[RESOLVED] Form Validation Problem

[middleman666]

hey people,

Im having a problem writing the code correctly for my validation of a simple form:

   // Display Form
   echo '<form action="' . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" name="upload">
		 <b>Image : </b><br>
		 <input name="Thumbnail" type="file" id="Thumbnail" size="20"><br>Put in this Category:<br>
		 <select name="category">
		 <option value="createnewcategory">Create New Category</option>';

 //Select Database Entries
 $result=mysql_query("SELECT Category FROM Photos GROUP BY Category DESC"); 
 //Display Results
 while($row=mysql_fetch_array($result)) 
   print '
         <option value="'.$row['Category'].'">'.$row['Category'].'</option>
   ';

   echo '</select><br>
         or Create a New Category:<br>
   		 <input type="text" name="newcategory"><br>
   		 <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="submitted" VALUE="yes">
		 <input type="submit" name="action" id="action" value="Upload"> 
		 <input name="clear" type="reset" id="clear" value="Clear">
		 <br>
	    </form>';

What I would like to havev the validation do is this:

IF nothing is selected from 'category' and something in filled in 'newcategory'
THEN $category = $_POST['newcategory'];

ELSE IF something is selected from 'category' and 'newcategory' is not filled out
THEN $category = $row['Category']; (the category that was selected)

ELSE $message = 'Please select a current category OR create a new one';

The code I have written isn't working and im pretty sure im doing something completly wrong:

	   //Category Code
	   if ($_POST['category'] == 'createnewcategory') && (isset($_POST['newcategory']) { 
		 $category = $_POST['newcategory'];
	   }
	   else if ($_POST['category'] == $row['Category']){ 
	     $category = $row['Category'];
	   }
	   else { 
			  $message = "- Please Either Select a Category or Create a new one -";  

			  print "<script>window.location.href='$url_this?message=$message'</script>";
			  exit;
	   }

Any help would be most welcome,

Thank you,

[middleman666]

update:

right, i got the first part working so if the options menu says create new category and the newcategory field is filled out then $category = $_POST['newcategory'];

but im still having trouble saying IF options menu is equal to a category then use that category.

heres my updated code:

	   //Category Code
	   if ($_POST['category'] == 'createnewcategory'){ 
	     if (!$_POST['newcategory']) { 
		   $message = "- Please Enter a Name for your new category -";  

		   print "<script>window.location.href='$url_this?message=$message'</script>";
		   exit;
		 }
		 else {
		   $category = $_POST['newcategory'];
		 }
	   }
	   else if ($_POST['category'] == $row['Category']){ 
	     $category = $row['Category'];
	   }
	   else { 
			  $message = "- Please Either Select a Category or Create a new one -";  

			  print "<script>window.location.href='$url_this?message=$message'</script>";
			  exit;
	   }

Anyone know how to say what i want to say in code?

[bpat1434]

IF nothing is selected from 'category' and something in filled in 'newcategory'
THEN $category = $_POST['newcategory'];

ELSE IF something is selected from 'category' and 'newcategory' is not filled out
THEN $category = $row['Category']; (the category that was selected)

ELSE $message = 'Please select a current category OR create a new one';

Can be simplified to:

$category = (isset($_POST['newcategory']))?$_POST['newcategory']:$_POST['category'];
// If newcategory (text-box) is set, use text-box; otherwise use the selected item.

I'm pretty sure that's what you're lookin for. SO modified to your code it would look something like:

if ($_POST['category'] == 'createnewcategory'){
         if (!$_POST['newcategory']) {
           $message = "- Please Enter a Name for your new category -";  

           print "<script>window.location.href='$url_this?message=$message'</script>";
           exit;
         }
         else {
           $category = $_POST['newcategory'];
         }
       }
       else if ( ( !isset($_POST['category'] || empty($_POST['category']) ) && (!isset($_POST['newcategory'] || empty($_POST['newcategory']) ) ){
          $message = "- Please Either Select a Category or Create a new one -";  

          print "<script>window.location.href='$url_this?message=$message'</script>";
       }
       else {
              $category = $_POST['category'];
       } 

Notice I flipped it around. We check to see if the posted category or new category are there. Then, if they're both completely empty we error, otherwise we use the selected item. Although my first bit of code would be better, but there's no error catching.

Another variation would be:

<?php
if(!isset($_POST['newcategory']) && isset($_POST['category']) && $_POST['category'] != 'createnewcategory')
{
    // Textbox empty, select menu has something other than default selected
    $category = $_POST['category'];
}
elseif( isset($_POST['newcategory']) && ( (empty($_POST['category']) || !isset($_POST['category']) || $_POST['category'] == 'createnewcategory') ) )
{
    // Textbox filled with something, empty or not posted category,
    // or category == 'creatnewcategory'
    $category = $_POST['newcategory'];
}
elseif( isset($_POST['newcategory']) && ( isset($_POST['category']) && $_POST['category'] != 'createnewcategory') )
{
    // Uh oh, we've got a selected item AND the text-field filled in.  Which to use?
    // Alert user to select either the right combo: 
    // (createnewcategory & text-field, or empty text-field & selected item)
}
else
{
    // Nothing seems right.... alert user to enter proper information
}
?>

[middleman666]

thanks a lot bpat1434, i decided to go with the first modified version of my code.

else if line is missing some ) so I put them in:

else if ( ( !isset($_POST['category']) || empty($_POST['category']) ) && (!isset($_POST['newcategory']) || empty($_POST['newcategory']) ) ){ 

other than that, it works a treat! cheers for the lesson 🙂 found it interesting.