Form Validation with CodeIgniter + MySql Not Working - php

Question

I can't seem to get my form validation working with Codeigniter. I've tried extending the Form_validation class by creating My_Form_validation.php and have had no success. I'm now trying the callback method. I was getting errors to show up for a little while, however they were incorrect.
This is the code that is located in my controller:
function create_user() {
$this->load->library('form_validation');
$validate = array(
array(
'field' => 'first_name',
'label' => 'First Name',
'rules' => 'trim|required|xss_clean'
),
array(
'field' => 'last_name',
'label' => 'Last Name',
'rules' => 'trim|required|xss_clean'
),
array(
'field' => 'username',
'label' => 'Username',
'rules' => 'trim|required|xss_clean|callback_user_exists'
),
array(
'field' => 'email_address',
'label' => 'Email Address',
'rules' => 'trim|required|valid_email|callback_email_exists'
),
array(
'field' => 'password',
'label' => 'Password',
'rules' => 'trim|required|min_length[5]|max_length[32]'
),
array(
'field' => 'password2',
'label' => 'Confirm Password',
'rules' => 'trim|required|matches[password]'
)
);
$this->form_validation->set_rules($validate);
if($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE) {
$this->load->view('user/user-signup');
} else {
$this->load->model('user_model');
if($query = $this->user_model->create_user()) {
$this->load->view('user/user-login');
} else {
$this->index();
}
}
}
function user_exists($username) {
$this->load->model('user_model');
$this->user_model->user_exists($username);
$this->form_validation->set_message('user_exists', 'This username is already taken');
}
function email_exists($email) {
$this->load->model('user_model');
$this->user_model->email_exists($email);
$this->form_validation->set_message('email_exists', 'This email is already in use');
}
And this is the code located in my Model:
function create_user() {
$insert_user = array(
'first_name' => $this->input->post('first_name'),
'last_name' => $this->input->post('last_name'),
'username' => $this->input->post('username'),
'email_address' => $this->input->post('email_address'),
'password' => md5($this->input->post('password'))
);
$insert = $this->db->insert('users', $insert_user);
return $insert;
}
function user_exists($username) {
$this->db->where('username', $username);
$query = $this->db->get('users');
if($query->num_rows > 0) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
function email_exists($email) {
$this->db->where('email_address', $email);
$query = $this->db->get('users');
if($query->num_rows > 0) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
I'm wanting to validate by checking to see if a Username or Email Address already exists in the database, and if so, the user will need to make the appropriate changes.
Any ideas?

Answer 1

Your code is very hard to read, so I'll show you how improve it. :)
In your controller, you can use constructor for model loading instead this two lines:
$this->load->model('user_model');
Like this:
function __constructor() {
parent::__constructor();
$this->load->model('user_model');
}
Change your user_exists callback to this:
function user_exists($username) {
$user_check = $this->user_model->user_exists($username);
if($user_check > 0) {
$this->form_validation->set_message('user_exists', 'This username is already taken');
return FALSE;
}
else {
return TRUE;
}
}
Change your email_exists callback to this:
function email_exists($email) {
$check_email = $this->user_model->email_exists($email);
if($check_email > 0) {
$this->form_validation->set_message('email_exists', 'This email is already in use');
return FALSE;
}
else {
return TRUE;
}
}
Now, go back to your model and change these two models methods:
function user_exists($username) {
$this->db->where('username', $username);
$query = $this->db->get('users');
return $query->num_rows();
}
function email_exists($email) {
$this->db->where('email_address', $email);
$query = $this->db->get('users');
return $query->num_rows();
}
Now, you do it wrong because you don't understand what model means. in the models methods, you can write database queries... So, if you want to create an user, you should get inputs' information in the controller and then pass them to the model method create_user, like this:
Controller method create_user:
function create_user() {
$this->load->library('form_validation');
$validate = array(
array(
'field' => 'first_name',
'label' => 'First Name',
'rules' => 'trim|required|xss_clean'
),
array(
'field' => 'last_name',
'label' => 'Last Name',
'rules' => 'trim|required|xss_clean'
),
array(
'field' => 'username',
'label' => 'Username',
'rules' => 'trim|required|xss_clean|callback_user_exists'
),
array(
'field' => 'email_address',
'label' => 'Email Address',
'rules' => 'trim|required|valid_email|callback_email_exists'
),
array(
'field' => 'password',
'label' => 'Password',
'rules' => 'trim|required|min_length[5]|max_length[32]'
),
array(
'field' => 'password2',
'label' => 'Confirm Password',
'rules' => 'trim|required|matches[password]'
)
);
$this->form_validation->set_rules($validate);
if($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE) {
$this->load->view('user/user-signup');
} else {
$user_data['first_name'] = $this->input->post("first_name");
$user_data['last_name'] = $this->input->post("last_name");
$user_data['username'] = $this->input->post("username");
$user_data['email_address'] = $this->input->post("email_address");
$user_data['password'] = $this->input->post("password");
if($query = $this->user_model->create_user($user_data)) {
$this->load->view('user/user-login');
} else {
$this->index();
}
}
}
Model's method create_user:
function create_user($user_data) {
return $this->db->insert("users", $user_data);
}
That's all, it will work. Good luck.

Answer 2

Have you tried is_unique[table_name.field_name] rule?
Example:
$this->form_validation->set_rules('username', 'Username',
'required|min_length[5]|max_length[12]|is_unique[users.username]');
$this->form_validation->set_rules('email', 'Email',
'required|valid_email|is_unique[users.email]');
Update
If you want to use a callback function then user_exists function should be in the controller instead in the model as you mentioned.
The correct way to define is -
public function username_check($str)
{
if ($str == 'test')
{
$this->form_validation->set_message('username_check', 'The %s field can not be the word "test"');
return FALSE;
}
else
{
return TRUE;
}
}

Answer 3

Re-write your function like this
function user_exists($username) {
$this->load->model('user_model');
$result = $this->user_model->user_exists($username);
if($result != NULL){
$this->form_validation->set_message('user_exists', 'This username is already taken');
return FALSE;
}else{
return TRUE;
}
}
You are not returning true or false therefore it is always getting last true returned by xss_clea.

Answer 4

i have had the same problem.
One of the problems with the callback function is that it can only accept one parameter.
there are two states to consider when checking for uniqueness of a record in your form.
1) you are adding a new record
2) you are editing an existing record.
if you are adding a new record the inbuilt is_unique works fine.
if you are editing an existing record is_unique does not work, because it finds the record you are editing and says the form data is not unique.
to get around this problem i have used the session class, set it for case 2 before you run the validation script, so you need to know if you are editing an existing record, or adding a new record. to do this i just add a hidden input to the form when it is edited, eg the records unique id.
presumably you have a unique user id in your users table, eg so set it before the validation is run.
if($this->input->post('user_id')){$this->session->set_userdata('callback_user_id',$this->input->post('user_id'));}
then in your callback, use this sort of algorithm:
case 1) ie $this->session->userdata('callback_user_id') == FALSE
if the user name is unique, validate, and return true.
if the user name is not unique, return false with validation message user has to be unique.
case 2) ie, the callback_user_id is set.
if the user name is unique, validate and return true
if the user name is already set, and that record has the same id as user_id, that means you are updating the same record, and its fine to validate.
otherwise, another record has the username, and it should fail validation.
in the model i just have a method that returns the unique id for a username.
after you run the validation, its probably a good idea to unset the callback_user_id session variable.
i'm sorry i don't have code to paste, but i think this description should help you.
==== edits
nowadays, i think overriding the form validation with a new function is the way to go.
so: have a language pack entry, a form validation line and the override:
This assumes that a field is posted named ID that has the id of the row.
$lang['form_validation_is_unique_not_current'] ='The {field} field must contain a unique value.';
array('field' => 'username', 'label' => 'lang:…username…', 'rules' => 'trim|required|min_length[2]|max_length[40]|is_unique_not_current[users.username]'),
class MY_Form_validation extends CI_Form_validation {
function __construct($rules = array())
{
parent::__construct($rules);
$this->_error_prefix = '<div class="alert alert-danger"><p>';
$this->_error_suffix = '</p></div>';
}
public function is_unique_not_current($str, $field)
{
sscanf($field, '%[^.].%[^.]', $table, $field);
$id = $this->CI->input->post('id');
if($this->CI->input->post('field_name'))
{
return isset($this->CI->db)
? ($this->CI->db->limit(1)->get_where($table, array(
$field => $str,
'id <> ' => $id))->num_rows() === 0)
: FALSE;
}
return FALSE;
}
}