Posting multiple checkboxes using PHP and sending to an email - php

Question

I am fairly new with using PHP. I have a form that I am using to send a contact form form a webpage to an email address.
I am having trouble passing multiple checkboxes styled with a comma. For example, if the user picks checkbox1 and checkbox4, the code will be styled: checkbox1, , , checkbox4. I don't want to display the commas, unless the user picks the checkboxes. Let me know if that makes sense or not.
This is the HTML:
<code>
<form id="contact_form" class="contact" method="post" action="email_process.php">
<input class="firstname text" name="firstname" type="text" placeholder="FIRST NAME:" required>
<input class="lastname text" name="lastname" type="text" placeholder="LAST NAME:" required><br><br>
<input class="email text" name="email" type="email" placeholder="EMAIL:" required>
<input class="name text" name="phone" type="tel" placeholder="PHONE NUMBER:" required><br><br>
<label>Would you like to be contacted by:</label>
<input name="how" class="emailbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Email">
<label>EMAIL</label>
<input name="how2" class="phonebtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Phone">
<label>PHONE NUMBER</label><br><br>
<div class="one">
<label class="margin">EVENT DATE:</label><br>
<input name="month" class="month small" type="number" placeholder="MM">
<input name="day" class="day small" type="number" placeholder="DD">
<input name="year" class="year small" type="number" placeholder="YYYY">
</div>
<div class="one">
<label class="margin">EVENT LOCATION:</label><br>
<input name="location" class="location text" type="text">
</div>
<label>Services we may assist you with:</label><br><br>
<div class="two">
<input name="services" class="chefbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Personal Chef">
<label>PERSONAL CHEF</label><br>
<input name="services2" class="cateringbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Private Cooking Classes">
<label>PRIVATE COOKING CLASSES</label>
</div>
<div class="two">
<input name="services3" class="chefbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Event Catering">
<label>EVENT CATERING</label><br>
<input name="services4" class="cateringbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Resteraunt Consulting">
<label>RESTERAUNT CONSULTING</label>
</div>
<input name="heard" class="heard text" type="text" placeholder="HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US?">
<textarea name="comments" class="comments" type="text" placeholder="ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:"></textarea>
<input class="submit" type="image" src="../images/contact/s1_submit_btn.png">
</form>
</code>
This is my PHP:
<code>
<?php
//Prefedined Variables
$to = "Enter email here";
// Email Subject
$subject = "Contact from your website.";
// This IF condition is for improving security and Prevent Direct Access to the Mail Script.
if($_POST) {
// Collect POST data from form
$firstname = stripslashes($_POST['firstname']);
$lastname = stripslashes($_POST['lastname']);
$email = stripslashes($_POST['email']);
$how = stripslashes($_POST['how']);
$how2 = stripslashes($_POST['how2']);
$phone = stripslashes($_POST['phone']);
$month = stripslashes($_POST['month']);
$day = stripslashes($_POST['day']);
$year = stripslashes($_POST['year']);
$location = stripslashes($_POST['location']);
$services = stripslashes($_POST['services']);
$services2 = stripslashes($_POST['services2']);
$services3 = stripslashes($_POST['services3']);
$services4 = stripslashes($_POST['services4']);
$heard = stripslashes($_POST['heard']);
$comments = stripslashes($_POST['comments']);
if ( ! empty($how) && ! empty($how2) ) {
$contact_type = $how.', '.$how2;
} elseif (! empty($how)){
$contact_type = $how;
} elseif (! empty($how2)){
$contact_type = $how2;
}
if ( ! empty($services) || ! empty($services2) || ! empty($services3) || ! empty($services4)) {
$contact_type2 = $services. ', ' .$services2. ', ' .$services3. ', ' .$services4;
}
// Collecting all content in HTML Table
$content='<table width="100%">
<tr><td align "center"><b>Contact Details</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>First Name:</td><td> '.$firstname.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Last Name:</td><td> '.$lastname.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Email:</td><td> '.$email.' </td></tr>
<tr><td>Phone:</td> <td> '.$phone.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>How Should We Contact You?</td> <td> '.$contact_type.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Event Date:</td><td> '.$month.' / '.$day.' / '.$year.' </td></tr>
<tr><td>Location:</td> <td> '.$location.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Which Services Are You Interested In?</td> <td> '.$contact_type2.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>How Did You Hear About Us?</td> <td> '.$heard.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Comments:</td> <td> '.$comments.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Date:</td> <td> '.date('d/m/Y').'</td></tr>
</table> ';
// Define email variables
$headers = "From:".$email."\r\n";
$headers .= "Reply-to:".$email."\r\n";
$headers .= 'Content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8';
if (! empty($how) || ! empty($how2)) {
if (! empty($services) || ! empty($services2) || ! empty($services3) || ! empty($services4)) {
if( ! empty($firstname) && ! empty($lastname) && ! empty($email) && ! empty($phone) && ! empty($month) && ! empty($day) && ! empty($year) && ! empty($location) && ! empty($heard) && ! empty($comments) ) {
// Sending Email
if( mail($to, $subject, $content, $headers) ) {
print "Thank you, I will get back to you shortly!<br>";
return true;
}
else {
print "An error occured and your message could not be sent.";
return false;
}
}
else {
print "An error occured and your message could not be sent.";
return false;
}
}
}
}
</code>
EDIT:
After some research and the right guidance I came across an answer that helped me solve this. If anyone else is having the same problem feel free to refer to this.
<?php
//Prefedined Variables
$to = "Enter email here";
// Email Subject
$subject = "Contact from your website.";
// This IF condition is for improving security and Prevent Direct Access to the Mail Script.
if($_POST) {
// Collect POST data from form
$firstname = stripslashes($_POST['firstname']);
$lastname = stripslashes($_POST['lastname']);
$email = stripslashes($_POST['email']);
$how = 'None';
if(isset($_POST['how']) && is_array($_POST['how']) && count($_POST['how']) > 0){
$selectedHow = implode(', ', $_POST['how']);
}
$phone = stripslashes($_POST['phone']);
$month = stripslashes($_POST['month']);
$day = stripslashes($_POST['day']);
$year = stripslashes($_POST['year']);
$location = stripslashes($_POST['location']);
$services = 'None';
if(isset($_POST['services']) && is_array($_POST['services']) && count($_POST['services']) > 0){
$selectedServices = implode(', ', $_POST['services']);
}
$heard = stripslashes($_POST['heard']);
$comments = stripslashes($_POST['comments']);
// Collecting all content in HTML Table
$content='<table width="100%">
<tr><td align "center"><b>Contact Details</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>First Name:</td><td> '.$firstname.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Last Name:</td><td> '.$lastname.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Email:</td><td> '.$email.' </td></tr>
<tr><td>Phone:</td> <td> '.$phone.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>How Should We Contact You?</td> <td> '.$selectedHow.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Event Date:</td><td> '.$month.' / '.$day.' / '.$year.' </td></tr>
<tr><td>Location:</td> <td> '.$location.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Which Services Are You Interested In?</td> <td> '.$selectedServices.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>How Did You Hear About Us?</td> <td> '.$heard.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Comments:</td> <td> '.$comments.'</td></tr>
<tr><td>Date:</td> <td> '.date('d/m/Y').'</td></tr>
</table> ';
// Define email variables
$headers = "From:".$email."\r\n";
$headers .= "Reply-to:".$email."\r\n";
$headers .= 'Content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8';
if( ! empty($firstname) && ! empty($lastname) && ! empty($email) && ! empty($phone) && ! empty($selectedHow) && ! empty($month) && ! empty($day) && ! empty($year) && ! empty($location) && ! empty($selectedServices) && ! empty($heard) && ! empty($comments) ) {
// Sending Email
if( mail($to, $subject, $content, $headers) ) {
print "Thank you, I will get back to you shortly!<br>";
return true;
}
else {
print "Please go back and make sure that all fields have been filled out.";
return false;
}
}
else {
print "An error occured and your message could not be sent.";
return false;
}
}
<form id="contact_form" class="contact" method="post" action="email_process.php">
<input class="firstname text" name="firstname" type="text" placeholder="FIRST NAME:" required>
<input class="lastname text" name="lastname" type="text" placeholder="LAST NAME:" required><br><br>
<input class="email text" name="email" type="email" placeholder="EMAIL:" required>
<input class="name text" name="phone" type="tel" placeholder="PHONE NUMBER:" required><br><br>
<label>Would you like to be contacted by:</label>
<input name="how[]" class="emailbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Email">
<label>EMAIL</label>
<input name="how[]" class="phonebtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Phone">
<label>PHONE NUMBER</label><br><br>
<div class="one">
<label class="margin">EVENT DATE:</label><br>
<input name="month" class="month small" type="number" placeholder="MM">
<input name="day" class="day small" type="number" placeholder="DD">
<input name="year" class="year small" type="number" placeholder="YYYY">
</div>
<div class="one">
<label class="margin">EVENT LOCATION:</label><br>
<input name="location" class="location text" type="text">
</div>
<label>Services we may assist you with:</label><br><br>
<div class="two">
<input name="services[]" class="chefbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Personal Chef">
<label>PERSONAL CHEF</label><br>
<input name="services[]" class="cateringbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Private Cooking Classes">
<label>PRIVATE COOKING CLASSES</label>
</div>
<div class="two">
<input name="services[]" class="chefbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Event Catering">
<label>EVENT CATERING</label><br>
<input name="services[]" class="cateringbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Resteraunt Consulting">
<label>RESTERAUNT CONSULTING</label>
</div>
<input name="heard" class="heard text" type="text" placeholder="HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US?">
<textarea name="comments" class="comments" type="text" placeholder="ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:"></textarea>
<input class="submit" type="image" src="../images/contact/s1_submit_btn.png">
</form>

Answer 1

You need to have the name of those checkboxes as an array. Like:
<label>Would you like to be contacted by:</label>
<input name="how[]" class="emailbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Email">
<label>EMAIL</label>
<input name="how[]" class="phonebtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Phone">
<label>PHONE NUMBER</label><br><br>
Do same for services:
<input name="services[]" class="chefbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Personal Chef">
<label>PERSONAL CHEF</label><br>
<input name="services[]" class="cateringbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Private Cooking Classes">
<label>PRIVATE COOKING CLASSES</label>
</div>
<div class="two">
<input name="services[]" class="chefbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Event Catering">
<label>EVENT CATERING</label><br>
<input name="services[]" class="cateringbtn radio" type="checkbox" value="Resteraunt Consulting">
Then in your php:
$how = stripslashes($_POST['how']);
// is actually an array and holds its values in a comma separated format
//no need for how2
//The same approach for services: it's also an array now. if you followed the html above
$services = stripslashes($_POST['services']);
It will also be good if you assign different unique error messages unlike you did along
if( ! empty($firstname) && ! empty($lastname) && ! empty($email) && ! empty($phone) && ! empty($how) && ! empty($month) && ! empty($day) && ! empty($year) && ! empty($location) && ! empty($services) && ! empty($heard) && ! empty($comments) ) {
// Sending Email
if( mail($to, $subject, $content, $headers) ) {
print "Thank you, I will get back to you shortly!<br>";
return true;
}
else {
print "An error occured and your message could not be sent.";//here 1
return false;
}
}
else {
print "An error occured and your message could not be sent.";//here 2
return false;
}
}
You can then find out if it's the outer if( ! empty($firstname) && ... or the mail function that is failing

Answer 2

try it with php method array filter and implode:
<?php
$services[] = "test";
$services[] = "";
$services[] = "test";
$services[] = "";
$arr = array_filter($services, function($elem){
return $elem != "";
});
echo implode(", ", $arr);