How to put my validation block of codes into Function PHP - php

Question

How can I put my validation codes into a function? How am I going to return it and call it? I am trying to call put them in just one code and then call them in a function for my forms. Any idea?
Here's my codes:
function validate(){
$errors = array();
//empty array to collect errors
//VALIDATION CODES (NEED TO BE INSIDE A FUNCTION)
if(empty($_POST['email']) AND filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) != false)
{
$errors[] = "email cannot be blank";
}
if(empty($_POST['first_name']))
{
$errors[] = "First Name cannot be blank";
}
if(empty($_POST['last_name']))
{
$errors[] = "Last Name cannot be blank";
}
if(empty($_POST['password']))
{
$errors[] = "Password cannot be blank";
}
if(empty($_POST['confirm_password']) AND $_POST['password'] == $_POST['confirm_password'])
{
$errors[] = "Please enter matching password";
}
if(empty($_POST['confirm_password']) AND $_POST['password'] == $_POST['confirm_password'])
{
$errors[] = "Please enter matching password";
}
if(!isset($_POST['date']) || strtotime($_POST['date']) === false)
{
$errors[] = "Birth Date cannot be blank";
}
if(!empty($errors))
{
//if there are errors, assign the session variable!
$_SESSION['errors'] = $errors;
//redirect your user back using header('location: ')
header('Location: registration_page.php');
}
else
{
$email = $_POST['email'];
$first_name = $_POST['first_name'];
$last_name = $_POST['last_name'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
$birth_date = $_POST['date'];
//redirect your user to the next part of the site!
}
}
So when I call this this wont work:
echo validate();
Hope you can help. Thanks!

Answer 1

So you're saying something like:
class Validation {
public static function emailFilter($input) {
global $_POST;
return empty($_POST['email']) AND filter_var($input,
FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) != false ? "email cannot be blank" : false;
}
}
Or are you looking to do something else?
EDIT 1
Okay, how about:
function filter ($input, $type) {
if (!$input OR !$type) {
switch ($type) {
case "email":
// Check email
if (empty($_POST['email']) AND filter_var($input, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
return "email cannot be blank";
}
break;
case "first_name":
if(empty($_POST['first_name']))
{
return "First Name cannot be blank";
}
break;
// And so on.
}
}
}
You could call it then by:
filter($_POST['email'], 'email');
So then:
if (!filter($_POST['email'], 'email')) {
// The email checks out.
} else {
$error[] = filter($_POST['email'], 'email');
}
There are will be more elegant solutions available, but this is based on what I think you want.

Answer 2

Let's say that the user clicks the button after filling-up the required fields, in your $_POST['submit'] or whatever name of your button, just add your codes, and print the error beside the html textbox by adding or if you want, just print $error below the textboxes of your html registration page. And if the errors return zero value, then you can add everything in the database then redirect to your desired page in the else block of your error checking codes.

Answer 3

I would do this like so:
function validate(){
$errors = array();
//empty array to collect errors
//VALIDATION CODES (NEED TO BE INSIDE A FUNCTION)
if(empty($_POST['email']) AND filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) != false)
{
array_push($errors, "Email cannot be blank");
}
if(empty($_POST['first_name']))
{
array_push($errors, "First Name cannot be blank");
}
if(empty($_POST['last_name']))
{
array_push($errors, "Last Name cannot be blank");
}
if(empty($_POST['password']))
{
array_push($errors, "Password cannot be blank");
}
if(empty($_POST['confirm_password']) AND $_POST['password'] == $_POST['confirm_password'])
{
array_push($errors, "Please enter matching password");
}
if(empty($_POST['confirm_password']) AND $_POST['password'] == $_POST['confirm_password'])
{
array_push($errors, "Please enter matching password");
}
if(!isset($_POST['date']) || strtotime($_POST['date']) === false)
{
array_push($errors, "Birth Date cannot be blank");
}
if(!empty($errors))
{
//if there are errors, assign the session variable!
$_SESSION['errors'] = implode("|", $errors);
//redirect your user back using header('location: ')
return 0;
/*
Can't use both return & redirect, but return is more flexible.
*/
//header('Location: registration_page.php');
}
else
{
$email = $_POST['email'];
$first_name = $_POST['first_name'];
$last_name = $_POST['last_name'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
$birth_date = $_POST['date'];
return array("email" => $email, "first_name" => $first_name,
"last_name" => $last_name, "password" => $password,
"birth_date" => $birth_date);
// so now you have your results in an associative array.
// you can use print_r(validate()); to see the results, or use
// $r = validate(); if ($r != false) { /*go places!*/}
//redirect your user to the next part of the site!
}
}