preg_match reg exp doesn't take state abbreviations

kilbey1

I've got a form field that is set to check for valid entries in the STATE field. However, when I try to enter a state, like PA, it rejects it. How can I set it up so it accepts any valid state name, ie. Pennsylvania, PA, or Washington D.C. etc.?

		$state = preg_match('/[a-z\-]+/', $_POST['state']);
		if(!$state && !empty($name)) {
			$error[] = "State not valid";
		}

Bloodwine

Ok, here is what I would do:

1) make an array whose keys are two-letter state abbreviations and the values are the state names

$state_names = array('MO' => 'Missouri', 'AR' => 'Arkansas', etc.)

2) strip off any whitespace and punctuation

// would convert "D.C." to "DC"
$state = trim(str_replace('.', '', $state));

3) do the tests

if (preg_match('/^[A-Z][A-Z]$/i', $state)) {
   // success
} else if (in_array($state, $state_names)) {
   if (preg_match('/^[A-Z][A-Z]$/i', $state_names[$state])) {
      // success
   }
}

the above code is rough, but you get the general idea

kilbey1

The problem with that is, and I forgot to explain, is it may also be filled out by people outside of the United States (ie. New Delhi, India). So for this one, I'm just looking for a good regular expression to allow for PA, Pennsylvania, or New Delhi.

tsinka

Hi,

to allow any name with a-z and - and whitespaces do something like:

$state = preg_match('/^[a-z- ]+$/i', $_POST['state']);
        if(!$state && !empty($name)) {
            $error[] = "State not valid";
        }

What does !empty($name) mean ?

But to make sure that only the known states are allowed a in_array solution like the one of Bloodwine seems to be the only solution. This will be some work, something like:

$states['usa'] = array("state1","state2",....);
$states['india'] = array("state1","state2",....);

if (!in_array($_POST['state'],$states[$_POST['country']])) {
  $error[] = "State is invalid";
}

And you might need to change the form to use selects for state and country.

Thomas

kilbey1

whoops, thanks, forgot to change $name to appropriate entry. Should look more like...

		$name = preg_match('/^[a-z- ]+$/i', $_POST['name']);
		if(!$name && !empty($name)) {
			$error[] = "Name not valid";
		}
		$city = preg_match('/^[a-z- ]+$/i', $_POST['city']);
		if(!$city && !empty($city)) {
			$error[] = "City not valid";
		}
		$state = preg_match('/^[a-z- ]+$/i', $_POST['state']);
		if(!$state && !empty($state)) {
			$error[] = "State not valid";
		}

And it's not just India. It chould be Egypt, Russia, wherever - we just don't know where all our consultants are going to be writing from. It's meant to only go out to a select group of people.

ppowell

You'd be better off using forced entries, feeding state and country abbreviations from an XML file into arrays that are generated into HTML dropdowns.

This forces the user to choose his/her state or country and there will not have to be any checks for user-entered formatting as there will never be anything entered by a user.

Phil

tsinka

I read !$name && !empty($name) over and over and think !empty($name) is useless. $name will be either 0,1 or false (0=>no match,1=> one match, false => error) because preg_match stops after the first match).

I think !empty($name) is useless in this case because $name will be set in any case.

Rather use something like this:

if(!isset($_POST['name']) || !preg_match('/^[a-z- ]+$/i', $_POST['name'])) {
  $error[] = "Name not valid";
}

To make sure that you don't get any warnings about unset variables.

About the Country/State problem ... I saw some scripts where the developer created arrays for every known country and used that arrays to validate the Country/State combination. Will be some work ... but maybe the best solution if you really want to make sure that the consultants submit useful information.
I can't remeber where that site was with exactly that information for all known countries ...

Thomas

ppowell

I have that. An entire XML of every known state and country, rather, 2 XML files each.

Phil

kilbey1

ppowell, can you share and how would I use it?

tsinka, unfortunately all that data CAN be left blank (marketing department idea); it's totally optional. So I've set it to check only if it is NOT empty, and therefore that something corresponding to a name/address/city/state has been entered. !empty does work for this.

ppowell

AFAIK it should be considered "public domain" since this is public info..

I built it using various website public info on various states and countries listed..

state.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<usa>
<state id="1" abbrev="AL">Alabama</state>
<state id="2" abbrev="AK">Alaska</state>
..
</usa>

country.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<world>
<country id="1" abbrev="AF">Afghanistan</country>
..
</world>

I'll have to check if I am allowed to disseminate the XML files before I do so, but that's the general format on how I built them, using @xml_parser_create() to create a simple DOM XML parser using PHP to eventually build them into arrays and from there form a method that will revert the array into an HTML form dropdown. Again, this will eliminate the user from entering anything and potentially skewing data results.

Phil

kilbey1

Ok, this is the closest I have gotten so far.

		$state = preg_match('/^[a-z- ]+$/i', $_POST['state']);
		if(!empty($state) && $_POST['countries'] == 'United States of America (USA)') {
			$valid_states = array("any", "", "AL",  "Alabama", "AK",  "Alaska", "AZ",  "Arizona", "AR",  "Arkansas", "CA",  "California", "CO",  "Colorado", "CT",  "Connecticut", "DE",  "Delaware", "DC",  "District of Columbia", "FL",  "Florida", "GA",  "Georgia", "HI",  "Hawaii", "ID",  "Idaho", "IL",  "Illinois", "IN",  "Indiana", "IA",  "Iowa", "KS",  "Kansas", "KY",  "Kentucky", "LA",  "Louisiana", "ME",  "Maine", "MD",  "Maryland", "MA",  "Massachusetts", "MI",  "Michigan", "MN",  "Minnesota", "MS",  "Mississippi", "MO",  "Missouri", "MT",  "Montana", "NE",  "Nebraska", "NV",  "Nevada", "NH",  "New Hampshire", "NJ",  "New Jersey", "NM",  "New Mexico", "NY",  "New York", "NC",  "North Carolina", "ND",  "North Dakota", "OH",  "Ohio", "OK",  "Oklahoma", "OR",  "Oregon", "PA", "Pennsylvania", "RI",  "Rhode Island", "SC",  "South Carolina", "SD",  "South Dakota", "TN",  "Tennessee", "TX",  "Texas", "UT",  "Utah", "VT",  "Vermont", "VA",  "Virginia", "WA",  "Washington", "WV",  "West Virginia", "WI",  "Wisconsin", "WY",  "Wyoming");
				if (!in_array($_POST['state'], $valid_states)) {
					$error[] = "State must be a US State when United States is selected as the country.";
				} 
			} elseif (!empty($state) && !$state) {
				$error[] = "State name not valid";
			}

 $valid_countries = Array("Afghanistan", "AF", "Albania", "AL", "Algeria", "DZ", "American Samoa", "AS", "Andorra", "AD", "Angola", "AO", "Anguilla", "AI", "Antarctica", "AQ", "Antigua and Barbuda", "AG", "Argentina", "AR", "Armenia", "AM", "Aruba", "AW", "Australia", "AU", "Austria", "AT", "Azerbaijan", "AZ", "Bahamas", "BS", "Bahrain", "BH", "Bangladesh", "BD", "Barbados", "BB", "Belarus", "BY", "Belgium", "BE", "Belize", "BZ", "Benin", "BJ", "Bermuda", "BM", "Bhutan", "BT", "Bolivia", "BO", "Bosnia and Herzegovina", "BA", "Botswana", "BW", "Bouvet Island", "BV", "Brazil", "BR", "British Indian Ocean Territory", "IO", "British Virgin Islands", "VG", "Brunei", "BN", "Bulgaria", "BG", "Burkina Faso", "BF", "Burma", "MM", "Burundi", "BI", "Cambodia", "KH", "Cameroon", "CM", "Canada", "CA", "Cape Verde", "CV", "Cayman Islands", "KY", "Central African Republic", "CF", "Chad", "TD", "Chile", "CL", "China", "CN", "Christmas Island", "CX", "Cocos (Keeling) Islands", "CC", "Colombia", "CO", "Comoros", "KM", "Congo Democratic Republic", "CD", "Congo Republic (Middle Congo)", "CG", "Cook Islands", "CK", "Costa Rica", "CR", "Croatia", "HR", "Cuba", "CU", "Cyprus", "CY", "Czech Republic", "CZ", "Denmark", "DK", "Djibouti", "DJ", "Dominica", "DM", "Dominican Republic", "DO", "East Timor", "TP", "Ecuador", "EC", "Egypt", "EG", "El Salvador", "SV", "Equitorial Guinea", "GQ", "Eritrea", "ER", "Estonia", "EE", "Ethiopia", "ET", "Falkland Islands", "FK", "Faroe Islands", "FO", "Fiji", "FJ", "Finland", "FI", "France", "FR", "French Guiana", "GF", "French Polinesia", "PF", "French Southern and Antarctic Territories", "TF", "Gabon", "GA", "Gambia", "GM", "Georgia", "GE", "Germany", "DE", "Ghana", "GH", "Gibraltar", "GI", "Great Britain", "UK", "Greece", "GR", "Greenland", "GL", "Grenada", "GD", "Guadeloupe", "GP", "Guam", "GU", "Guatemala", "GT", "Guernsey", "GG", "Guinea", "GN", "Guinea Bissau", "GW", "Guyana", "GY", "Haiti", "HT", "Heard Island and McDonald Islands", "HM", "Honduras", "HN", "Hong Kong", "HK", "Hungary", "HU", "Iceland", "IS", "India", "IN", "Indonesia", "ID", "Iran", "IR", "Iraq", "IQ", "Ireland", "IE", "Isle of Man", "IM", "Israel", "IL", "Italy", "IT", "Ivory Coast", "CI", "Jamaica", "JM", "Japan", "JP", "Jersey", "JE", "Jordan", "JO", "Kazakhstan", "KZ", "Kenya", "KE", "Kiribati", "KI", "Korea, North", "KP", "Korea, South", "KR", "Kuwait", "KW", "Kyrgystan", "KG", "Laos", "LA", "Latvia", "LV", "Lebanon", "LB", "Lesotho", "LS", "Liberia", "LR", "Libya", "LY", "Liechtenstein", "LI", "Lithuania", "LT", "Luxembourg", "LU", "Macau", "MO", "Macedonia", "MK", "Madagascar", "MG", "Malawi", "MW", "Malaysia", "MY", "Maldives", "MV", "Mali", "ML", "Malta", "MT", "Marshall Islands", "MH", "Martinique", "MQ", "Mauritania", "MR", "Mauritius", "MU", "Mayotte", "YT", "Mexico", "MX", "Micronesia Federal States", "FM", "Moldova", "MD", "Monaco", "MC", "Mongolia", "MN", "Montserrat", "MS", "Morocco", "MO", "Mozambique", "MZ", "Myanmar", "MM", "Namibia", "NA", "Nauru", "NR", "Nepal", "NP", "Netherlands", "NL", "Netherlands Antilles", "AN", "New Caledonia", "NC", "New Zeland", "NZ", "Nicaragua", "NI", "Niger", "NE", "Nigeria", "NG", "Niue", "NU", "Norfolk Island", "NF", "Northern Mariana Islands", "MP", "North Korea", "KP", "Norway", "NO", "Oman", "OM", "Pakistan", "PK", "Palau", "PW", "Palestine", "PS", "Panama", "PA", "Papua New Guinea", "PG", "Paraguay", "PY", "Peru", "PE", "Philippines", "PH", "Pitcairn Island", "PN", "Poland", "PL", "Portugal", "PT", "Puerto Rico", "PR", "Qatar", "QA", "Reunion", "RE", "Romania", "RO", "Russia", "RU", "Rwanda", "RW", "Saint Helena", "SH", "Saint Kitts & Nevis", "KN", "Saint Lucia", "LC", "Saint Pierre and Miquelon", "PM", "Saint Vincent and The Grenadines", "VC", "Samoa", "WS", "San Marino", "SM", "Sao Tome and Principe", "ST", "Saudi Arabia", "SA", "Senegal", "SN", "Serbia and Montenegro (Yugoslavia)", "YU", "Seychelles", "SC", "Sierra Leone", "SL", "Singapore", "SG", "Slovakia", "SK", "Slovenia", "SI", "Solomon Islands", "SB", "Somalia", "SO", "South Africa", "ZA", "South Korea", "KR", "South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands", "GS", "Spain", "ES", "Sri Lanka", "LK", "Sudan", "SD", "Suriname", "SR", "Svalbard (Spitzbergen) and Jan Mayen Islands", "SJ", "Swaziland", "SZ", "Sweden", "SE", "Switzerland", "CH", "Syria", "SY", "Taiwan", "TW", "Tajikistan", "TJ", "Tanzania", "TZ", "Thailand", "TH", "Togo", "TG", "Tokelau", "TK", "Tonga", "TO", "Trinidad & Tobago", "TT", "Tromelin Island", "TE", "Tunisia", "TN", "Turkey", "TR", "Turkmenistan", "TM", "Turks and Caicos Islands", "TC", "Tuvalu", "TV", "Uganda", "UG", "Ukraine", "UA", "United Arab Emirates", "AE", "United Kingdom (Great Britain)", "UK", "United States of America (USA)", "US", "United States Minor Outlying Islands", "UM", "Uruguay", "UY", "Uzbekistan", "UZ", "Vanuatu", "VU", "Vatican City", "VA", "Venezuela", "VE", "Vietnam", "VN", "Virgin Islands  (British)", "VI", "Virgin Islands (United States)", "VQ", "Wallis and Fortuna Islands", "WF", "Western Sahara", "EH", "Yemen", "YE", "Zaire", "ZR", "Zambia", "ZM", "Zimbabwe", "ZW");		
		if (!in_array($_POST['countries'], $valid_countries)) {
					$error[] = "Country not valid";
		}

ppowell

if (!in_array($_POST['state'], $valid_states)) {
                    $error[] = "State must be a US State when United States is selected as the country.";
                }

That will not produce the results you want if the user is non-US and forced to select a US state against his/her wishes.

Perhaps you might want to consider this:

if (!in_array($_POST['state'], $valid_states) && in_array($_POST['country'], array('United States', 'US'))) {
                    $error[] = "State must be a US State when United States is selected as the country.";
                }

BTW the XML solution is more scalable because as country names change you will have it easier to change an external XML file than having to hunt inside a potentially large PHP script.

Phil

kilbey1

I can't get this to work. The logic I want is that if state is not empty, and US is selected in the countries listing, check to ensure state is a US state; if any other country is selected, just check the $state preg_match to ensure it's not something goofy. Due to deadline constraints, it's not possible for me to match country to province/state/territory currently, so I'll limp.

I get an error when selecting "Afghanistan" for the country, and "Tempur" for the 'state', saying:

SQL error: Unknown column 'Tempur' in 'field list'

		$state = preg_match('/^[a-z- ]+$/i', $_POST['state']);

	if(!empty($state) && $_POST['countries'] == 'United States of America (USA)') {
		$valid_states = array("any", "", "AL",  "Alabama", "AK",  "Alaska", "AZ",  "Arizona", "AR",  "Arkansas", "CA",  "California", "CO",  "Colorado", "CT",  "Connecticut", "DE",  "Delaware", "DC",  "District of Columbia", "FL",  "Florida", "GA",  "Georgia", "HI",  "Hawaii", "ID",  "Idaho", "IL",  "Illinois", "IN",  "Indiana", "IA",  "Iowa", "KS",  "Kansas", "KY",  "Kentucky", "LA",  "Louisiana", "ME",  "Maine", "MD",  "Maryland", "MA",  "Massachusetts", "MI",  "Michigan", "MN",  "Minnesota", "MS",  "Mississippi", "MO",  "Missouri", "MT",  "Montana", "NE",  "Nebraska", "NV",  "Nevada", "NH",  "New Hampshire", "NJ",  "New Jersey", "NM",  "New Mexico", "NY",  "New York", "NC",  "North Carolina", "ND",  "North Dakota", "OH",  "Ohio", "OK",  "Oklahoma", "OR",  "Oregon", "PA", "Pennsylvania", "RI",  "Rhode Island", "SC",  "South Carolina", "SD",  "South Dakota", "TN",  "Tennessee", "TX",  "Texas", "UT",  "Utah", "VT",  "Vermont", "VA",  "Virginia", "WA",  "Washington", "WV",  "West Virginia", "WI",  "Wisconsin", "WY",  "Wyoming");
			if (!in_array($_POST['state'], $valid_states)) {
				$error[] = "State must be a US State when United States is selected as the country.";
			} 
		} elseif (!empty($state) && !$state) {
			$error[] = "State name not valid";
		}

ppowell

At this point you're better off with a fixed flat-file XML solution to your problems, your algorithm is becoming more and more complex and needlessly so (coming from me that's amazing too)

Sorry I can't help any further, but I'll have to stick with my original suggestion:

1) XML
2) Read into array
3) Read into HTML dropdown
4) No need for database comparisons, etc.

Phil

tsinka

Do all the consultants use the same browser ?

Thomas