Forms not sending

foofoobar

I'm trying to submit text which contains non-ASCII characters from a form to a script.

Users enter the data into the form then click submit which submits it to a script which then inserts it into a DB.

My problem is, when users enter non-ascii data into the form, how do I edit that data prior to the submission of the form?

From what I understand, this would have to take place client side using a onclick in javascript or something.

Any suggestions?

FrozNic

nah, try this using php...

post the script to itself and do error checking on it per say...

2 different ways of doing it, 1. tell the person that what they have entered won't work, or 2. edit it before u submit it to the dbase...

so example

way # 1 index.php -> enter numeric numbers ONLY into dbase

if submit = true && errors <> 1
{
if (isnumeric($_REQUEST['textbox']))
{
post to dbase
else
errors=1
print
}

form method = post action index.php name errorcheck
input box name = textbox
submit button
</form>
}

that idea looks right off the top of my head...

way number 2 ..

right before u insert into the dbase, change the text to what you'd like it to be, or remove what you don't want in it... ereg_replace i believe can help u there.. -> php.net/ereg_replace

foofoobar

Another problem I am having is a 255 character limit (or so it seems). I'm merely trying to POST the data to another script and I am running a test to print all data sent and anytime the data is over a certain number of characters, it doesn't send. No data is printed. And not just the text field but ALL fields.

It's almost as if the TEXTFIELD causes a crash of all other fields so none submit.

I've tried this just using ASCII characters, no line breaks or carriage returns. Happens constantly when I go over a certain char limit. Is there a limit on POST data? I know there is a limit on the GET method but didn't think there was one on the POST method

FrozNic

actually as far as i know, there is no limit on the get or post method. it's the text box that i think has the 255 limit... i read a post a while ago that was talking about something like that on phpbuilder, but i don't remember exactly.

try using a text area field instead of a text box field.. they have a much higher limit... good luck

foofoobar

Sorry for the confusion... I am using a TEXTAREA. Would this be a problem with $HTTP_RAW_POST_DATA??

FrozNic

could be, but i have only heard of those crashing when apache can't handle the data because it interperates it as something else (raw php code) for example. maybe htmlspecialchars or htmlentities or a function like that could point u in the right direction? if not, gimee an example of some text that u'd have in u'r text area as an example and i'll see if i see any probs with it...

foofoobar

The code is pretty simple. I've stripped out the unnecessary bits; here's the code that deals with the form submission:

##############################
<?php

echo("<form method=post action=pop3.php>");

if(empty($row['type'])){
echo("<b>NEW ENTRY</B>");
echo("<b>loc#:</b> 1<br>");
echo("<b>city:</b> bellevue<br>");
echo("<input type=hidden name=loc value=1>");
echo("<input type=hidden name=sec value=".$sec.">");
echo("<input type=hidden name=type value=".$type.">");
echo("<b>section:</b>".$sec."</br>");
echo("<b>type:</b>".$type."</br>");
}else{
echo("<b>loc#:</b> 1<br>");
echo("<b>city:</b> bellevue<br>");
echo("<input type=hidden name=sec_id value=".$row['sec_id'].">");
echo("<b>section:</b>".$sec."</br>");
echo("<b>type:</b>".$type."</br>");
}

echo("<b>text:</b><textarea name=text rows=30 cols=60>");
echo(stripslashes($text));
echo("</textarea></br>");
echo("<input type=submit value=submit>");
echo("</form>");

?>
###########################

The form should submit from what I understand... but if I exceed a certain number of characters, it doesn't. Is this with the PHP.ini file or something?

kevinsequeira

what is the datatype for "text" in the table ? varchar has a limit of 255 characters, use BLOB if its longer.

also try changind the name to something else like "form_text" or something

reg
kevin

foofoobar

I've tried submitting the form with the following which works:

test test test test test test test test test test test

But the following does NOT WORK:

test test test test test test test test test test test test

One additional test in the textarea causes it to fail. These kind of failures are nearly impossible for me to spot as well because the are so random.

foofoobar

Originally posted by kevinsequeira
what is the datatype for "text" in the table ? varchar has a limit of 255 characters, use BLOB if its longer.

Well that doesn't matter because I'm not even trying to submit it at this point, just trying to send it to the other script and it isn't sending to the other script: the data never transfers from the form to the script.

But thanks for the heads up and yes I have the field declared as TEXT.

FrozNic

<form method="post" action="pop3.php" name="test">
<?
if ($row['type'] == "")
{
?>
New Entry
loc# l
city vellevue
<input type="hidden" name="loc" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="sec" value="<? print $sec; ?>"> // if $sec is in this page that will work.. same with type below 
<input type="hidden" name="type" value="<? print $type; ?>">
section: <? print $sec; ?>
<?
}
ELSE
{
?>
loc# l
city bel
<input type="hidden" name="sec_id value="<? print $row['sec_id']; ?>>
section <? print $section; ?>
type <? print $type; ?>
<?
}
?>
text: <textarea name="txt_text" rows="30" cols="60">
<?
print stripslashes($_REQUEST['txt_text']);
?>
</textarea><br>
<input type="submit" value="submit"
</form>

i'd rewrite it to something close to that for ease of reading, and ease of understanding where your problems lie.

and on the page your submitting too, can i see where u are having the problem submitting it? to see where u'r printing the 'test test test test blah blah blah'

foofoobar

I'm entering the data into the TEXTAREA. Sometimes the data sends... sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it accepts HTML Characters... sometimes it doesn't. Sometim3es it has problems with quotes... sometimes it doesn't. It's realy weird. I can't find any constant.

Now as I test it, I'm able to send 298 chars at once. I've noticed that pasting it from a plain text editor (which doesn't add line breaks and carriage returns) creates problems.

Is there a way to limit invisible carriage returns and line breaks?

foofoobar

Ok, now I tried it with nl2br but still no luck. I'm still noticing a failure in the POST submit when trying to send too much data at once.

Does anyone know what would cause this? I know that GET is the default send method but I specified POST and it's treating it like a GET and only sending a limited number of characters

foofoobar

Originally posted by FrozNic

and on the page your submitting too, can i see where u are having the problem submitting it? to see where u'r printing the 'test test test test blah blah blah'

Ooops... sorry... utterly missed that. Here's the code for the page I'm submitting it to:
##############################
<?php

$sec_id = $HTTP_POST_VARS['sec_id'];
$loc = $HTTP_POST_VARS['loc'];
$sec = $HTTP_POST_VARS['sec'];
$type = $HTTP_POST_VARS['type'];
$text = $HTTP_POST_VARS['text'];

$text=stripslashes($text);

print($sec_id."<br>");
print($loc."<br>");

if(empty($sec_id)){
print("insert into section values('','".$loc."','".$sec."','".$type."','".$text."');");
}else{
print("update section set text='".$text."' where sec_id=".$sec_id.";");
}

?>
#############################

It just simply prints out the data... pretty straight forward. Should work every time but there seems to be a character limit.

foofoobar

Ok testing again...

The GET method works perfectly. Not a single problem with the get method. POST it appears has constant problems and a limited number of characters that it can send (which differs greatly). Is there a bug that I should be aware of?

foofoobar

Ok... took PHP out of the formula entirely and it looks to be a problem with my Apache install. Don't know what it could be but thats the only explanation.

If anyone has any clues, please respond or else I'll be doing a complete reinstall (and recompile of apache/php/ssl)

foofoobar

Blame this one on a bad version of Apache.