PHP Forum

**jpmad4it** · 02-04-2006, 07:55 AM

hello people,

Im new here - Hello!!!

I have a HTML form that passes data (post) to a PHP script. Now, at the moment the script checks to see if all fields are filled out, or whether the email address is valid and whether the image verification is valid. The problem is that when the error message is displayed there is a javascript:history back button that the user clicks to take them back. Once they go back all the data they originally posted has disappeared. This is very annoying. How do i make the form 'remember' the information already posted. Someone alreadt mentioned that i can post the values to the apge itself - but i never really understood where they were coming from.

The only way i can think of getting around this is by making the PHP script display the correct/valid information submitted, and if there are any errors it highlights this and allows the user to correct the problems using another form field and re-submit the information.
can anyone guide me of what i need to do here?

regards Jonathan

**0beron** · 02-04-2006, 08:01 AM

With forms I usually create them all on one page (error handling, processing and the form itself.)
The first thing the page does is check if the form has been submitted. If not, it echoes the form and stops.
If it has then it checks the data. If it's OK, then it processes the form in whatever way is needed. If it's not OK, then PHP will echo out the form, possibly with an error message and a highlight, and fill in the fields with the old data values so the user can edit them.

**jpmad4it** · 09:36 AM

yeah i know i just realised this.

Im working on it now but im not getting very far :-(

how much do you want for your code

here is what i have already, but the three red error stars *** are being shown immediately.

PHP Code:


			
 
<? 
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){ 
$field1 = $_POST['title']; 
$field2 = $_POST['forename']; 
$field3 = $_POST['surname']; 
$field4 = $_POST['dob']; 
$field5 = $_POST['gender']; 
$field6 = $_POST['employment']; 
$field7 = $_POST['drivingLicence']; 
$field8 = $_POST['houseenumber']; 
$field9 = $_POST['street']; 
$field10 = $_POST['town']; 
$field11 = $_POST['county']; 
$field12 = $_POST['postcode']; 
$field13 = $_POST['telephone']; 
$field14 = $_POST['email']; 
$field15 = $_POST['facilityRequired']; 
 
} else { 
$field1 = ''; 
$field2 = ''; 
$field3 = ''; 
$field4 = ''; 
$field5 = ''; 
$field6 = ''; 
$field7 = ''; 
$field8 = ''; 
$field9 = ''; 
$field10 = ''; 
$field11 = ''; 
$field12 = ''; 
$field13 = ''; 
$field14 = ''; 
$field15 = ''; 
} 
?>
<form method="post" action="">
<table width="87%" height="407" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr class="text">
<td height="24"><p><strong>ABOUT YOU:</strong></p></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="24"><p>Title</p></td>
<td><select name="title" value="<? echo $field1; ?>">
<option value="Mr">Mr
<option value="Mrs">Mrs
<option value="Ms">Ms
<option value="Dr">Dr
</select></td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="22"><p>Forename(s):</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="forename" value="<? echo $field2; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['forename'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Surname:</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="surname" size="30" value="<? echo $field3; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['surname'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY): </p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="dob" size="30" value="<? echo $field4; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['dob'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Gender:</p></td>
<td><select name="gender" value="<? echo $field5; ?>">
<option value="Male">Male
<option value="Female">Female
</select></td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Type of Employment:</p></td>
<td><select name="employment" value="<? echo $field6; ?>">
<option value"Full-time">Working Full-time
<option value="Part-time">Working Part-time
<option value="Self-employed">Self-employed
<option value="Retired">Retired
<option value="Disability Benefit">Disability Benefits
</select></td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Full UK Driving Licence:</p></td>
<td><select name="drivingLicence" value="<? echo $field7; ?>">
<option vlaue="Yes">Yes
<option value="No">No
</select></td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="24"><p><strong>YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION:</strong></p></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>House/Number:</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="houseNumber" size="30" value="<? echo $field8; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['houseNumber'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Street:</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="street" size="30" value="<? echo $field9; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['street'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Town/City:</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="town" size="30" value="<? echo $field10; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['town'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>County:</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="county" size="30" value="<? echo $field11; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['county'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Postcode:</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="postcode" size="30" value="<? echo $field12; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['postcode'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Telephone Number:</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="telephone" size="30" value="<? echo $field13; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
if ($_POST['telephone'] == ''){
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Email Address:</p></td>
<td><input type="text" name="email" size="30" value="<? echo $field14; ?>"></td>
<td>
<?php
//lowercase email
$email = strtolower($email);
 
if (!valid_email($email))
{
echo "You have entered an invalid email address";
 
} 
 
?> 
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="23"><p><strong>WHAT YOU WANT FROM US: </strong></p></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td height="13"><p>Facility Required:</p></td>
<td><select name="facilityRequired" value="<? echo $field15; ?>">
<option value="Hire Purchase">Hire Purchase
<option "Lease">Lease
<option "Contract Hire">Contract Hire
<option "Secured loan">Secured loan
<option "Personal loan">Personal loan
<option "Refinancing">Refinancing
</select></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="text"><strong>IMAGE VERIFICATION: </strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign=top><span class="text">Your Code Is:</span><br>
<br>
<?=printBotBlock("********", "*******")?></td>
<td valign=top><span class="text"><b>Please type your code here:</b></span><br>
<br>
<input name="bb_codeword" size=40 maxlength=40 value="">
<br>
<span class="text">Please note that the letters are case sensitive. </span><br>
<font color=blue class="text">If the text is unclear, click on the image.</font></td>
<td>
<?php 
if (!validBotBlock())
{
echo "The image verification was incorrect"; 
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr class="text">
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><input type="submit" value="Submit" name="submit">
&nbsp;&nbsp;
<input type="reset" value="Clear fields"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>

I need something that does the following:

on submit, if the entry is invalid then display an error message or the three stars ***, otherwise the data is valid so enter it into the database.

how can i do this? anyone got any ideas?

**0beron** · 02-04-2006, 11:21 AM

How about changing the checks on the data from this:

PHP Code:


			
if ($_POST['surname'] == ''){

into thios:

PHP Code:


			
if ($_POST['surname'] == '' && isset($_POST['submit'])){

That way it won't check the data the first time the page loads (when there is no data), than when the form is submitted it runs the checks.

**jpmad4it** · 02-04-2006, 11:36 AM

thanks i will have a try with that and report back - thank you

**jpmad4it** · 02-05-2006, 12:59 PM

hey again. I got most of the form sorted out, but the code above doesnt solve the problem i have.

At the moment the page is still checking if the data is valid when the page loads for the very first time. My code is:

PHP Code:


			
if ($_POST['forname'] == ' ' && isset($_POST['submit'])){   
echo "<font color='red'> *** </font>"; 
}  
 
//where the 3 *** highlight there is an error

The 3 error stars are being displayed on the very first load of the page, but i dont want that. I only want them to appear when the page is submitted and contains errors.