Pass a variable from one PHP file to another via $.post - php

Question

I have a contact form that passes the data via jQuery $.post.
JS
$(function () {
$("#contact_form").submit(function (a) {
a.preventDefault();
$.post("<?php echo home_url('/_asset/contact.php'); ?>", {
contact_name : $("#contact_name").val(),
contact_email : $("#contact_email").val(),
contact_subject : $("input:radio[name=subject]:checked").val(),
contact_textarea: $("#contact_textarea").val(),
contact_postid : $("#contact_postid").val(),
}, function (a) {
$("div#response").removeClass("hidden");
$("div#response").delay(1E3).html(a);
});
});
});
contact.php
$contact_name = $_POST['contact_name'];
$contact_email = $_POST['contact_email'];
$contact_subject = $_POST['contact_subject'];
$contact_message = $_POST["contact_textarea"];
$contact_postid = $_POST['contact_postid'];
$contact_address = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
if( empty($contact_name) && empty($contact_email) && empty($contact_subject) && empty($contact_message) ) {
die('You must fill out all fields amigo!');
}
// Build that email boy!
if( !empty($contact_postid) ) { $email_id = ' (' . $contact_postid . ')'; }
$email_to = 'email#example.com';
$email_subject = 'Contact Form: ' . $contact_subject . $email_id;
$email_header = 'From: ' . $contact_name . '<' . $contact_email . '>' . "\r\n";
$email_header .= 'Reply-To:' . $contact_email . "\r\n";
$email_header .= 'Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1' . "\r\n";
$email_message = nl2br($contact_message);
// Try sending the email
if(!mail($email_to, $email_subject, $email_message, $email_header)){
$status = 'red';
die('Error sending email.');
} else {
$status = 'green';
die('Email sent!');
}
PHP form
<div class="respond_form">
<form method="post" id="contact_form">
<h2>Let's get contacting!</h2>
<div id="response" class="hidden alert <?php echo $status; ?>"></div>
<div class="line">
<label for="contact_name" title="Please enter your name (required)">Your name <span class="required">*</span></label>
<input type="text" name="contact_name" id="contact_name" tabindex="1" placeholder="John Smith" required="required"/>
</div>
<div class="line">
<label for="contact_email" title="Please enter your email (required)">Your email (so we can contact you) <span class="required">*</span></label>
<input type="email" name="contact_email" id="contact_email" tabindex="2" placeholder="mail#example.com" required="required"/>
</div>
<?php if( isset($_GET['subject']) ) { ?>
<input hidden="hidden" name="subject" type="radio" value="<?php echo $_GET['subject']; ?>" checked="checked">
<?php if( isset($_GET['PostID']) ) { echo '<input hidden="hidden" id="contact_postid" name="postid" type="input" value="' . $_GET['PostID'] . '">'; } ?>
<?php } else { ?>
<div class="line">
<label>What is the message in regards to? <span class="required">*</span></label>
<ul style="list-style:none; margin: 0; padding: 0;">
<label style="font-weight:normal;"><input style="margin-right: 10px;" name="subject" type="radio" value="Advertising"<?php if( $_GET['subject'] == 'advertising' ) { echo ' checked="checked"'; } ?>>Advertising</label>
<label style="font-weight:normal;"><input style="margin-right: 10px;" name="subject" type="radio" value="Contribute an Article"<?php if( $_GET['subject'] == 'contribute' ) { echo ' checked="checked"'; } ?>>Contribute an Article</label>
</ul>
</div>
<?php } ?>
<div class="line">
<label for="contact_textarea" title="Briefly explain your message (required)">Briefly explain your message <span class="required">*</span></label>
<textarea name="contact_textarea" id="contact_textarea" rows="10" tabindex="3" maxlength="500" required="required"></textarea>
</div>
<input type="submit" id="contact_send" name="contact_send" class="button glow" value="Send Message"/>
</form>
</div>
As you can see, I've tried setting a $status in the mail() function but that didn't work. I'm not entirely sure what's going on with the whole thing (found it ages ago and just built around it) but I know the die() message emits into the div#response.
Effectively I was hoping to add a class to the div#response if the email was successful or not.
OH! and incase someone wants to comment on the lack of security, or checking of $_POST data, I've stripped it for here :]

Answer 1

$.post sends the data to contact.php and loads its response.
In your case, the response is text that can be "Error sending email." or "Email sent!" (from what you posted) so you just need to test the value and add the related class.
$(function () {
$("#contact_form").submit(function (a) {
a.preventDefault();
$.post("<?php echo home_url('/_asset/contact.php'); ?>", {
contact_name : $("#contact_name").val(),
contact_email : $("#contact_email").val(),
contact_subject : $("input:radio[name=subject]:checked").val(),
contact_textarea: $("#contact_textarea").val(),
contact_postid : $("#contact_postid").val(),
}, function (a) {
$("div#response").removeClass("hidden").addClass( (a=="Email sent!") ? "email-success" : "email-error" );
$("div#response").delay(1E3).html(a);
});
});
});