Dynamic Form Validation

activomate

I've been struggling lately to conceptualize how to validate a survey form that I'm dynamically building prior to submitting values into a database. This form has a combination questions with radio buttons and drop down values.

I'd simply like to ensure that all of the questions (again, dynamically generated) have at least one selction prior to submitting to the db.

Based on my research, it seems that a lot of people are of the opinion that this should be performed utilizing java; however, if possible i'd like to stick with using php validate.

Through my research, there also appears to be several examples out there utilizing array_key_exists() and array_intersect() fucntion, but I can't seem to grasp how this should be executed while building a dynamic web form.

Any guidance and/or direction you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Kudose

You would HAVE to utilize javascript (not java) to perform form validation before you submit data to the server. PHP can only handle data after it has been posted, since it is a server side language.

Try a search for javascript form validation and you should get loads of results.

activomate

Really?

Below are some of the web pages that I've found that discuss validating with php...

http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/php/2004/04/22/php_css_forms.html?page=1http://www.flamelab.de/article/php-form-validation-and-processing-part2.php

could i not leverage any of these examples?

leatherback

I think Kudose misread your post. You meant insert into database, but wrote submit into database. You can validate before submitting.

When you tal about dynamic form creatoion, are you talking about creating & using in one go? Or storing the form somewhere for futre use?

In the first case you could just store the created form elements in a session array, and use that to validate?

activomate

leatherback wrote:
I think Kudose misread your post. You meant insert into database, but wrote submit into database. You can validate before submitting.

When you tal about dynamic form creatoion, are you talking about creating & using in one go? Or storing the form somewhere for futre use?

In the first case you could just store the created form elements in a session array, and use that to validate?

leatherback

yes, that is correct. What I meant was prior to inserting into the database as opposed to 'submitting' to a server.

well. i was thinking about posting back to the form itself while displaying values that the user previously selected and perhaps changing the question text a different color to draw the users attention to the question that they mistakenly forgot to answer.

wouldn't you run into some issues utilzing a session as upon submitting/posting the form, the variable would not have been set since an answer was not selected?

leatherback

on check/radio:nope, you would not have them submitted. but as you have the names in a session, you loop through the session and check whether eachr value in the session is a key in post

activomate

would it be possible to provide me with a quick example?