you can use javascript with the html, or php page, i.e. when the submit button is clicked, it will check the field whether it is empty or not, if it is then it will prompt an error, the code is omething like this:
<html>
<head><title>Checking</title>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
<!-- Begin
function noEntry() {
mt1=document.thisForm.txt1.value;
if (mt1.length<1) {
alert("Name Field is Required!");
return false;
document.thisForm.empty.focus();
}
return true;
}
// End -->
</SCRIPT>
</head>
<body>
<form name=thisForm method=post action=search.php>
Search: : <input type=text name=txt1><p>
<input type=submit value=Invite onClick="return noEntry()">
</form>
</font>
</body>
</html>
that is the php page will only be called only if there is some value in the field.