NULL when nothing is there?

[Anon]

Hi folks,

I'm trying to put together an email form that comes in with the answers tab'ed across so that it can be copied and pasted into a database. the problem I'm having is that my nice little email doesn't come in so neatly tab'ed accross if somone leaves a field blank. Here's what I'm working on:
<?
if ((!$CAE_number ) or (!$first_name) && (!$tomail)) {

echo "You must enter your email address, your name and CAE number!";
echo "<p>";
echo "Please use the 'Back' button to continue.";
echo "</p>";

}
else
{

$message="First Name\tSurname\t\tCAE Number\tEmail\t\t\tSubmission Date\tAdditional Information\n$first_name\t\t"."$surname\t\t"."$CAE_number\t\t"."$tomail\t"."$submissiondate\t"."$additional_info\n\n".

"Performers\tWorks Performed\tDate\t\tVenue Name & Address\n
$performer1\t"."$work_performed1\t\t"."$venue_date1\t\t"."$venue_name_and_address1\n".
"$performer2\t"."$work_performed2\t\t"."$venue_date2\t\t"."$venue_name_and_address1\n".
"$performer3\t"."$work_performed3\t\t"."$venue_date3\t\t"."$venue_name_and_address3\n";

mail("[e-mail]",$subject,$message,"From: [e-mail]");
mail("$tomail","$subject","$message","From: [e-mail]");

echo "<p>Thank you $first_name for submitting details of your Contemporary Classical Listing. We will process this infomration shortly.</p>";
echo "<p>We have also sent a copy of this list to $tomail the email address you submitted</P>";
}
?>

does anyone know how I can stick a NULL in when someone leaves a field blank?
Any help very much appriciated!

Gurl

[Anon]

Here is one option that you could do. When the form is submitted you could do a loop through the form variables and check if a value for that variable exists, if not assign it the NULL value using a variable variable. IE:

while (list($var, $value) = each($HTTP_POST_VARS)) {
if (!$value) {
$$var = "NULL";
}
}

Also if this is valuable data that your working with you might want to consider checking the data submitted so you know its coming from a trusted source and its not tainted. There are some good articles here that show you how to handle user submitted data properly.

Hope that helps.

Troy

[Anon]

Hi Troy,

I've added in the code but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference, the word NULL doesn't show up on the email, here's where I put the code:
<?
if ((!$CAE_number ) or (!$first_name) && (!$tomail)) {

echo "You must enter your email address, your name and CAE number!";
echo "<p>";
echo "Please use the 'Back' button to continue.";
echo "</p>";

}
else
{

$message="First Name\tSurname\t\tCAE Number\tEmail\t\t\tSubmission Date\tAdditional Information\n$first_name\t\t"."$surname\t\t"."$CAE_number\t"."$tomail\t"."$submissiondate\t"."$additional_info\n\n".

"Artist Name\tBand Members\n$artist_name\t"."$band_members\n".

"Venue Name\t\tVenue Date
$venue_name1\t\t"."$venue_date1\n".
"$venue_name20\t\t".
"$venue_date20\n";

mail("[e-mail]",$subject,$message,"From: [e-mail]");
mail("$tomail","$subject","$message","From: [e-mail]");

echo "<p>Thank you $first_name for submitting details of your Domestic Live Performance Listing. We will process this infomration shortly.</p>";
echo "<p>We have also sent a copy of this list to $tomail the email address you submitted</P>";

}
while (list($var, $value) = each($HTTP_POST_VARS)) {
if (!$value) {
$$var = "NULL";
}
}
?>

Have I put it in the wrong place?

Gurl
ps. do you live in the US?

[vex__]

Doh!

You need to put Troys code up the top somewhere...

ie. BEFORE you create the $message variable!

[Anon]

Also in order to access the $HTTP_POST_VARS associative array, track_vars needs to be enabled. If the script isn't working for you after you move the code to the begining of your else statement then you probably don't have track_vars enabled. You can enable it on a per script basis by adding <?php_track_vars?> at the top of your file. Or by enabling it in the php.ini file so it will be available to all scripts.

Yes I reside in the US.

Hope that helps.

Troy

[Anon]

Thanks you guys! it works! I owe you, my deadline is tomorrow morning (Irish time) I did get a problem a warning:

Warning: <?php_track_vars?> is no longer supported - please use the track_vars INI directive instead in
D:\Inetpub\Stage\music_makers\domestic_live_performance_forms_confirmation.php on line 4

But I got it to go away, turned out I didn't need it (<?php_track_vars?>), it was actually a space after each one of Troys lines of code that stopped it working, I just happened to delete them for neatness sake. I never would have guessed that.

Once again, thanks!

I don't suppose either of you work on project based contracts?

Gurl