PHP -- How to replace string value to user input? - php

Question

Can someone help me to figure out how to replace a defined string value with user input value? I am quite new in PHP programming and could not find an answer. I saw a lot of ways to replace string on the internet by using built-in functions or in arrays, but I could not find out the right answer to my question.
Here is my code:
$text = "Not found";
if ( isset($_GET['user'])) {
$user_input = $_GET['user'];
}
// from here I I tried to replace the value $text to user input, but it does not work.
$raw = TRUE;
$spec_char = "";
if ($raw) {
$raw = htmlentities($text);
echo "<p style='font-style:bold;'> PIN " . $raw . "</p>"; *# displays "Not found"*
} elseif (!$raw == TRUE ) {
$spec_char = htmlspecialchars($user_input);
echo "<p>PIN $spec_char </p>";
}
<form>
<input type="text" name="user" size="40" />
<input type="submit" value="User_val"/>
</form>
I appreciate your answers.

Answer 1

Lets run over your code, line by line.
// Set a default value for $text
$text = "Not found";
// Check if a value has been set...
if (isset($_GET['user'])) {
// But then create a new var with that value.
// Why? Are you going to change it?
$user_input = $_GET['user'];
}
// Define a few vars
$raw = TRUE;
$spec_char = "";
// This next line is useless - Why? Because $raw is always true.
// A better test would be to check for $user_input or do the
// isset() check here instead.
if ($raw) {
// Basic sanity check, but $text is always going to be
// "Not found" - as you have never changed it.
$raw = htmlentities($text);
// render some HTML - but as you said, always going to display
// "Not found"
echo "<p style='font-style:bold;'> PIN " . $raw . "</p>";
} elseif (!$raw == TRUE ) {
// This code is never reached.
$spec_char = htmlspecialchars($user_input);
echo "<p>PIN $spec_char </p>";
}
// I have no idea what this HTML is for really.
// Guessing this is your "input" values.
<form>
<input type="text" name="user" size="40" />
<input type="submit" value="User_val"/>
</form>
Just a guess I think you really wanted to do something more like this:
<?php
// Check if a value has been posted...
if (isset($_POST['user'])) {
// render some HTML
echo '<p style="font-style:bold"> PIN '.htmlspecialchars($_POST['user']).'</p>';
}
?>
<form method="post" action="?">
<input type="text" name="user" size="40" />
<input type="submit" value="User_val"/>
</form>