[RESOLVED] Enter causes Undefined index but not button

jeffshead

I came across something that is very strange to me.😕

I have a PHP page that contains a few forms with submit buttons. I could not figure out why (sometimes, not always) I was getting an Undefined index error for the same variable in my error log.

Today I found out what is causing the error to be thrown. If I enter text in the input field and click on the submit button, all is fine. However, if I enter text in the same input field and hit enter on my keyboard, (instead of clicking on the submit button) the error is thrown. It only does this with the one variable/input box and it does this with IE7, not FF3.

Does anyone have any ideas?

NogDog

I think it's a quirk of IE, where entering a form via the Enter key does not cause the submit input element to be included in the post data. Therefore if your form-handler tries to do anything with the value of the submit button, it won't be there. For that reason, as a rule I avoid depending on the submit button, using a hidden field instead if needed.

jeffshead

NogDog;10890687 wrote:
...as a rule I avoid depending on the submit button, using a hidden field instead if needed.

I understand most of your answer, but I don't know what you mean by using a hidden field instead.

Are you saying a hidden filed can some how be implemented to avoid this issue? If so, how would it look?

This is basicaly what I have now:

<form  method="post" action="<?=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']?>" >
<input type="text" name="pas" size="38" value="<?php echo $pass ?>"
<input type="hidden" name="pasYes" value="<?php echo $pasYes; ?>" />	
<input type="hidden" name="sed" value="reload" />		
<input type="submit" value="Save New Password" name="chngPas" />
</form>

NogDog

Your example has the submit input element named "chngPas". If your form-handler tries to do anything with $POST['chngPas'], then it might throw an error if the browser doesn't send it. So if your code logic requires that something be done with it, you can use a hidden field instead:

<form  method="post" action="<?=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']?>" >
<input type="text" name="pas" size="38" value="<?php echo $pass ?>"
<input type="hidden" name="pasYes" value="<?php echo $pasYes; ?>" />	
<input type="hidden" name="sed" value="reload" />
[color=red]<input type="hidden" name="chngPas" value="Save New Password" />[/color]
<input type="submit" value="Save New Password" /> [color=red]<!-- removed name from submit -->[/color]
</form>

jeffshead

Gosh, that was so simple. I just didn't "get it" from your first post.

That solved the problem.

Thanks NogDog🙂