Easier way to check for blank form fields?

[ElectricRain]

I learnt to check that fields havent been left blank in a form like this :

//get vars
  $username = $_REQUEST['username'] ;
 $password = $_REQUEST['password'] ;

  //skipped some irrelevant lines

  //if username or password  isnt filled, type message
 elseif (empty($username)) {
   echo "Sorry. You must type a username. <br> <a href=register.html>Try again</a>";  

   }

 elseif (empty($password)) {
   echo "Sorry. You must type a password. <br> <a href=register.html>Try again</a>";  

   }

 else {  //continue 

Which is fine for one or two fields, or even a few more, but now I have a form with 23 fields. Theres a good reason for this but you dont wanna know. Nehow, I need to check that almost all fields have been filled. Theres about two that dont need to be. Theres gotta be an easier way of doing that than this?
Ideally Id like to send a appropriate message too- like youve missed the password field.

[thorpe]

foreach ($_POST as $key => $val) {
  if (empty($val)) {
    echo 'sorry, you need to fill in the '.$key.' field';
  }
}

[ElectricRain]

thanks.

[Arc]

Use Javascript. That way the person doesn't have to process the page then get an error message then click the back button to a possibly empty form.

[ElectricRain]

But javascripts are not so reliable are they?
I mean, i was under the impression that not everyone has j'script enabled.

Ermm. Im having a problem getting it to allow me to specify some fields that dont need to be filled in 🙁

[thorpe]

javascript is always a good idea to use as a first line, but make sure you validate again on the server. the best thing about using javscript is that the data doesnt need to be sent to the server for validation, it happens instantly on the client.

anyway... to your problem. just squeeze an if statement in there to skip past the fields that aren't required.

foreach ($_POST as $key => $val) {
  if (!$key == 'unrequired') {
    if (empty($val)) { 
      echo 'sorry, you need to fill in the '.$key.' field'; 
    }
  } 
}

[ElectricRain]

Ughhhhhhhhh I dont understanddddd

I cannot get the damn thing to distinguish between requireds and not requireds.
How dyou define required fields in a form? Ive tried, asterixes, ||required and making a hidden form field that contains them all and nothing works and I cant seem to reason out some effective php anyway. That ^ is way over my head... 🙁

[Drakla]

It took me about 2 years to come up with the obvious 'arrays of required fields' technique, but ignorance was far from bliss:

	$reqFilled = array('name', 'address', 'postcode');
	$reqNumeric = array('doornum', 'age');
	$reqMinLens('notes' => 30, 'someotherthing' => 800);

	// check they've filled what they should have

foreach ($reqFilled as $field)
{
	if (empty(trim($_POST[$field])))
	{
		echo 'You bad man!  Fill out '.$field.'<br />';
	}
}

	// check for numeric fields being done right

foreach ($reqNumeric as $field)
{
	if (!is_numeric($_POST[$field]))
	{
		echo 'How dare you not type in numbers for ', $field, '<br />';
	}
}

	// check lengths of minimummrah

foreach ($reqMinLens as $field => $length)
{
	if (strlen($_POST[$field]) < $length)
	{
		echo 'Go back and type some more into ', $field, ' before I smack you about summat horrid<br />';
	}
}

etc, etc, etc.

[ElectricRain]

Thank you! Lots and lots 🙂