PHP form error issue - php

Question

There is probably a simple solution for this but i'm not very proficient in php! Basically I want to submit a form and the user be returned with a thank you overlay image without refresh. I've managed to get this to work BUT now the form validating isn't working properly...
I need to make my overlay only appear after the form validating is successful, if it isn't successful I need to display the error instead of the thank you overlay...
I know I could use ajax for this form but I don't want to rely on javascript!
At the minute the validating is working, but the image is being overlayed on top of it...
This is php code:
<?php
if($_POST['formSubmit'] == "Submit")
{
$errorMessage = "";
if(empty($_POST['formName']))
{
$errorMessage .= "<li>You forgot to enter your name</li>";
}
if(empty($_POST['formTown']))
{
$errorMessage .= "<li>You forgot to enter your town</li>";
}
$varName = $_POST['formName'];
$varTown = $_POST['formTown'];
$varAge = $_POST['formAge'];
$varEmail = $_POST['formEmail'];
$varOne = $_POST['hidden-one'];
$varTwo = $_POST['hidden-two'];
$varThree = $_POST['hidden-three'];
$varFour = $_POST['hidden-four'];
$varFive = $_POST['hidden-five'];
if(empty($errorMessage))
{
$fs = fopen("mydata.csv","a");
fwrite($fs,"\n" . $varName . ", " . $varTown . ", " . $varAge . ", " . $varEmail . ", " . $varOne . $varTwo . $varThree . $varFour . $varFive);
fclose($fs);
}
}
?>
This is my html (with the php code):
<?php
if (isset($_POST['formSubmit'])) {
print "<div class=\"thank-you\"><a href='enter.php'><img src='images/thankyou-overlay.png'/></a></div>\n";
}
?>
<div id="mainContainer">
<p>Just complete your entry details below.</p>
<?php
if(!empty($errorMessage)) {
echo("<p>There was an error with your form:</p>\n");
echo("<ul>" . $errorMessage . "</ul>\n");
}
?>
<form action="<? echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="post" target="_self">
<div class="inputContainer">
<label class="text" name="name">Full Name:</label>
<input type="text" class="box" name="formName" value="<?=$varName;?>">
</div>
... more html inputs...
</form>

Answer 1

Whatever you are going to do, you have to use Javascript. You can choose AJAX either using an iframe where you direct your post to, and reading it in a javascript to check status of posting.
Edit:
Like this you can post it:
<form action="do_stuff.aspx" method="post" target="my_iframe">
<input type="submit" value="Do Stuff!" />
</form>
<!-- when the form is submitted, the server response will appear in this iframe -->
<iframe name="my_iframe" src="not_submitted_yet.aspx"></iframe>
So after the post, you have to read status from this iframe, (in other words de HTML output from it).

Answer 2

First , i am having difficulty comprehending what you are trying to do : But still i can point out a few things that have better alternates ;
You should put this code
if($_POST['formSubmit'] == "Submit")
{
...
}
above the form for the functionality you want
and also the above if should have an else to show the form when there are errors.
like
else
{
---form---
}
try this and c if it helps