variable and string apparently not matching - php

Question

<form method="post" action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>">
<input onclick="this.value=''" type="text" name="first_name" value="First Name">
<input onclick="this.value=''" type="text" name="last_name" value="Last Name">
<input onclick="this.value=''" type="text" name="pwd" value="The Passcode">
<input name="submit" type="submit" value="Submit" class="submit_">
<textarea name="comments" id="comments" rows="4" cols="50"></textarea>
</form>
PHP :
if(isset($_POST['submit']))
{
$name = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['first_name']);
$pwd = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['pwd']);
$text = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['comments']);
// print_r($_POST);
if(is_null($text)) {
debug_to_console('some fields empty');
echo "<p class=\"warning\">* Your Message Did Not Contain Any Characters.</p>";
}
else if($name === 'First Name'){
debug_to_console('name isnt set');
echo "<p class=\"warning\">* You Have Not Entered Your First Name Correctly.</p>";
}
else if($pwd !== 'XyZ'){
debug_to_console('password not set');
echo "<p class=\"warning\">* Passcodes Do Not Match.</p>";
} else {
Keeps returning 'password not set' even though the form input matches the variable. Used print_r and $pwd states XyZ.
tried removing onClick from the form input. I'm assuming this is a caps thing?
Please help, thank you.

Answer 1

Check $pwd with
var_dump($pwd);
I do believe $pwd is a string (because you use !== instead of !=) AND doesn't contain: XyZ
(if you didn't change the value in input field pwd, its value is still: The Passcode)