[RESOLVED] Form Validation - what u think?

kpowning

Is there a better way of doing this without use of javascript? Seems like alot of coding to just check some post variables and define them. But still learning 🙂 thanks for your input in advance.

///// SUBMIT FORM /////
if ((isset($_POST["complete"])) && (isset($_POST["MM_insert"])) && ($_POST["MM_insert"] == "form1")) {

///// DEFINE ALL POST VARIABLES //////
$worktype = isset($_POST['worktype'])  ? trim($_POST['worktype'])  : '';
$agencyname = isset($_POST['agencyname'])  ? trim($_POST['agencyname'])  : '';
$adtype = isset($_POST['adtype'])  ? trim($_POST['adtype'])  : '';
$multiplegirls = isset($_POST['multiplegirls'])  ? trim($_POST['multiplegirls'])  : '';
$advertduration = isset($_POST['advertduration'])  ? trim($_POST['advertduration'])  : '';
$visitingduration = isset($_POST['visitingduration'])  ? trim($_POST['visitingduration'])  : '';
$arrivedate = isset($_POST['arrivedate'])  ? trim($_POST['arrivedate'])  : '';
$departdate = isset($_POST['departdate'])  ? trim($_POST['departdate'])  : '';
$category1 = isset($_POST['category1'])  ? trim($_POST['category1'])  : '';

$erroroccured = array();

 if ($worktype == NULL)  $erroroccured[]= "Your Affiliation Is Required!";
 if (($worktype == 'Agency') && ($agencyname == NULL))  $erroroccured[]= "Your Agency Name Is Required!";
 if (($worktype == 'Agency') && ($adtype != 'Employment') && ($multiplegirls == 'Please Select One...'))  $erroroccured[]= "Multiple Girls Selection Is Required!";
 if ($adtype == 'Please Select One...')  $erroroccured[]= "Advertisement Type Is Required!";
 if (($adtype != 'Visiting') && ($advertduration == '1'))  $erroroccured[]= "Advertisement Duration Is Required!";
 if (($adtype == 'Visiting') && ($visitingduration == '1'))  $erroroccured[]= "Visiting Duration Is Required!";
 if (($adtype == 'Visiting') && ($arrivedate == NULL))  $erroroccured[]= "Arrival Date Is Required!";
 if (($adtype == 'Visiting') && ($departdate == NULL))  $erroroccured[]= "Departure Date Is Required!";
 if (($adtype == 'Visiting') && ($departdate <= $arrivedate))  $erroroccured[]= "Your Departure Date Must Be After Your Arrival Date!";
 if (($adtype != 'Employment') && ($category1 == 'Please Select One...'))  $erroroccured[]= "A Category Is Required!";

///// ERROR WAS DETECTED SHOW ERROR /////
if (!empty($erroroccured)) {
foreach ($erroroccured as $errormsg){
$error.= $errormsg."<br>";
}
} else { 
//submit form
}
}

HalfaBee

As you have lines of the same code, I would use a loop.

$variables = array( ... ); //set variable names in array
foreach( $varaibles as $v ) {
    $$v = isset($_POST[$v])  ? trim($_POST[$v])  : ''; 
}

Kudose

If I remember correctly, a NULL cannot equal a NULL because a NULL equals nothing.

You should use [man]empty[/man] instead of NULL

i.e.

if($adtype == 'Visiting' && empty($arrivedate)) // throw error

NogDog

Actually, with the "==" operator, all of the following evaluate as equal to each other: 0, "0", "", false, null. Many times you can get away with this loosely typed comparison, but you need to be careful when, for instance, a zero is a valid entry but nothing entered at all is not valid. If I'm testing simply to see if anything was entered, I typically trim() the value and then use the "===" identical operator:

if('' === trim($_POST['field']))
{
   // raise error for empty field.
}

(Note that the empty() function is like the "==" operator, in that it returns true if the variable is not set or if it evaluates to 0, so will return true for any of those values listed above.)

PartDigital

I agree with HalfaBee, you have a lot of redundant code, I would use a loop first and then apply the comparative operators.

bradgrafelman

EDIT: Woopsie, nevermind this post... didn't quite read HalfaBee's code carefully enough.

Ashley_Sheridan

If you're looking into form field validation, then you can't really go too wrong with regular expressions. I've put together a function in PHP that can validate fields against certain types, e.g. email, numbers, ULRs, etc. The code and explanation on how to use is a bit large, so I've put a link to the article I wrote about it:
http://ashleysheridan.co.uk/coding_php_validation.php
Hope this helps.

Weedpacket

HalfaBee;10870789 wrote:
As you have lines of the same code, I would use a loop.
$variables = array( ... ); //set variable names in array
foreach( $varaibles as $v ) {
    $$v = isset($_POST[$v])  ? trim($_POST[$v])  : ''; 
}

You can go further than that.

$default_values = array(
	'worktype' => '',
	'agencyname' => '',
	'adtype' => '',
	'multiplegirls' => '',
	//...
);
// Or, since they're all to be empty strings,
// $defaults = array('worktype', 'agencyname', 'adtype', 'multiplegirls', /*...*/);
// $default_values = array_fill_keys($defaults, '');

$_POST = array_map('trim', $_POST) + $default_values;

kpowning

You guys are awesome...

🙂 THANK YOU

Kudose

Weedpacket;10882681 wrote:

You can go further than that.

$default_values = array(
	'worktype' => '',
	'agencyname' => '',
	'adtype' => '',
	'multiplegirls' => '',
	//...
);
// Or, since they're all to be empty strings,
// $defaults = array('worktype', 'agencyname', 'adtype', 'multiplegirls', /*...*/);
// $default_values = array_fill_keys($defaults, '');

$_POST = array_map('trim', $_POST) + $default_values;

Nice