PHP form verification - php

Question

I'm new to PHP so please be gentle!
I'm trying to build a simple PHP form validation with an error message/confirm message. When I submit the form, it's supposed to check if fields are empty and display the corresponding message. But it keeps giving me an error and I have no idea why:
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_IF in process.php on line 6
Here's process.php code:
<form action="process.php" method="post">
First Name: <input type="text" name="fname"><br>
Last Name: <input type="text" name="lname"><br>
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email"><br>
<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="1">
<input type="submit">
</form>
<?php
//If form was submitted
if ($_POST['submitted']==1) {
$errormsg = ""; //Initialize errors
if ($_POST[fname]){
$fname = $_POST[fname]; //If fname was entered
}
else{
$errormsg = "Please enter first name";
}
if ($_POST[lname]){
$lname = $_POST[lname]; //If lname was entered
}
else{
if ($errormsg){ //If there is already an error, add next error
$errormsg = $errormsg . ", last name";
}
else{
$errormsg = "Please enter last name";
}   
}
if ($_POST[email]){
$email = $_POST[email]; //If email was entered
}
else{
if ($errormsg){ //If there is already an error, add next error
$errormsg = $errormsg . " & email";
}else{
$errormsg = "Please enter email";
}
}
}
if ($errormsg){ //If any errors display them
echo "<div class=\"box red\">$errormsg</div>";
}
//If all fields present
if ($fname && $lname && $email){
//Do something
echo "<div class=\"box green\">Form completed!</div>";
}
?>

Answer 1

You forgot to add " on post array that is the reason for your error $_POST[lname] change to $_POST['lname']; . Pass string to your $_POST[];
if ($_POST["fname"]){
$fname = $_POST[fname]; //If fname was entered
}
else{
$errormsg = "Please enter first name";
}
if ($_POST["lname"]){
$lname = $_POST[lname]; //If lname was entered
}
else{
if ($errormsg){ //If there is already an error, add next error
$errormsg = $errormsg . ", last name";
}
else{
$errormsg = "Please enter last name";
}
}
if ($_POST["email"]){
$email = $_POST["email"]; //If email was entered
}

Answer 2

Some of your $_POST variables were missing single quotation marks, which is probably what caused the errors. However, generally speaking, there are other code suggestions which I've layed out.
I restructured your code to be more scalable and follow better practice with the following enhancements:
Form values will remember their previous value and not erased on each post.
Removed the 'submitted' field and replaced with if (!empty($_POST)) {} to make sure form was posted.
Moved error messages into an array. This is more maintainable and readable to my taste (imagine having 15+ fields to test for).
Added validate() function to run on your validation tests.
Removed variable assignments ($fname = $_POST['fname']) since they were not used except for the validation, which can access them directly.
Moved all tests inside the main if statement.
Hope this helps!
<form action="process.php" method="post">
First Name: <input type="text" name="fname" value="<?php echo isset($_POST['fname']) ? $_POST['fname'] : ''?>"><br>
Last Name: <input type="text" name="lname" value="<?php echo isset($_POST['lname']) ? $_POST['lname'] : ''?>"><br>
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email" value="<?php echo isset($_POST['email']) ? $_POST['email'] : ''?>"><br>
<input type="submit">
</form>
<?php
//If form was submitted
if (!empty($_POST)) {
$errors = array();
if (empty($_POST['fname'])){
$errors[] = 'First name must be entered.';
}
if (empty($_POST['lname'])){
$errors[] = 'Last name must be entered.';
}
if (empty($_POST['email'])){
$errors[] = 'Email address must be entered.';
}
if ($errors){ //If any errors display them
$error_msg = implode('<br>',$errors);
echo "<div class=\"box red\">$error_msg</div>";
}
//If all fields present
elseif (validate()){
//Do something
echo "<div class=\"box green\">Form completed and validated!</div>";
}
}
function validate() {
/*you can run all your validation methods here, such as check for length, regexp email verification, etc.*/
$validated = false;
if ($_POST['fname'] && $_POST['lname'] && $_POST['email']) {
$validated = true;
}
return $validated;
}
?>

Answer 3

For the $_POST variables use syntax as $_POST['your variable name']
I corrected your code as below:
<form action="test.php" method="post">
First Name: <input type="text" name="fname"><br>
Last Name: <input type="text" name="lname"><br>
E-mail: <input type="text" name="email"><br>
<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="1">
<input type="submit">
</form>
<?php
//If form was submitted
if ($_POST['submitted']==1) {
$errormsg = ""; //Initialize errors
if ($_POST['fname']){
$fname = $_POST['fname']; //If fname was entered
}
else{
$errormsg = "Please enter first name";
}
if ($_POST['lname']){
$lname = $_POST['lname']; //If lname was entered
}
else{
if ($errormsg){ //If there is already an error, add next error
$errormsg = $errormsg . ", last name";
}
else{
$errormsg = "Please enter last name";
}
}
if ($_POST['email']){
$email = $_POST['email']; //If email was entered
}
else{
if ($errormsg){ //If there is already an error, add next error
$errormsg = $errormsg . " & email";
}else{
$errormsg = "Please enter email";
}
}
}
if ($errormsg){ //If any errors display them
echo "<div class=\"box red\">$errormsg</div>";
}
//If all fields present
if ($fname && $lname && $email){
//Do something
echo "<div class=\"box green\">Form completed!</div>";
}
?>

Answer 4

As Ohgodwhy said,
You need to change every existence of $_POST[word] to $_POST['word']. Note the '.
And why are you using <input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="1">, this is not a good practice. Better use.
if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == "POST")

Answer 5

The issue here is a lack of register globals being enabled (which is a good thing in my eyes) and not using proper string encapsulation.
You need to change every existence of $_POST[word] to $_POST['word']. Note the '.

Answer 6

I am Using thing type of simple validation. Here is my javascript code:
var ck_name = /^[A-Za-z0-9 ]{3,50}$/;
var ck_email = /^([\w-]+(?:\.[\w-]+)*)#((?:[\w-]+\.)*\w[\w-]{0,66})\.([a-z]{2,6}(?:\.[a-z]{2})?)$/;
var ck_mob = /^[0-9 ]{8,11}$/;
function validate(form){
var name = form.name.value;
var email = form.email.value;
var mob = form.mob.value;
var errors = [];
if (!ck_name.test(name))
{
errors[errors.length] = "Your valid Name .";
}
if (!ck_email.test(email))
{
errors[errors.length] = "Your must enter a valid email address.";
}
if (!ck_mob.test(mob))
{
errors[errors.length] = "Your valid Mobile Number.";
}
if (errors.length > 0)
{
reportErrors(errors);
return false;
}
return true;
}
function reportErrors(errors)
{
var msg = "Please Enter Valide Data...\n";
for (var i = 0; i<errors.length; i++)
{
var numError = i + 1;
msg += "\n" + numError + ". " + errors[i];
}
alert(msg);
}