if (!empty($_POST)) not working - php

Question

I have a php form (code to follow) with a submit button that runs JSON-events.php as its action (method = POST). In the JSON-events code I am testing whether the form has been submitted using if (!empty($_POST)). My issue is that the JSON-events code doesnt seem to be recognising $_POST.
Heres the form side code section.
<div class="simple_overlay" id="searchform">
<form id="myform" class = "cols" action="json-events.php" method="post" >
<h3>Search</h3>
<p>
<label>address/postcode *</label>
<input type="address" id="searchaddress" />
</p>
<p>
<label for="amount">maximum distance:</label>
<input type="text" id="amount" value="5 miles" style=" border:0; color:#43a8c4; font-weight:bold;" />
</p>
<div id="slider-range-min" style="width:130px; margin-left:4px; margin-bottom:20px"></div>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 1</label>
<input name="cat1" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 2</label>
<input name="cat2" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 3</label>
<input name="cat3" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 4</label>
<input name="cat4" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 5</label>
<input name="cat5" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 6</label>
<input name="cat6" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 7</label>
<input name="cat7" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 8</label>
<input name="cat8" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 9</label>
<input name="cat9" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p id="terms">
<label>Category 10</label>
<input name="cat10" type="checkbox" value="1" checked="checked"/>
</p>
<p>
<input type="hidden" name="searchlat" id="searchlat"/>
</p>
<p>
<input type="hidden" name="searchlong" id="searchlong" />
</p>
<input type="submit" name="search" id="search"/>
<input type="button" value="Check Address" onclick="codeAddressSearch()"/>
<button type="reset">Reset</button>
</form>
</div>
and here is the top part of the JSON...
if (!empty($_POST)) {
any help very much appreciated

Answer 1

empty() will work if $_POST does not have any values (Empty array), but in your case when you submit without any values still you get an array like below and it's not empty:
Array
(
[searchlat] =>
[searchlong] =>
[search] => Submit Query
)
empty() will return true only if $_POST returns
Array (
)
But it's not going to happen as every form will have one Sumbit button.
Just use
if($_POST) {
//php code
}
It will solve your problem.
Learn more about empty() by visiting http://php.net/manual/en/function.empty.php

Answer 2

Do not use
if (!empty($_POST)) {
to check if there is a post done use this:
if( $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {

Answer 3

Conditions that you can use with $_POST
if(count($_POST)>0){
//...
}
if(isset($_POST['field_name'])){
//...
}
if( $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
//..
}

Answer 4

Try this
if(!empty($_POST['search']) && isset($_POST['search']))

Answer 5

much better to check for an actual value in the $_POST array. Eg.
if (!empty($_POST['search']))

Answer 6

Using empty() will fail if value 0 is posted
So it is better to use
isset($_POST['FIELD_NAME'])