Checkboxes not playing nice with others

HonkyDog

OK, so I started PHP today and I'm having a bit of a problem with checkboxes....

As with the new default settings for PHP register_globals is off, now an easy work-around would be to just edit the ini and turn it on and all these problems would disappear. However come the time I put this on a server I may not get that luxury so hence this quandry:

I have a simple form with a checkbox in - nothing elaborate just a simple test file. It calls to my PHP page and it parses it fine as long as the box is checked - Not a surprise really. So I took a sniff around the boards and found a similar problem and the solution as I had summised was to use an IF ELSE to branch the response - I still can't get this to work if the check box is empty it parses the statement block prints the value off to the screen but preceedes it with:

Notice: Undefined index: choice in checkBox.php on line 9 (Which is where the if statement block starts)

Code for HTML form is:

<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<form name="myform" method="post" action="checkBox.php">
  Just click the box stoopid :P: 
  <input type="checkbox" name="choice">
  <br>
  <input type="submit">
</form>
<br>
</body>
</html>

PHP code in the checkBox page is:

<?php
if ($_POST['choice'] == "on"){
echo $_POST['choice'];
} else {
echo 'off';
}
?>

I know this is a bit simple but syntactically it looks correct to me and I just need some clarification

TIA
HD

rulinus

try replacing the else for
elseif(!$_POST['choice']){
echo 'off';
}

it might help

HonkyDog

Rulinus, thanks for the response...

Unfortunately it doesn't work either - the problem appears to be the fact that PHP can't evaluate a variable if it thinks it doesn't exist - or perhaps it's just syntax 🙁

Regardless of what I put in the IF ELSE statement as soon as it hit:

$_POST['choice']

as part of an evaluation it barfs if the variable doesn't exist - Obviously I could just declare the variable in the PHP page the form calls and set it's default value to 'off' but I'm more interested in handling a variable response from a form if the returned value is null / undefined or just plain empty...

I will keep searching

HonkyDog

Originally posted by rulinus
try replacing the else for
elseif(!$_POST['choice']){
echo 'off';
}

it might help

Hey Rulinus - I found the solution (it was in another post as it happens)

In case you are interested this works fine:

<?php

if (isset($_POST['choice'])){
echo $_POST['choice'];
} else {
echo 'off';	
}
?>

Sorted...