php form validation issue, "fill in all required boxes" - php

Question

I have created a simple HTML form, and process it using PHP.
When I try to submit the form, it is giving me the error message I created for not filling in all the required boxes. I have checked and rechecked the variables, and I cannot figure out why it is giving me that message with all the fields filled in.
HTML:
<form name="volunteer" action="form-to-email3.php" method="post">
<label>Last Name*: </label><input type="text" name="lastname" /><br />
<label>First Name*: </label><input type="text" name="firstname" /><br />
<label>Middle Initial: </label><input type="text" name="initial" size=1 maxlength=1 /><br /><br />
<label>Date of Birth*: </label><INPUT NAME="month" input type="tel" SIZE=2 MAXLENGTH=2
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)">/<INPUT NAME="day" input type="tel" SIZE=2 MAXLENGTH=2
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)">/<INPUT NAME="year" input type="tel" SIZE=4 MAXLENGTH=4
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)">
<SCRIPT TYPE="text/javascript">
<!--
autojump("month", "day", 2); autojump("day", "year", 2);
//-->
</SCRIPT><br /><br />
<label>Gender*:</label><input type="radio" name="gender" value="Male"> Male
<input type="radio" name="gender" value="Female"> Female
<br /> <br />
<label>Street Address*: </label><input type="text" name="streetaddress" /><br />
<label>Address Line 2: </label><input type="text" name="addressline2" /><br />
<label>City*: </label><input type="text" name="city" /><br />
<label>State/Province/Region*: </label><input type="text" name="state" /><br />
<label>Zipcode*: </label>
<INPUT NAME="zip" input type="tel" SIZE=5 MAXLENGTH=5
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)"><br />
<label>Country: </label>
<select class="element select medium" id="element_3_6" name="country">
<option value="" selected="selected"></option>
<option value="Afghanistan" >Afghanistan</option>
<option value="Albania" >Albania</option>
</select>
<br /><br />
<label>Email*: </label><input type="email" name="email" /><br /><br />
<label>Cell Phone*: </label>(<INPUT NAME="areacode" input type="tel" SIZE=3 MAXLENGTH=3
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)">)<INPUT NAME="cellphone" input type="tel"SIZE=7 MAXLENGTH=7
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)"><br />
<SCRIPT TYPE="text/javascript">
<!--
autojump("areacode", "cellphone", 3);
//-->
</SCRIPT>
<label>Daytime Phone*: </label>(<INPUT NAME="daytime_phone_area" input type="tel" SIZE=3 MAXLENGTH=3
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)">)<INPUT NAME="daytime_phone" input type="tel"SIZE=7 MAXLENGTH=7
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)"><br /><br />
<SCRIPT TYPE="text/javascript">
<!--
autojump("daytime_phone_area", "daytime_phone", 3);
//-->
</SCRIPT>
<label>T-Shirt Size*: </label><input type="radio" name="shirt_size" value="Small"> Small
<input type="radio" name="shirt_size" value="Medium"> Medium
<input type="radio" name="shirt_size" value="Large"> Large
<input type="radio" name="shirt_size" value="XL"> XL
<input type="radio" name="shirt_size" value="2XL"> 2XL
<input type="radio" name="shirt_size" value="Other"> Other (Please provide)<br />
<label>Other:</label><input type="text" name="other size" /><br /><br />
<p>In which area will you be helping*:</p>
<select>
<option name= "position" value= "Pastor">Pastor</option>
<option name= "position" value="Nursing Staff">Nursing Staff</option>
<option name= "position" value="Camp Staff">Camp Staff (Including Huddle Leaders)</option>
<option name= "position" value="Other Staff">Other Staff</option>
</select><br /><br />
<label>Dates Attending*: <br />(Please check all dates you can be present)</label>
<input type="checkbox" name="dates" value="7/6">July 6
<input type="checkbox" name="dates" value="7/7" />July 7
<input type="checkbox" name="dates" value="7/8">July 8
<input type="checkbox" name="dates" value="7/9">July 9
<input type="checkbox" name="dates" value="7/10">July 10
<input type="checkbox" name="dates" value="7/11">July 11
<input type="checkbox" name="dates" value="7/12">July 12<br /><br /><br /><br />
<label>What is the best way to contact you*? </label><input type="text" name="contactmethod" /><br /><br /><br />
<b>Electronic Submission</b>
<p>I understand that by filling in my name here, it shall act as a binding, legal signagure. </p>
<label>Electronic Signagure*: </label><input type="text" name="signature" /><br />
<label>Date*: </label><INPUT NAME="signature_month" input type="tel" SIZE=2 MAXLENGTH=2
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)">/<INPUT NAME="signature_day" input type="tel" SIZE=2 MAXLENGTH=2
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)">/<INPUT NAME="signature_year" input type="tel" SIZE=4 MAXLENGTH=4
onKeyPress="return numbersonly(this, event)">
<SCRIPT TYPE="text/javascript">
<!--
autojump("signature_month", "signature_day", 2); autojump("signature_day", "signature_year", 2);
//-->
</SCRIPT><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
PHP:
<?php
if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] !== 'POST')
{
//This page should not be accessed directly. Need to submit the form.
echo "error; you need to submit the form!";
die;
}
$firstname = $_POST['firstname']; $lastname = $_POST['lastname']; $initial = $_POST['initial']; $streetaddress = $_POST['streetaddress']; $addressline2 = $_POST['addressline2']; $city = $_POST['city']; $state = $_POST['state']; $zip = $_POST['zip']; $email = $_POST['email']; $month = $_POST['month']; $day = $_POST['day']; $year = $_POST['year']; $gender = $_POST['gender']; $areacode = $_POST['areacode']; $cellphone = $_POST['cellphone']; $shirtsize = $_POST['shirt_size']; $country = $_POST['country']; $dayarea = $_POST['daytime_phone_area']; $dayphone = $_POST['daytime_phone']; $shirtsizeother = $_POST['other']; $dates = $_POST['dates']; $signature = $_POST['signature']; $signday = $_POST['signature_day']; $signmonth = $_POST['signature_month']; $signyear = $_POST['signature_year']; $position = $_POST['position']; $contactmethod = $_POST['contactmethod'];
//Validate first
/*
Simple form validation
check to see if required fields were entered
*/
if ($_POST['firstname'] == "" || $_POST['lastname'] == "" || $_POST['streetaddress'] == "" || $_POST['city'] == "" || $_POST['state'] == "" || $_POST['zip'] == "" || $_POST['email'] == "" || $_POST['month'] == "" || $_POST['day'] == "" || $_POST['year'] == "" || $_POST['gender'] == "" || $_POST['areacode'] == "" || $_POST['cellphone'] == "" || $_POST['daytime_phone_area'] == "" || $_POST['daytime_phone'] == "" || $_POST['dates'] == "" || $_POST['signature'] == "" || $_POST['signature_day'] == "" || $_POST['signature_month'] == "" || $_POST['shirt_size'] == "" || $_POST['signature_year'] == "" || $_POST['position'] == "" || $_POST['contactmethod'] == "" ) {
echo "Please fill in all required boxes.";}
else {
$email_from = 'chris569x#gmail.com';//<== update the email address
$email_subject = "New Volunteer Registration"; $email_body = "You have received a new volunteer registration.\n".
"Volunteer: $firstname $initial $lastname \n".
"Address: $streetaddress \n".
"$addressline2 \n".
"$city, $state $zip \n".
"Email: $email \n".
"Date of Birth: $month/$day/$year \n".
"Gender: $gender \n".
"Cell Phone: ($areacode) $cellphone \n".
"Daytime Phone: ($dayarea) $dayphone \n".
"T-Shirt Size: $shirtsize $shirtsizeother \n".
"Dates availible to volunteer: $dates \n".
"Electronic Signature: $signature $signmonth/$signday/$signyear \n".
"Preferred contact method: $contactmethod \n";
$to = "chris569x#gmail.com";//<== update the email address
$headers = "From: $email_from \r\n";
//Send the email!
mail($to,$email_subject,$email_body,$headers);
//done. redirect to thank-you page.
header('Location: thanks2.htm');
echo "<meta http-equiv='refresh' content='0; url=thanks2.htm'>";
}
?>

Answer 1

I believe that you need to change your select for position.
It appears that the name is not coming over to the post page because you put the name in instead of the . Fix that and you should be good to go.

Answer 2

Congratulations, your server seems to be properly configured! The variables $city should not hold any data. You have to use $_POST['city'] or $_REQUEST['city'] instead.
Some hosts may still support submitting variables directly to the $variables, but this is not a safe configuration.
For instance:
...
if (password_check($username,$password)) {
$access = 'yes'
}
...
if ('yes'==$access) { ... }
Could be hacked by submitting script.php&access=yes
So you have to use $_POST['variable'] directly or copy it in the $variable, first.