Arrays in FOREACH Loop

[Sharif]

Hi all,

I am trying to create a function that basically allows me to validate form fields.

Simple the process is I use an array to specify which form fields are required, and then I check the $_POST array against that array... here is the code I have now:

$required_fields = array('name', 'email', 'message');
$error_msg = ''; //used to output error

//validate form
foreach($_POST as $key => $value)
{
	//if form field does not exist in the required array
	if(!in_array($key, $required_fields))
	{
		$error_msg .= '';
		$RETURN = 0;
	}
	else
	{
		if(empty($value))
		{
			$error_msg .= ucfirst($key) . ', ';
			$RETURN = 0;
		}
		else
		{
			$RETURN = 1;
		}
	}
}

Maybe there is a simpler/more efficient way to accomplish this? This script is supposed to check if the form fields required are filled out... if they are not, it should add value to the $error_msg variable ("FIELD is empty, <br>").

Any help would be appreciated... thanks.

[HalfaBee]

You are pretty close, I added a bit at the bottom as an example and removed a $RETURN=0;

$required_fields = array('name', 'email', 'message');
$error_msg = ''; //used to output error

//validate form
$RETURN=0;
foreach($_POST as $key => $value)
{
    //if form field does not exist in the required array
    if(!in_array($key, $required_fields))
    {
        $error_msg .= '';
        $RETURN = 0;
    }
    else
    {
        if(empty($value))
        {
            $error_msg .= ucfirst($key) . ', ';
        }
        else
        {
            $RETURN += 1;
        }
    }

if( $RETURN == count( $required_fileds ) ) {
    echo "Form is valid";
} else {
    echo "Fill in all the fields please! Missing fields are $error_msg ";
}

[nrg_alpha]

I'm slightly confused.
You initially declare

$error_msg = '';

Then, if your $key is not found in the array $required_fields, you turn around and:

$error_msg .= '';

I don't understand the logic here. Am I missing something?

[nrg_alpha]

Duplicate Post

[Weedpacket]

$required_fields = array('name', 'email', 'message'); 
$nonempty_fields = array_filter($_POST);
$missing_fields = array_diff($required_fields, array_keys($nonempty_fields));

$error_message = null;
if(!empty($missing_fields))
{
	$error_message = "Empty fields: ".join(', ', array_map('ucfirst', $missing_fields));
}
$RETURN = empty($error_message); // Let's use a boolean value to indicate a boolean result

[bretticus]

Hmmm...

Weedpacket;10887096 wrote:

// make array with values equal to post keys of post values to be required...
$required_fields = array('name', 'email', 'message'); 
// make an associative array of post values (since post is associative already)  except where values are FALSE (or empty string.)
$nonempty_fields = array_filter($_POST);
// build new array comparing required "keys" array with new non-empty post array of  keys left over...
$missing_fields = array_diff($required_fields, array_keys($nonempty_fields));

$error_message = null;

// check new missing array for existence of elements (non-empty array)
if(!empty($missing_fields))
{
	$error_message = "Empty fields: ".join(', ', array_map('ucfirst', $missing_fields));
}
$RETURN = empty($error_message); // Let's use a boolean value to indicate a boolean result

Pretty slick. I would have never thought to do it that way. Fool-proof 3 lines of code.

[Weedpacket]

bretticus wrote:

Fool-proof 3 lines of code.

Well ... unless "0" is a valid value for a required field 🙂 but looking at the given names of the required fields I rated that as unlikely 😃