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PHP

Kevin Frostad
Kevin Frostad
3,483 Points
Posted by Kevin Frostad
Kevin Frostad
3,483 Points

PHP: Making form for validating input -Help?

I'm trying to make a form in php/html to give me an error message when required input does not exist. The form looks ok and the second file to check for errors are included correctly, but when i hit submit, nothing happens.

I suspect the fault might exist within this code, inside the Main file:

    <form>
        <p>
             Name: <input type="text" name="navn">
            <span class="Error message">*
             <?php echo $nameErr;?> </span>
        </p> 
        <p>
            Email: <input type="text" name="email">
            <span class="Error message">*
             <?php echo $emailErr; ?> </span>
        </p>

Php Main file:

<?php include('file2'); ?>


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title></title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>PHP-validating data</h1>
    <form>
        <p>
             Name: <input type="text" name="navn">
            <span class="Error message">*
             <?php echo $nameErr;?> </span>
        </p> 
        <p>
            Email: <input type="text" name="email">
            <span class="Error message">*
             <?php echo $emailErr; ?> </span>
        </p>
        <p>URL: <input type="text"></p>
        <p>
            Comment: <br/>
            <textarea rows="4" cols="30"> </textarea>
         </p>
        <p>Gender:
            <input type="radio" name="man"> Man
            <input type="radio" name="woman"> Woman <br/>
        </p>
        <p><input type="submit" value="submit"></p>
    </form>

    <form method="post" action= "<?php echo
        htmlspecialchars($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"])?>"> 

</body>
</html>

Php file2:

<?php  

    function test_input($data) {
        $data = trim($data);
        $data = stripslashes($data);
        $data =
    htmlspecialchars($data);
        return $data;
    } 

    $name="";
    $email="";
    $url="";
    $comment="";
    $gender="";

    if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"]==“POST”) {
        $name = test_input($_POST["name"]);
        $email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
        $url = test_input($_POST["url"]);
        $comment = test_input($_POST["comment"]);
        $gender = test_input($_POST("gender"));
    }

    $nameErr = $emailErr = $urlErr = $commentErr =
    $genderErr = ""; 

    if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"]=="POST") {
        if (empty($_POST["name"]))
            $nameErr = "name må fylles ut!";
        else
            $name = testInput($_POST["name"]);
         if (empty($_POST["url"]))
            $urlErr = "";
        else
            $url = testInput($_POST["url"]);
    }


?>

1 Answer

Matthew Bilz
Matthew Bilz
15,829 Points
Matthew Bilz
Matthew Bilz
15,829 Points

I'd start here with the syntax error: $gender = test_input($_POST("gender")); --- you'd want that to read $_POST['gender'].

Also, there's some funky stuff going on here: 

$nameErr = $emailErr = $urlErr = $commentErr =
    $genderErr = ""; 

    if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"]=="POST") {
        if (empty($_POST["name"]))
            $nameErr = "name må fylles ut!";
        else
            $name = testInput($_POST["name"]);
         if (empty($_POST["url"]))
            $urlErr = "";
        else
            $url = testInput($_POST["url"]);
    }

I'd take the time to itemize each variable, i.e. 

$nameErr = "";
$emailErr = "";   
etc.

Then you're missing some curly braces, try this:

    if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"]=="POST") {
        if (empty($_POST["name"])) {
            $nameErr = "name må fylles ut!";
            } else {
            $name = testInput($_POST["name"]);
            }
         if (empty($_POST["url"])) {
            $urlErr = "";
             } else {
            $url = testInput($_POST["url"]);
           }
     }