[RESOLVED] HELP needed with if statement

[RossBryan]

Does anybody have any idea why the following code does not execute correctly. I want the fields in the form to be checked for content on submission but the if condition is just passed even when there isn't any content held in the fields. I'm confused:

<?php
include 'initialize.php';

if (!(isset($_SESSION['user_id'])&& $_SESSION['user_id']!=''))//if the following is false- session not been assigned a valid user value/is blank then...
{
	header('Location:index.php');
	end();	
}
include 'template/top.php';
?>

<h3>Create Folder</h3>

<?php 
if (isset($_POST['folder_name'], $_POST['folder _description']))
{
	$folder_name = $_POST['folder_name'];
	$folder_description = $_POST['folder_description'];

if (empty($folder_name) || empty($folder_description))
{
	echo 'Folder name and description required';
}
else
{
	create_folder($folder_name, $folder_description);
	header('Location: uploads.php');
	exit();	
}
}
?>

<form action='' method='POST'>
<p>Name:<br/><input type='text' name'folder_name' maxlength'55'/></p>
<p>Description:<br/><textarea name='folder_description' rows='6' cols='35' maxlength'255'></textarea></p>
<p><input type='submit' value='Create' /></p>

<?php
include 'template/bottom.php';
?>

any help will be much appreciated...thanks

[Weedpacket]

if (isset($_POST['folder_name'], $_POST['folder _description'])) 

I do notice an extra space in "folder_description" on this line.

[RossBryan]

Weedpacket;11000865 wrote:

if (isset($_POST['folder_name'], $_POST['folder _description'])) 

I do notice an extra space in "folder_description" on this line.

Thanks, yeh I did notice that space and have corrected it but doesn't seem to be what's causing my initial problem.

[php_rockzz]

if (empty($folder_name) || empty($folder_description))

Try using this:

if($folder_name.trim()=="" || $folder_description.trim()=="")

In addition to this, you can also use some client side scripting like javascript to check if the fields are blank.. This ensure that the fields are checked twice and the probability of execution of 'else' statement instead of 'if' becomes less..

[Bonesnap]

php_rockzz;11000870 wrote:

Try using this:

if($folder_name.trim()=="" || $folder_description.trim()=="")

This will not work for two reasons. 1) The "dot" in PHP is for concatenation and not for accessing a member function, and 2) PHP is not an object-oriented language "out of the box". You were probably thinking of JavaScript. 😉

To use trim(), you will have to pass it a string argument like this:

if(trim($folder_name) == "" || trim($folder_description) == "")

[Derokorian]

I would say continue to use empty, but trim when assigning like:

    $folder_name = trim( $_POST['folder_name'] ); 
    $folder_description = trim( $_POST['folder_description'] );

Just my personal preference in the matter tho.

[bradgrafelman]

php_rockzz;11000870 wrote:

Try using this:

if($folder_name.trim()=="" || $folder_description.trim()=="")

Considering that the code snippet you posted isn't even valid PHP syntax, I doubt that's going to be very helpful. 😉

EDIT: Okay, so technically it is valid PHP syntax (although it looks more like Javascript syntax), but it's definitely not doing what you think it's doing.

@: Another typo I see is in your HTML:

<input type='text' name'folder_name' maxlength'55'/>

Note the missing equal sign between the name attribute and its value. Same for the maxlength attribute as well.

[php_rockzz]

Yeah @.. my bad..!! sry..!!
mixed up with php and javascript.. lol..!! :p 😃

[RossBryan]

Sorted it, was the silliest thing, turns out i was looking at all the wrong places. Never included the = symbol when when assigning the form name field:

name'folder_name'

Thanks bradgrafelman no one else actually noticed it

and for everyone else for your time anyway.