validate select form?

Myriadz

How do I validate this?
pls enlighten. thanks in advance!

<select name='$dept'>
<option><SELECTED>Select a Department</option>

<option value='$support'>Technical Support</option>
<option value='$sales'>Sales Enquiries</option>
<option value='$billing'>Billing Enquiries</option>

</select><br><br>

maxpup979

depends on what type of validation you are using. Assuming that you want to validate through PHP, Id say we need a bit more info before advising you accurately. What are the possible entries in $data? Are they unique to that field, or can you have other fields with similar, or identical entries? Or did you intend to mean that data is the actual hard coded name of the field? Please post more info.

jpmoriarty

also your SELECTED should go in with the option tag:
<option SELECTED>

Myriadz

Hi, yes, it's through PHP

Actually, it's just to make sure the user chooses one of these
options

<option value='$support'>Technical Support</option>
<option value='$sales'>Sales Enquiries</option>
<option value='$billing'>Billing Enquiries</option>

And not leave it as this.

<option selected>Select a Department</option>

Thanks. I hope I'm clearer this time round.

darkfunkel

just use a simple if

if ($formname != "the blank option") {
print "page";
} else {
print "Sorry you didn't select all fields";
}

should work

Myriadz

Hi, it doesn't work for me. Here are the codes used:

<select name='$dept'>
<option name='1' value='1' selected>Select a Department</option>


if ($dept != "1") {   

$send = "YES";

} else {

$dept_err = "Please select a department.<br>";
$send = "NO"; 

}

jpmoriarty

the name of the select is HTML, and so should be "dept", not "$debt".

You may also need to use $POST['dept'] or $GET['debt'] (depending on the method of your form) on the next page, since your global variables could (and probably should) be off.

Also the name of the option comes from the select that it's under, so you cant try to call it "1" when it's already taken the name "select".

This really isnt a php problem though - get a book on how to write HTML and have a look at that, cos it will save you a lot of time: trying to make php generate HTML is always pretty tricky when you dont know what HTML it is you're trying to generate.

matto

<select name='$dept'>
<option><SELECTED>Select a Department</option>

<option value='$support'>Technical Support</option>
<option value='$sales'>Sales Enquiries</option>
<option value='$billing'>Billing Enquiries</option>

</select><br><br>

this should be:

<select name=dept>
<option value="">Select a Department</option>
<option value="support">Technical Support</option>
<option value="sales">Sales Enquiries</option>
<option value="billing">Billing Enquiries</option>
</select><br><br>

validation goes like this:

if($dept == '')  // no value -> user has chosen "Select a Department"
{
  echo "You have to chose a department!";
}
else
{
  // everything ok, process data ............
}

besides, jpmoriarty is absolutely right about html forms. search the web for a tutorial on HTML Forms. for german-reading users there is a wonderful reference manual: http://www.teamone.de/selfhtml