Keeping field values if error occurs - php

Question

I have seen some solutions for my problem, but I just don't know how to apply them. I am going post part of my validation file because it is large.
if ($action == "submit" && ($member_submit == 0 || ($member_submit==1
&& $_SESSION['loggedin']==1))){
$frompage = $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'];
if($_POST['thumburl']=="http://")
$_POST['thumburl']="";
// Check to see if the user is trying to bypass your requirements, and if so, redirect them!
if ($_SESSION['nosubmit']==1){
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> There was something wrong with your
submission. Please try again later</div>";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
// End Cheat Check
// Check to see if IP address is allowed to submit. If not, redirect!
if (ban_check("submit") == "banned"){
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> Cannot Add Submission At This Time</div>";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
// End Ban Check
$submissiontime = time();
if (($submissiontime - $delay) <= $_SESSION['submission']){
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> Flood Control Initiated</div>";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
$ipaddress = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$contenttitle = clean_string($_POST['contenttitle']);
$contentdescription = clean_string($_POST['contentdescription']);
$contenturl = clean_string($_POST['contenturl']);
$contenturl2 = strtolower($contenturl);
$category = clean_string($_POST['category']);
// Make sure they selected a category
if ($category == 0){
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> Please select a category</div>";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
// Check to see if have backlink and nofollow atribute
$parse = parse_url($contenturl);
$base_url = $parse["host"]; // domain.com
$linkback1 = reciprocal_linkback($contenturl, "http://www.dumpvid.com", 1);
if ("$linkback1"=="0") {
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> Backlink was not found, or nofollow detected.</div> ";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
// Check to see if have backlink in the main also
$parse = parse_url($contenturl);
$base_url = $parse["host"]; // domain.com
$linkback2 = reciprocal_linkback($base_url, "http://www.dumpvid.com", 1);
if ("$linkback2"=="0") {
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> Backlink found only on content url.</div> ";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
// Check if TITLE and URL are filled in
if (empty($contenttitle) || $contenttitle == "Title?"){
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> Please Fill In Title</div>";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
elseif (empty($contenturl) || $contenttitle == "http://"){
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b>Invalid URL</div>";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
elseif (empty($contentdescription) || $contentdescription == "Nice description gets more traffic..."){
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> Invalid or Missing Descriptio</div>";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
// Check if VALID URL
if (is_url("$contenturl")) {
} else {
$_SESSION['submitstatus'] = "<div class=error><b>Error:</b> Doesn't seem to be a valid URL</div>";
header('Location: '.$frompage.'');
exit;
}
The structure of the validation file is basically this, if you need me to post the whole validation file and the form please let me know.
I just want to keep the field values the user filled before in case the validation fails.

Answer 1

You should display form again on error but without using header('Location:...') because you will lost params sent using form after redirect. You may use function for retriving params in html:
function getParam($name, $defaultVal = null){
return isset($_REQUEST[$name]) ? $_REQUEST[$name] : $defaultVal;
}
<input type="text" value="<?php echo getParam('firstname', ''); ?>" name="firstname">
EDIT
If you have 2 files:
form.php - your form definition
save_form.php - form validation,
Then in save_form.php you could use something like this:
//...
if($error){
include 'form.php';
die();
}
and in form.php
<input type="text" value="<?php echo getParam('firstname', ''); ?>" name="firstname">

Answer 2

As i understand i think you have to do this in html like:
<input type="text" value="<?php echo (isset($_REQUEST['firstname'])) ? $_REQUEST['firstname'] : ''; ?>" name="firstname">
this will return you that you want.. Apply something like this to all fields..
EDIT: the above will work when you will click on the submit button then you will get the 'firstname' value else it will show blank.. And Please Never forget to validate on the above of the <form> tag means at the top of the page..

Answer 3

<?php
session_start();
//save post values into session
if(strtolower($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD']) == 'post'){
$_SESSION['_postHistory'] = $_POST;
}
//this will restore your previously posted values into $_POST global
if(isset($_SESSION['_postHistory']) && is_array($_SESSION['_postHistory'])){
foreach($_SESSION['_postHistory'] as $key => $val){
if(!isset($_POST[$key])) $_POST[$key] = $val;
}
}
function getPostValue($key, $default = null){
return (isset($_POST[$key])) ? $_POST[$key] : $default;
}
?>
<input type="text" value="<?php echo getPostValue('fieldname')?>" name="fieldname"/>
I don't recommend using $_REQUEST for post as you might have the same param defined in $_GET as well which can conflict each other.