Creating a Form Using HTML & PHP [closed] - php

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Closed 9 years ago.
I am trying to create a form on a website (http://youngliferaffle.com/) using HTML, PHP, and bootstrap twitter. I've been looking through several tutorials on how to create it but I think I'm having trouble with Locations -- as in relocating the user if they make an error or after they submit their answers. I'm also very new to PHP. I would really appreciate the help! Thank you!
Main issues:
"Too many redirects to the webpage"/possibly due to cookies
Not receiving an email from submissions
User not being redirected to the correct page after submission or due to bad submission
Here is the part of my HTML form:
<form method="POST" action="contact-form-submission.php">
<fieldset>
<label><strong>Sign-Up</strong></label>
<input type="text" class="name" name="cname" id="name" placeholder="Full Name"></input>
<input type="text" class="phone" name="phone" id="phone" placeholder="Phone Number"></input>
<input type="text" class="email" name="email" id="email" placeholder="Email Address"></input>
<div class="form-actions">
<input type="submit" name="save" value="Send">
</div>
</fieldset>
</form>
Here is my PHP form
// check for form submission - if it doesn't exist then send back to contact form
if (!isset($_POST['save']) || $_POST['save'] != 'contact') {
header('Location: contact-form-submission.php');
exit;
}
// get the posted data
$name = $_POST['contact_name'];
$email_address = $_POST['contact_email'];
$phone = $_POST['contact_phone'];
// check that a name was entered
if (empty($name))
$error = 'You must enter your name.';
// check that an email address was entered
elseif (empty($email_address))
$error = 'You must enter your email address.';
// check for a valid email address
elseif (!preg_match('/^[_a-z0-9-]+(\.[_a-z0-9-]+)*#[a-z0-9-]+(\.[a-z0-9-]+)*(\.[a-z]{2,3})$/', $email_address))
$error = 'You must enter a valid email address.';
// check that a phone number was entered
elseif (empty($phone))
$error = 'You must enter a phone number.';
// check if an error was found - if there was, send the user back to the form
if (isset($error)) {
//Am I putting the wrong location?
header('Location: contact-form-submission.php?e='.urlencode($error)); exit;
}
// write the email content
$email_content = "Name: $name\n";
$email_content .= "Email Address: $email_address\n";
$email_content .= "Phone:\n\n$phone";
// send the email
mail ("myemail.com", "New Contact Message", $email_content);
// send the user back to the form
//And This is where I'm having trouble with! the Location part
header('Location: contact-form-submission.phps='.urlencode('Thank you for your message.'));
exit;

Answer 1

the last line
header('Location: contact-form-submission.phps='.urlencode('Thank you for your message.')); exit;
seems like you have the name right. Why redirect the php file to itself. You should use the URL of the initial form, whatever name that is. Probably this line creates the redirect loop error you get.

Answer 2

Well the first thing in php code is that it redirects to itself. The 'save' variable won't be set anyway so it redirects again and again endlessly. It checks if 'save' is set, but it's not set the first time, so it redirects to the same page again. But 'save' variable won't be set again because it's just a redirect not a form submission. So it happens again and again so you get that too many redirects error.
I usually keep the processing logic and the form in the same PHP file. That means, the form's action attribute will have the same page URL as value. For example like this.
simple_form.php
<?php
//Assume the form has one field called field1 and a 'save' variable to indicate form submission
$field1 = "";
//Declare an array to store errors
$errors = array();
if(isset($_POST['save'])) {
//Form has been submitted.. do validations etc.
$field1 = $_POST['field1'];
if(someValidationCheck($field1) == false) {
$errors[] = "Field1 is not valid";
}
//After all field validations.. adding errors to $errors array..
if(count($errors) == 0) {
//No errors so write database insert statments etc. here
//Also put a header("Location:...") redirect here if you want to redirect to a thank you page etc.
}
}
?>
<html>
<body>
<?php
//If there were errors, show them here
if(count($errors) > 0) {
//loop through $errors array .. print one by one.
}
?>
<form method="post" action="simple_form.php">
<input type="text" name="field1" value="<?php echo($field1); ?>" />
<input type="hidden" name="save" value="save" />
<input type="submit" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
That way if there are errors, the user will see error messages in the same page, the fields will also retain their original values. And it'll get redirected only upon a valid submission with no errors. Otherwise it'll stay in the same page, displaying error messages.

Answer 3

In the very first line, you keep heading back to the same location. This creates a loop. You need to send them back to the form. Possibly index.php?
Also, the very last line, as this page will only work when data is being posted, you need to redirect users away from this page. Maybe make a new thankyou page.
Also remember your ? after .php as the ? tells your web server its no longer a file name. Else it will look for a file called thankyou.phps.
// check for form submission - if it doesn't exist then send back to contact form
if (!isset($_POST['save']) || $_POST['save'] != 'contact') {
header('Location: index.php'); exit;
}
// get the posted data
$name = $_POST['contact_name'];
$email_address = $_POST['contact_email'];
$phone = $_POST['contact_phone'];
// check that a name was entered
if (empty($name))
$error = 'You must enter your name.';
// check that an email address was entered
elseif (empty($email_address))
$error = 'You must enter your email address.';
// check for a valid email address
elseif (!preg_match('/^[_a-z0-9-]+(\.[_a-z0-9-]+)*#[a-z0-9-]+(\.[a-z0-9-]+)*(\.[a-z]{2,3})$/', $email_address))
$error = 'You must enter a valid email address.';
// check that a phone number was entered
elseif (empty($phone))
$error = 'You must enter a phone number.';
// check if an error was found - if there was, send the user back to the form
if (isset($error)) {
//Am I putting the wrong location?
header('Location: contact-form-submission.php?e='.urlencode($error)); exit;
}
// write the email content
$email_content = "Name: $name\n";
$email_content .= "Email Address: $email_address\n";
$email_content .= "Phone:\n\n$phone";
// send the email
mail ("myemail.com", "New Contact Message", $email_content);
// send the user back to the form
// remember the ? after your file name!
header('Location: thankyou.php?s='.urlencode('Thank you for your message.')); exit;