trying to update mysql database in php

Answer 1

The previous comments are absolutely correct. I would recommend using the PDO or MySQLi adapters and use a prepared statement for your record insertion as a bare minimum of security. Using the first name as a unique identifier is a bad idea. Don't you have a primary key column in the table?

To answer your actual question, one the problem is with the array notation in the double-quoted string. There are several equals signs missing from your statement as well. Try this:

mysql_query("
    UPDATE t2
    SET HOSPNUM='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['hnum']) . "',
        ROOMNUM='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['rnum']) . "',
        LASTNAME='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['lname']) . "',
        FIRSTNAME='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['fname']) . "',
        MIDNAME='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['mname']) . "',
        CSTAT='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['cs']) . "',
        AGE='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['age']) . "',
        BDAY='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['bday']) . "',
        ADDRESS='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['ad']) . "',
        STAT='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['stats1']) . "',
        STAT2='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['stats2']) . "',
        STAT3='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['stats3']) . "',
        STAT4='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['stats4']) . "',
        STAT5='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['stats5']) . "',
        STAT6='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['stats6']) . "',
        STAT7='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['stats7']) . "',
        STAT8='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['stats8']) . "',
        NURSE='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['nurse']) . "',
        TELNUM='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['telnum']) . "'
    WHERE FNAME='" . mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['fname']) . "'
");

Answer 2

Typo, there is a missing "," between HOSPNUM and ROOMNUM: SET HOSPNUM='$_POST[hnum]', ROOMNUM=