PHP - Check <option> value is equal to <input> value - php

Question

I'm writing a website that allows for people to add movies into a database.
At the moment the user can either select from a director that is already within the database or create a new one.
<div class='dropdownrow' id='director_namerow'>
<div>
<label for='director_name'>Director:</label>
<select name='director_name'>
<option value='blank' selected>Select...</option>
<?php
$sql = "SELECT *
FROM director
ORDER BY director_name ASC";
$director = mysql_query($sql);
while ($directors=mysql_fetch_array($director)) {
?>
<option value="<?php echo $directors['director_id']; ?>"><?php echo $directors['director_name']; ?></option>
<?php
}
?>
</select>
<span style = 'color:red;'> *</span>
</div>
<div>
<label for='director_namenew'>Or new director:</label>
<input type='text' name='director_namenew' size='25' maxlength='128' />
</div>
</div>
So the problem is, how do I check that "director_namenew" isn't equal to "director_name" AND that director_namenew isn't already within the database.
Furthermore, is the "director_namenew" isn't within the database, I need to add them into the database too.
Controller Script
function validateDirector ($formdata) {
if(($formdata['director_name'] == "blank") && ($formdata['director_namenew'] == "")){
return false;
}
else if($formdata['hidden_director_name'] == $formdata['director_namenew']){
echo 'cannot have directors match';
return false;
}
else {
return true;
}
} // TO COMPLETE
Thanks guys,
pb.

Answer 1

Answer to my own question
if(($formdata['director_name'] == "blank") && ($formdata['director_namenew'] == "")){
print "<p>Please enter in director information - Use the back button on your browser to rectify this problem.</p>";
return false;
}
else if($formdata['director_namenew']) {
$doesntExist = true;
$db = getDBConnection();
$directors = $db->query("SELECT director_name FROM director");
//Check each one
foreach ($directors as $director){
//If the username is already in the DB stop looking
if($formdata['director_namenew'] == $director['director_name']){
$doesntExist = false;
print "<p>Director entered in new director already exists, please enter in new director or select from drop down menu - Use the back button on your browser to rectify this problem.</p>";
break;
}
}
//DB connection closed when PDO object isn't referenced
//ie setting $db to null closes the connection
$db = null;
return $doesntExist;
}
-- However, how would I check to see if both the drop down and input field have been filled?
I was thinking something like:
else if(($formdata['director_name']) && ($formdata['director_namenew'])) {
print "Please select either new director or director from drop down menu";
}
And checking on the submit to see if both $_POST variables have been submitted.
What do you think?

Answer 2

You can use Ajax to transfer the front-end requirement to back-end so that seperate the view and controller.
view.html (Some modification base on your original code):
<script src="checkRepeatName.js"></script>
<div>
<label for='director_namenew'>Or new director:</label>
<input type='text' name='director_namenew' size='25' maxlength='128' />
<span id="notation"></span>
</div>
checkRepeatName.js (Written with jQuery):
$("input[name='director_namenew']").change(function(){
$.get("backend.php?dnamenew=" + this.value,function(data,status){
$(".notation").text(data);
});
});
backend.php (I use Object Oriented Style of PHP code,and refer the recommendation of #Barmar):
<?php
if (isset($_GET['dnamenew'])) {
$director_namenew = $_GET['dnamenew'];
};
$dbconn = new mysqli(HOST, USERNAME, PASSWORD, DBNAME, PORT);
$sqlStat = sprintf('SELECT director_id FROM director WHERE director_name = "%s";', $director_namenew);
if ($sqlQuery = $dbconn->query($sqlStat)){
if ($sqlQuery->num_rows == 0){
echo 'This is validated database name';
} else {
echo 'Invalidated database name!';
}
}
$dbconn->close;
?>
-------- supplement something --------
It maybe something help in design dynamic dropdown menu with MVC design pattern
view.html:
<div class='dropdownrow' id='director_namerow'>
<div>
<label for='director_name'>Director:</label>
<select name='director_name'>
<option value='blank' selected>Select...</option>
</select>
<span style = 'color:red;'> *</span>
</div>
<div>
controllor.js:
$("select[name='director_name']").change(function(){
$.get("optionOutput.php", function(data,status){
$("select[name='director_name']").append(data); // append the call-back message from back-end file
});
});
optionOutput.php:
<?php
include 'dbmng/dbconfig.php';
$dbconn = new mysqli(HOST, USERNAME, PASSWORD, DBNAME, PORT);
$sqlStat = 'SELECT * FROM director ORDER BY director_name ASC;';
if ($sqlQue = $dbconn->query($sqlStat)){
while($sqlRes = $sqlQue->fetch_assoc()){
$output = sprintf('<option value = "%d">%s</option>', $sqlResult['director_id'], $sqlRes['director_name']);
echo $output;
}
}
$dbconn->close;
?>