[RESOLVED] Form Validation Problem

pwntastic

Hello, I have two codes that appear identical to me in the if statements, yet one does exactly what i want it to do and the other one keeps going to the else could someone help me see why it is doing what its doing

This is the code 1 that works:

<?php
//will test if the values are set

if(isset($_POST['submitted'])){
if(isset($_POST['name']) && isset($_POST['tel']) && isset($_POST['email'])){
	if(is_numeric($_POST['tel'])){		

}
else{
echo"<div class=\"error1\">Error!</div>";
}
}
else{

echo"not all fields ware complete";
}
}
else{
echo"COMPLETION STATUS: IN PROGRESS";
}
?>
<h1>Contact Us</h1>
<div class="subtitle">Enter Your Information Below</div>
<form method="post" action="practicecon.php">
Name: <br/><input type="text" name="name"/></p>
Telephone Number: <br/><input type="text" size="15" name="tel"/></p>
Email: <br/><input type="text" name="email" size="35"/></p>
Comment: <br/><textarea rows="10" cols="130" name="comment"></textarea></p>
<p><input type="submit" Value="Submit"></p>
<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="1"/>

</form>

and this is the code 2 that keeps displaying the else echo"all fields required"

<?php
//will test if the values are set

if(isset($_POST['submitted'])){
if(isset($_POST['name']) && isset($_POST['tel']) && isset($_POST['email'])){
	if(is_numeric($_POST['tel'])){		

}
else{
echo"<div class=\"error1\">Error!</div>";
}
}
else{

echo"not all fields ware complete";
}
}
else{
echo"COMPLETION STATUS: IN PROGRESS";
}
?>
<h1>Contact Us</h1>
<div class="subtitle">Enter Your Information Below</div>
<form method="post" action="practicecon.php">
Name: <br/><input type="text" name="name"/></p>
Telephone Number: <br/><input type="text" size="15" name="tel"/></p>
Email: <br/><input type="text" name="email" size="35"/></p>
Comment: <br/><textarea rows="10" cols="130" name="comment"></textarea></p>
<p><input type="submit" Value="Submit"></p>
<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="1"/>

</form>

bradgrafelman

The two code snippets you posted are identical.

EDIT: Note you can use [man]print_r/man (or, even more verbose, [man]var_dump/man) to output arrays (such as $_POST) for debug/comparison purposes.

traq

since the code is identical, I'd look to your html markup. Are you using different forms? One may have missing fields or different name values.

traq

my apologies, I didn't notice that the form was included in you snippet. I don't see any reason why, under the same conditions, those two scripts wouldn't have the same result.

pwntastic

That's what it looks like to me too but for some reason one works differently I don't understand why

pwntastic

I apologize i pasted the wrong code :queasy:
here's the one that doesn't work correctly:

<?php
// will determine to see if the values are set
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
	if(isset($_POST['name']) && isset($_POST['email']) && isset($_POST['company']) && isset($_POST['message'])){
	echo"values are good";



}
	//this is executed if the values are not set
	else{
	echo"All Fields Are Required.";
	}
}
else{
echo"STATUS: IN PROGRESS";
}

?>
<form method="post" name="correction.php">
<p>Name: <input type="text" name="name"/></p>
<p>Email: <input type="text" name="email"/></p>
<p>Company: <input type="text" name="company"/></p>
<p>Message: <br/><textarea cols=60 rows=7></textarea></p>
<p><input type="submit"/></p>
<input type="hidden" name="submit" value=1/>

</form>

bradgrafelman

There is no form element named "message", thus the inner if() statement will always fail.

pwntastic

that fixed that, but even if i have no values inputted into the form it echos the "values are good" message o.O

bradgrafelman

Well of course it does; you're only checking to see if the variables exist.. you never check their values in any way.

pwntastic

thats why i was thinking of using the empty() but what i dont understand is the code that works uses isset() how is it different?

pwntastic

pwntastic;10981570 wrote:
thats why i was thinking of using the empty() but what i dont understand is the code that works uses isset() how is it different?

Like i know that issset is suppose to see if a variable is set and is not null but in this case even if the value has not been entered it still goes through as if it had been filled like why is that this happens in this code and doesnt happen in the other one?

bradgrafelman

The manual explains it all. [man]isset/man checks if a variable/array index/property/etc. exists while [man]empty/man takes it a step further and also examines the value.

pwntastic

but if i enter the information in the form wouldn't it then exist? so why is it that when i dont input a value it still goes through the if statement instead of going to the else and telling me i didnt input a value?

bradgrafelman

Your browser will always submit all form elements unless they are disabled. A form element with no value gets set equal to the empty string when parsed by PHP.

pwntastic

how is it the other code works though if it uses the same method?

bradgrafelman

"Works" in what sense? If it's the "same" code then it's going to have the same behavior given the same inputs.

pwntastic

I see the problem now, well like i wanted it to display an error message when there was no input, i just realized the only reason it would echo the error is because the value inputted was not numeric when NULL. I thought it was working like i intended without realizing that it was displaying the incorrect else statement. Thankyou for your help.