trouble the syntax of PHP validation in a form - php

Question

my goal: I need to verify that if someone has checked the box that they get financial aid, I need to validated that they check the type they are receiving.
Here is what I have so far in the php validation part.
if (($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') && (!empty($_POST['action']))):
if (isset($_POST['financial_aid'])) { $financial_aid = $_POST['financial_aid']; }
if ($financial_aid === '') :
$err_financial_aid = '<div class="error">Sorry, this is a required field</div>';
endif; // input field empty
the form code:
<p><strong>Are you receiving Financial Aid? </strong><br />
<select name="Financial_Aid" size="1" tabindex="8">
<option value="blank" selected>Please select one</option>
<option value="Yes">Yes, I Receive Financial Aid</option>
<option value="No">No, I Do Not Receive Financial Aid</option>
</select></p>
<p>Please indicate all forms of Financial Aid that you receive:</p>
<p>
<input type="checkbox" name="financial_type" value="<?php ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("hope", $financial_type))) { echo "checked"; } ?> " tabindex="9">HOPE Scholarship/HOPE Grant<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="financial_type" value="<?php ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("pell", $financial_type))) { echo "checked"; } ?>" tabindex="10">Pell Grant<br>
<input name="financial_type" type="checkbox" value="Yes" tabindex="11">Student Loan<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="financial_type" value="<?php ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("loan", $financial_type))) { echo "checked"; } ?>" tabindex="12">Veterans Benefits<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="financial_type" value="<?php ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("tuition_reimbursement", $financial_type))) { echo "checked"; } ?>" tabindex="13">Tuition Reimbursement<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="financial_type" value="<?php ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("tuition_waiver", $financial_type))) { echo "checked"; } ?>" tabindex="14">Tuition Waiver<br>
<input type="checkbox" name="financial_type" value="<?php ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("other_scholarships", $financial_type))) { echo "checked"; } ?>" tabindex="15"> Other Scholarships </p>
My first thought is that I need another if statement.
if ($financial_aid === 'yes') {
} elseif ($hope) { ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("hope", $financial_type)))
return true;
} elseif ($pell) { ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("pell", $financial_type)))
return true;
} elseif ($loan) { ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("loan", $financial_type)))
return true;
} elseif ($veterns) { ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("veterns", $financial_type)))
return true;
}
elseif ($tuition_reimbursement) { ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("tuition_reimbursement", $financial_type)))
return true;
}
elseif ($tuition_waiver) { ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("tuition_waiver", $financial_type)))
return true;
}
elseif ($other_scholarships) { ((isset($financial_type)) && (in_array("other_scholarships", $financial_type)))
return true;
} else {
!empty $err_finanical_type=please select one
return false;
}
}
I'm missing something. I just don't know what. Can someone help me?

Answer 1

First let me say that your checking input enhances the user experience that many miss.
Your question about PHP validation looks to have 3 areas of response:
1) You show the form code using:
Financial Aid and Yes
BUT your if statement shows
$financial_aid === 'yes'
Camel text needs to be the same in your if code to identify the SAME variable and the === identical as Yes is not identical to yes - things to watch and keep in harmony.
2) The id component of each input form field is missing. You are only using 'name="financial_type"'. Name is for sending the data item via a form submission but also using id="financial_type" more easily works to different ids for each radio button/checkbox with javascript or css. If in doubt just do both name="item1" and id="item2" then the same for the next but changed to item2, etc. Best of both worlds until you have situation selecting between a few checkboxs (ex. box 1 is for red box, 2 for blue and 3 for green for example) that is not part of this questtion.
3) You do not show if you are using a form Submit or if you are using
"button type="button" onclick="dosomething()"
where dosomething() is triggered as a submit.
Validating data at the other end can reveal the word "on" instead of checked or unchecked being passed. I have found this with AJAX XMLHttpRequest transfers more than with POST from form submits. If your question was caused by an "on" confirm/validate instead of the check or uncheck status showing... try the dosomething() script below.
The script also shows the standard type of field... lname existing with and input id as well as localStorage array to be transfered. Sending a localStorage and the form Submit won't both work on their own, leaving the localStorage un sent. XMLHttpRequest needs to be used instead to allow both the form fields and the localStorage to be sent to in this case processing on the server by the code in catchby.php
This example has the client sending with a button...
<button type="button" onclick="dosomething();" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Complete </button>
that triggers dosomething() ,in the same page, to use Yes or No based on checked or unchecked status to send from javascript to PHP
<script>
function dosomething() {
// Start XMLHttpRequest
var DaData = new XMLHttpRequest();
// where to pass data to
var url = "catchby.php";
// Data items to pass.. lname is a field in the form
var nm = document.getElementById("lname").value;
/* financial_type is the id of checkbox input converted to Yes or No avoiding the constant "on" being sent */
if($('#financial_type').attr('checked')) {
var cb = "Yes";
} else {
var cb = "No";
}
/* svdStorage is the name of localStorage that is not part of the form that is other saved input user has entered saved on their client side computer that stays for next web visits... in this case an array that includes any outside the form data to send. */
var ct = localStorage.getItem('svdStorage');
// variables to be available in catchby.php via $_REQUEST in code
var vars = "nname="+nm+"&ftype="+cb+"&scdStuff="+ct;
DaData.open("POST", url, true);
DaData.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
// Check onreadystatechange for XMLHttpRequest
DaData.onreadystatechange = function() {
if(DaData.readyState == 4 && DaData.status == 200) {
var return_data = DaData.responseText;
document.getElementById("status").innerHTML = return_data;
}
}
// OK Send data items and process data transfer
DaData.send(vars);
document.getElementById("status").innerHTML = "Processing...";
}
</script>
Then to receive data being sent here is catchby.php coding...
<?php
$customerInformation = "";
if(!empty( $_REQUEST["name"]))
{
$customerInformation .= "Name: ";
$customerInformation .= $_REQUEST["name"];
}
// this net line will show the Yes or No reflecting the checked status instead of just the work "on"
$customerInformation .= "<br/>The financial requested was: ".$_REQUEST["ftype"];
// convert localStorage array to data items
$zscdStuff = json_decode($_REQUEST["scdStuff"]);
// determine # of array items
$length = count($zscdStiff);
for ($i = 0; $i < $length; $i++) {
// define items in each line of array
// then
// do what is needed with each line item
}
?>
Note... XMLHttpRequest will work with form items and all other variables you want to transfer, async at the same time, while submit only transfers form items.
Using 1)exactly the same names, 2)use parameter id as well as name parameter in each item of submit line and 3)convert the check / uncheck status to an explicit text item like "Yes" and "No" and your results will be what you expect.