If $value is an array, make it a CSV (unlikely)
        if(get_post_meta($post->ID, $key, FALSE)) { // If the custom field already has a value
            update_post_meta($post->ID, $key, $value);
        } else { // If the custom field doesn't have a value
            add_post_meta($post->ID, $key, $value);
        }
        if(!$value) delete_post_meta($post->ID, $key); // Delete if blank
    }

}

add_action('save_post', 'whiteout_save_idea_meta', 1, 2); // save the custom fields

Related posts: Replace the Post Excerpt Meta Box with a Field in My Custom Meta Box

Answer 1

The only custom form field that you seem to be printing out is a text input named "excerpt". In your processor script you are checking for a $_POST var named "_ideas_quicknote". Since it is not actually sent in the POST request, your processor will never see it. Please try the following:

<?php
print "\n" . '<h3>Basics</h3>';
print "\n" . '<input type="text" name="_ideas_quicknote" id="myplugin_ideas_quicknote" value="' . esc_attr( $quicknote )  . '"/>';