JQuery validation not catching ajax response and setting variable to true - php

Question

I have a HTML form that when posted fires an JQuery script to check a validation function before sending data to an ajax call to insert the data into a mySQL database.
It works as it should, except when it is running an ajax check to see if the posted email address already exists in the database.
I need the email_error var to return true if the response from the ajax call is not 'success'. My code:
function validate_add_relative() {
var check_error = false;
var email_error = false;
var title = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["title"].value;
if (title == null || title == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var first_name = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["first_name"].value;
if (first_name == null || first_name == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var surname = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["surname"].value;
if (surname == null || surname == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var phone = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["phone"].value;
if (phone == null || phone == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var email = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["email"].value;
if (email == null || email == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var address = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["address"].value;
if (address == null || address == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var postData = $(this).serializeArray();
$.ajax(
{
url : '<?php echo WEB_URL . 'controllers/ajax/check_relative_email.php'; ?>',
type: "POST",
data : postData,
success:function(data, textStatus, jqXHR) {
if(data == 'success') {
email_error = false;
return true;
}
else {
alert('test');
email_error = true;
$('.relative_email_error').removeClass('hidden');
$('.relative_email_error').html('Email is already in use. Please choose another.');
}
},
error: function(jqXHR, textStatus, errorThrown)
{
$('.relative_email_error').removeClass('hidden');
$('.relative_email_error').html('Error. Please try again later.');
email_error = true;
}
});
if (email_error == true) {
alert("Please choose another email address, that one is already in use.");
return false;
}
if (check_error == true) {
alert("Please ensure you fill in all mandatory fields.");
return false;
}
if (email_error == false && check_error == false) {
return true;
}
}
$('.add_relative_form').submit(function(e) {
e.preventDefault();
if(validate_add_relative()) {
var ajaxurl = '<?php echo WEB_URL; ?>controllers/ajax/add_relative.php',
form_data = $('.add_relative_form').serialize();
$.post(ajaxurl, form_data, function (response) {
//location.reload();
});
}
});
When running the above code, the first part (Form validation) works as it should, and it also gives the alert and does the class hiding after. But it carries on and is not catching the fact that email_error is set to true after the alert line. So it continues through the code and adds the entry through the last ajax post controllers/ajax/add_relative.php

Answer 1

add complete function after error and write your code inside that function
complete:function(data, textStatus, jqXHR) {
if(data == 'success') {
email_error = false;
return true;
}
else {
alert('test');
email_error = true;
$('.relative_email_error').removeClass('hidden');
$('.relative_email_error').html('Email is already in use. Please choose another.');
}
},

Answer 2

JavaScript is asynchronous in the sense that it can make, for example, Ajax calls. Hence your outer conditions will get mislead. Try to add return statement inside AJAX response for expected result.
Please try following solution
function validate_add_relative() {
var check_error = false;
var email_error = false;
var title = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["title"].value;
if (title == null || title == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var first_name = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["first_name"].value;
if (first_name == null || first_name == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var surname = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["surname"].value;
if (surname == null || surname == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var phone = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["phone"].value;
if (phone == null || phone == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var email = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["email"].value;
if (email == null || email == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var address = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["address"].value;
if (address == null || address == "") {
check_error = true;
}
if(check_error===false){
var postData = $(this).serializeArray();
$.ajax(
{
url : '<?php echo WEB_URL . 'controllers/ajax/check_relative_email.php'; ?>',
type: "POST",
data : postData,
success:function(data, textStatus, jqXHR) {
if(data == 'success') {
return true;
}
else {
alert('test');
return false;
$('.relative_email_error').removeClass('hidden');
$('.relative_email_error').html('Email is already in use. Please choose another.');
}
},
error: function(jqXHR, textStatus, errorThrown)
{
$('.relative_email_error').removeClass('hidden');
$('.relative_email_error').html('Error. Please try again later.');
return false;
}
});
}
else{
return false;
}
}
$('.add_relative_form').submit(function(e) {
e.preventDefault();
if(validate_add_relative()) {
var ajaxurl = '<?php echo WEB_URL; ?>controllers/ajax/add_relative.php',
form_data = $('.add_relative_form').serialize();
$.post(ajaxurl, form_data, function (response) {
//location.reload();
});
}
});
UPDATES
change following code :
if(data == 'success') {
return true;
}
else {
alert('test');
return false;
$('.relative_email_error').removeClass('hidden');
$('.relative_email_error').html('Email is already in use. Please choose another.');
}
To
if(data == 'success') {
return true;
}
else {
alert('test');
$('.relative_email_error').removeClass('hidden');
$('.relative_email_error').html('Email is already in use. Please choose another.');
return false;
}

Answer 3

You can check, if the email already exists by using .blur() as soon after the user enters their email, you send AJAX call to check if the email exists and disable the submit button and show proper message to the user.
Form
<form action="" name="add_relative_form" class="add_relative_form">
<input type="text" name="title">
<input type="text" name="first_name">
<input type="text" name="surname">
<input type="text" name="phone">
<input type="text" id="email" name="email"> <!-- give email an id -->
<input type="text" name="address">
<input type="submit" id="sub" value="Sub"> <!-- give submit an id -->
Javascript
function validate_add_relative() {
var check_error = false;
var email_error = false;
var title = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["title"].value;
if (title == null || title == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var first_name = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["first_name"].value;
if (first_name == null || first_name == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var surname = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["surname"].value;
if (surname == null || surname == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var phone = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["phone"].value;
if (phone == null || phone == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var email = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["email"].value;
if (email == null || email == "") {
check_error = true;
}
var address = document.forms["add_relative_form"]["address"].value;
if (address == null || address == "") {
check_error = true;
}
if (email_error == true) {
alert("Please choose another email address, that one is already in use.");
return false;
}
if (check_error == true) {
alert("Please ensure you fill in all mandatory fields.");
return false;
}
if (email_error == false && check_error == false) {
return true;
}
}
$('.add_relative_form').submit(function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
if (validate_add_relative()) {
var ajaxurl = '<?php echo WEB_URL; ?>controllers/ajax/add_relative.php',
form_data = $('.add_relative_form').serialize();
$.post(ajaxurl, form_data, function (response) {
//location.reload();
console.log(response)
});
}
});
$('#email').on('blur', function () {
$.ajax({
url: '<?php echo WEB_URL . 'controllers/ajax/check_relative_email.php'; ?>',
type: "POST",
data: {email: $(this).val()},
success: function (data, textStatus, jqXHR) {
if (data == 'success') {
$('#sub').prop('disabled', false);
}
else {
$('.relative_email_error').show();
$('.relative_email_error').html('Email is already in use. Please choose another.');
$('#sub').prop('disabled', true);
}
},
error: function (jqXHR, textStatus, errorThrown) {
$('.relative_email_error').removeClass('hidden');
$('.relative_email_error').html('Error. Please try again later.');
}
});
})
Then in your PHP get the email from post
<?php
$email = $_POST['email'];
// your SQL code here