PHP Forum

**jstarbuck** · 06-13-2011, 06:10 PM

Hi,

I am a beginner with PHP and am trying to fix a form on my website. The problem is with a question allowing multiple checkbox selections. I would like a list of all the checkboxes checked to show in the email I receive. How can I fix this? Right now it only shows the word 'Array.'

Thanks in advance for your help!

Here's my code:

<input type="checkbox" class="statezip" name="interestedin[]" value="Buying" /> Buying a property<br />
<input type="checkbox" class="statezip" name="interestedin[]" value="Selling" /> Selling a property<br />
<input type="checkbox" class="statezip" name="interestedin[]" value="Career Opportunity" /> Career opportunities<br />
<input type="checkbox" class="statezip" name="interestedin[]" value="Other" /> Other<br />
</select>

<?php
/* Set e-mail recipient */
$myemail = "jenstarbuck@gmail.com";

/* Check all form inputs using check_input function */
$name = check_input($_POST['name'], "Please enter your name");
$email = check_input($_POST['email'], "Please enter your email address");
$phone = check_input($_POST['phone']);
$address = check_input($_POST['address']);
$city = check_input($_POST['city']);
$state = check_input($_POST['state']);
$zip = check_input($_POST['zip']);
$contactmethod = check_input($_POST['contactmethod']);
$interestedin = check_input($_POST['interestedin']);
$comments = check_input($_POST['comments'], "Please let us know how we can help");
$subject = "Starbuck Realty Group - Website Contact";

/* If e-mail is not valid show error message */
if (!preg_match("/([\w\-]+\@[\w\-]+\.[\w\-]+)/", $email))
{
show_error("E-mail address not valid");
}

/* Let's prepare the message for the e-mail */
$message = "Hello!

Your contact form has been submitted by:

Name: $name
E-mail: $email
Phone: $phone

Address: $address
City: $city
State: $state
Zipcode: $zip

Preferred method of contact: $contactmethod

Interested in: $interestedin
Comments: $comments

End of message
";

/* Send the message using mail() function */
mail($myemail, $subject, $message);

/* Redirect visitor to the thank you page */
header('Location: contactthankyou.html');
exit();

/* Functions we used */
function check_input($data, $problem='')
{
$data = trim($data);
$data = stripslashes($data);
$data = htmlspecialchars($data);
if ($problem && strlen($data) == 0)
{
show_error($problem);
}
return $data;
}

function show_error($myError)
{
?>
<html>
<body>

<b>Please correct the following error:</b><br />
<?php echo $myError; ?>

</body>
</html>
<?php
exit();
}
?>

**chrishirst** · 06-13-2011, 06:14 PM

Get rid of the "[]" and the "interestedin" will be a comma seperated string of selected values when submitted.

**jstarbuck** · 06-13-2011, 06:31 PM

When I remove the [] it then only shows the value of the last checkbox selected (not the values of all the checkboxes selected). I would like to see a list of all the checkboxes selected.

**chrishirst** · 06-13-2011, 06:40 PM

how are you submitting the form

there are no form tags, no submit botton and a stray closing select tag in your code?

Is that ALL the code?

**mgraphic** · 06-13-2011, 06:41 PM

$interestedin = check_input(implode(', ', (array)$_POST['interestedin']));

**jstarbuck** · 06:45 PM

This is the coding for the form on contact.html:

HTML Code:

<div class="contact_form">
<p>How can we help?  Please fill out the form below and a member of our team will be in touch with you soon: (*required)</p>
                 
    <form action="contact.php" method="post" >
      <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="tblForm">
      <tr>
        <td colspan="2" style="height: 10px;"></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td width="" valign="top" class="field_text">*Name:</td>
        <td width="" valign="top">
          <input type="text" class="form_field" name="name"></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td valign="top" class="field_text">*Email: </td>
        <td valign="top">
          <input type="text" class="form_field" name="email">
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td valign="top" class="field_text">Phone: </td>
        <td valign="top">
        <input type="text" class="form_field" name="phone"></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td valign="top" class="field_text">Address:</td>
        <td valign="top">
        <input type="text" class="form_field" name="address"></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td valign="top" class="field_text">City:</td>
        <td valign="top">
          <input type="text" class="form_field" name="city"></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td valign="top" class="field_text">State:</td>
        <td valign="top">
          <select name="state" class="statezip">
            <option value="" selected>
            <option value="AL">Alabama
              <option value="AK">Alaska
                <option value="AZ">Arizona
                  <option value="AR">Arkansas
                    <option value="CA">California
                      <option value="CO">Colorado
                        <option value="CT">Connecticut
                        <option value="DE">Delaware
                        <option value="FL">Florida
                        <option value="GA">Georgia
                        <option value="HI">Hawaii
                        <option value="ID">Idaho
                        <option value="IL">Illinois
                        <option value="IN">Indiana
                        <option value="IA">Iowa
                        <option value="KS">Kansas
                        <option value="KY">Kentucky
                        <option value="LA">Louisiana
                        <option value="ME">Maine
                        <option value="MD">Maryland
                        <option value="MA">Massachusetts
                        <option value="MI">Michigan
                        <option value="MN">Minnesota
                        <option value="MS">Mississippi
                        <option value="MO">Missouri
                        <option value="MT">Montana
                        <option value="NE">Nebraska
                        <option value="NV">Nevada
                        <option value="NH">New Hampshire
                        <option value="NJ">New Jersey
                        <option value="NM">New Mexico
                        <option value="NY">New York
                        <option value="NC">North Carolina
                        <option value="ND">North Dakota
                        <option value="OH">Ohio
                        <option value="OK">Oklahoma
                        <option value="OR">Oregon
                        <option value="PA">Pennsylvania
                        <option value="RI">Rhode Island
                        <option value="SC">South Carolina
                        <option value="SD">South Dakota
                        <option value="TN">Tennessee
                        <option value="TX">Texas
                        <option value="UT">Utah
                        <option value="VT">Vermont
                        <option value="VA">Virginia
                        <option value="WA">Washington
                        <option value="DC">Washington D.C.
                        <option value="WV">West Virginia
                        <option value="WI">Wisconsin
                        <option value="WY">Wyoming
                      </select>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td valign="top" class="field_text">Zipcode: </td>
        <td valign="top">
        <input name="zip" class="statezip" type="text" size="10"></td>
      </tr>


      <tr>
        <td valign="top" class="field_text">Preferred method of contact: </td>
       <td valign="top">
          <select name="contactmethod" class="statezip">
            <option value=""></option>
            <option value="Phone">Phone</option>
             <option value="Email">Email</option>
                    </select>
        </td>
      </tr>

       <tr>
        <td valign="top" class="field_text">Interested in: </td>
       <td valign="top">
            <input type="checkbox" class="statezip" name="interestedin" value="Buying" /> Buying a property<br />
            <input type="checkbox" class="statezip" name="interestedin" value="Selling" /> Selling a property<br />
            <input type="checkbox" class="statezip" name="interestedin" value="Career Opportunity" /> Career opportunities<br />
            <input type="checkbox" class="statezip" name="interestedin" value="Other" /> Other<br />             
                    </select>
        </td>
      </tr>
      
   

 

        <tr>        
                <td valign="top" class="field_text" style="padding-top: 15px;">Questions, comments, or other information to help us better serve you:</td> 
                <td valign="top"><textarea name="comments" rows="10" cols="31" class="statezip"></textarea></td>
            </tr>
            
      <tr>
        <td></td>   
        <td>

          <input type="submit" value="Submit">
          <input type="reset" value="Clear Form">
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td colspan="2" style="height: 10px;"></td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </form></div>

**jstarbuck** · 06-13-2011, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgraphic

$interestedin = check_input(implode(', ', (array)$_POST['interestedin']));

This did the trick! Thank you SOOOOOOOOO much!

**WouterL** · 08-29-2011, 05:26 AM

Hello mgraphic (and all the other experienced programmers),

I try to follow your advise, but I fail to have a message send with the checked boxes. I translated my form and shortened it, but in essence I tryed to copy the idea; but I will have forgotten something:

In the HTML:

HTML Code:

<form name="form" method="post" action="thanx.php">
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="sports" />sports<br/>
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="travel" />travel<br />
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="gaming" />gaming<br />
 <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Send"/>
  </form>

PHP Code:


			
<?php

$activities = check_input(implode(', ', (array)$_POST['activities']));

$message = "Activities: $activities";

mail('my_mail_address', 'Form', $message);  
  
?>

Will you please give me some advise?

Wouter

**lizciz** · 08-29-2011, 07:35 AM

Do you actually have a function called check_input(), or did you just copy it directly from the previous post?

**WouterL** · 08:13 AM

As a beginner I simply copied it, because I thought is was a smart php-function

.
Can you help me to correct it?

With kind regards, Wouter

**vectorialpx** · 11:19 AM

When submitting one or more fields with the name someField[] (GET or POST) you will have to work with $_POST['someField'] or $_GET['someField'] as array

WouterL, what do you need to check?
You can have

Code:

function checkActivities($postValue) {
    if(!is_array($postValue)) return false;
    if(!empty(array_diff($postValue, array('someSport', 'tennis', 'bowling', 'footbal'))) {
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

// remember, $_POST['activities'] must be an array
if(!checkActivities($_POST['activities'])) {
    die('please don\'t hack me');
} else {
    $mailContent = 'Activities: ' . implode(', ', $_POST['activities']);
}
mail('your@mail.com' , 'subject of mail' ,$mailContent);

**WouterL** · 03:21 AM

Thank you for helping me. I tried to put the script in my (Dreamweaver) testscript,
but there was immediatly a call for a syntaxis error in the line with "ifempty(array..."

Ok, I found out that one ')' was missing.

I'll try again:

HTML Code:

<html>
<head>
<title>test</title>
</head>

<body>
<form name="form" method="post" action="thanx.php">
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="sports" />sports<br/>
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="travel" />travel<br />
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="gaming" />gaming<br />
 <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Send"/>
  </form>

PHP Code:


			
<?php

 function checkActivities($postValue) {
    if(!is_array($postValue)) return false;
    if(!empty(array_diff($postValue, array('sport', 'travel', 'gaming', )))  )  {
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

// remember, $_POST['activities'] must be an array
if(!checkActivities($_POST['activities'])) {
    die('please don\'t hack me');
} else {
    $mailContent = 'Activities: ' . implode(', ', $_POST['activities']);
}
mail('your@mail.com' , 'subject of mail' ,$mailContent);

?>

HTML Code:

</body>
</html>

Well, it's not enough... My form doesn't show up in the browser (and it does when I let the php-part out).

I hope you can help me another step forward.

**vectorialpx** · 04:11 AM

I just gave you an example, you have to adapt it
I think now you get the "please don't hack me message"

instead of

Code:

if(!checkActivities($_POST['activities'])) {
    die('please don\'t hack me');
} else {
    $mailContent = 'Activities: ' . implode(', ', $_POST['activities']);
}
mail('your@mail.com' , 'subject of mail' ,$mailContent);

you need another condition on the top

PHP Code:


			
if(isset($_POST['activities']) && is_array($_POST['activities'])) {
if(!checkActivities($_POST['activities'])) {
    die('please don\'t hack me');
} else {
    $mailContent = 'Activities: ' . implode(', ', $_POST['activities']);
}
mail('your@mail.com' , 'subject of mail' ,$mailContent);
} else {
echo 'Send the form first.';
}

As you may know, 'die' will stop the script so you don't need that in real life, you have to make a more user-friendly thing, like a redirect to a "thank you page".

**WouterL** · 01:20 PM

When I replace your last code I still see no form on my internetpage.

With only the last code as php I can see and fill in the form (with the text "Send the form first."), but I don't receive mail when I check a box (of course I have put my own email address in).
And when I don't check any box, I also only go to the thanx.php and get no mean message on my screen.
So there must be something wrong in the first part of the php code; sorry, I'm not able to correct this myself...

I'll put the complete form here (the last complete version that don't show up when it's uploaded):

<html>
<head>
<title>test</title>
</head>

<body>
<form name="form" method="post" action="thanx.php">
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="sports" />sports<br/>
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="travel" />travel<br />
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="gaming" />gaming<br />
<input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Send"/>
</form>

PHP Code:


			
<?php

 function checkActivities($postValue) {
    if(!is_array($postValue)) return false;
    if(!empty(array_diff($postValue, array('sports', 'travel', 'gaming')))  )  {
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

if(isset($_POST['activities']) && is_array($_POST['activities'])) {
if(!checkActivities($_POST['activities'])) {
    die('Please try again, you can do it!');
} else {
    $mailContent = 'Activities: ' . implode(', ', $_POST['activities']);
}
mail('wiped@out.nl' , 'Activities' ,$mailContent);
} else {
echo 'Send the form first.';
}  
?>

</body>
</html>

**vectorialpx** · 08-30-2011, 07:16 AM

If you are running on localhost, you need a mail server

make the line
mail('wlooman@xs4all.nl' , 'Activities' ,$mailContent);

like
if(@mail('wlooman@xs4all.nl' , 'Activities' ,$mailContent))
{ echo 'mail send!'; } else { echo 'cannot send mail!'; }

**WouterL** · 09:15 AM

Hi, I have a external server that works fine with php en forms. So far I know what I'm doing.

It's just the checkboxes that don't do what I want. And it is very difficult to find a solution on the internet: I studied over 40 googled pages about textboxes and mailforms, and I tried a lot of code, but without succes

.

Maybe you'd better try my/your code yourself: it's a complete script you can paste and test (local or extern, with your own mail address

).

At last I succeded! With a script on another site... I tell you later, have to go now.

And answer lizciz beneath.

**lizciz** · 07:50 AM

Add some debugging, to see what is actually going on. For example, check the values of $_POST['activities'] and $mailContent.

PHP Code:


			
var_dump($_POST['activities'], $mailContent);

EDIT: Oh and by the way, the checkActivities() function that vectorialpx supplied requires all checkboxes to be marked. Did you try marking all of them?

**vectorialpx** · 08-30-2011, 10:33 AM

Looks like I got an error

!empty(array_diff( ... )) is not a valid thing

PHP Code:


			
<?php
# let's say we have a POST
$_POST['activities'][] = 'travel';

 function checkActivities($postValue) {
    if(!is_array($postValue)) return false;
    if(array_diff($postValue, array('sports', 'travel', 'gaming')) != array()  )  {
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

if(isset($_POST['activities']) && is_array($_POST['activities'])) {
if(!checkActivities($_POST['activities'])) {
    die('Please try again, you can do it!');
} else {
    $mailContent = 'Activities: ' . implode(', ', $_POST['activities']);
}
# mail('wlooman@xs4all.nl' , 'Activities' ,$mailContent);
echo 'send mail';
} else {
echo 'Send the form first.';
}
?>

Quote:

Oh and by the way, the checkActivities() function that vectorialpx supplied requires all checkboxes to be marked

No.
If array_diff ( fromSomeValues , someValidValues ) is not empty
than the array 'fromSomeValues' has some invalid value

**WouterL** · 08-30-2011, 01:19 PM

Ok, my checkbox form works

. I show here the simple example (but it also goes well in my own large form).

I use two documents. The first is activities.html with the

HTML Code:

<html>
<head>
<title>Activities Form</title>
</head>

<body>
<form name="form" method="post" action="mail.php">
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="sports" />sports<br/>
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="travel" />travel<br />
<input type="checkbox" name="activities[]" value="gaming" />gaming<br />
 <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Send"/>
  </form>

</body>
</html>

As you see it directs to the file mail.php with

PHP Code:


			
<?php
if(isset($_POST['submit'])) {  //Attention: when 'submit'  is not written exactly as in het form itself - e.g. name="Submit" -, it won't work! 

    $to = "mail@somewhere.nl"; //Put here your own email address
    $subject = "Activities Form"; //The name is free to choose
    
    foreach($_POST['activities'] as $value) { //The name of the checkbox without []
        $activities_msg .= "Checked: $value\n"; //Again that name and an extension.
    }
    
    $body = " $activities_msg "; //Of course you can make the body larger with other variables and plain text.

    echo "Form has been sent";
    mail($to, $subject, $body);
    
} else {
    echo "Ooops!";
}
?>

Thanks a lot for all help!

PS The next question is how to get a maximum checked boxes (3 out of 20). I hope I can find that myself, but I'll come back here to see if there is a solution presented

.

**lizciz** · 08-30-2011, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WouterL

PS The next question is how to get a maximum checked boxes (3 out of 20). I hope I can find that myself, but I'll come back here to see if there is a solution presented

.

You can check the size of the array, count().