PHP foreach issue with empty fields - php

Question

I have a big form
This form is processed by a PHP file called by a serialize jQuery function
foreach($_GET['claimant'] as $k=>$v) {
$insClaim = "INSERT INTO `cR_Claimants` (`memberID`, `ParentSubmission`, `Name`, `DOB`, `Company`, `Email`, `MainPhone`, `OtherPhone`, `MobilePhone`, `OwnershipPercentage`, `Address`, `ZIPcode`, `Country`) VALUES ('".$memberID."', '".$refNumb."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['name'])."', '".$v['DOB']."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['company'])."', '".$v['email']."', '".$v['mainPhone']."', '".$v['alternatePhone']."', '".$v['mobilePhone']."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['percentage'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['address'])."', '".$v['ZIP']."', '".$v['country']."')";
$resultinsClaim=mysql_query($insClaim) or die("Error insert Claimants: ".mysql_error());
}
The problem is that $_GET['claimant'] in certain cases can be empty. I mean that the relative field has not been entered at all.
When this happens obviously the Insert should not run when that specific $_GET['claimant'] is empty.
I tried the two following solutions, but they do not work, the Insert runs anyway, putting in my DB empty strings.
Please help.
foreach($_GET['claimant'] as $k=>$v) {
if($_GET['claimant'] != "") {
$insClaim = "INSERT INTO `cR_Claimants` (`memberID`, `ParentSubmission`, `Name`, `DOB`, `Company`, `Email`, `MainPhone`, `OtherPhone`, `MobilePhone`, `OwnershipPercentage`, `Address`, `ZIPcode`, `Country`) VALUES ('".$memberID."', '".$refNumb."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['name'])."', '".$v['DOB']."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['company'])."', '".$v['email']."', '".$v['mainPhone']."', '".$v['alternatePhone']."', '".$v['mobilePhone']."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['percentage'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['address'])."', '".$v['ZIP']."', '".$v['country']."')";
$resultinsClaim=mysql_query($insClaim) or die("Error insert Claimants: ".mysql_error());
}
}
AND
foreach($_GET['claimant'] as $k=>$v) {
if(!empty($_GET['claimant'])) {
$insClaim = "INSERT INTO `cR_Claimants` (`memberID`, `ParentSubmission`, `Name`, `DOB`, `Company`, `Email`, `MainPhone`, `OtherPhone`, `MobilePhone`, `OwnershipPercentage`, `Address`, `ZIPcode`, `Country`) VALUES ('".$memberID."', '".$refNumb."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['name'])."', '".$v['DOB']."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['company'])."', '".$v['email']."', '".$v['mainPhone']."', '".$v['alternatePhone']."', '".$v['mobilePhone']."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['percentage'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($v['address'])."', '".$v['ZIP']."', '".$v['country']."')";
$resultinsClaim=mysql_query($insClaim) or die("Error insert Claimants: ".mysql_error());
}
}

Answer 1

If $_GET['claimant'] is an array, you should ask for its length:
if (count($_GET['claimant']) > 0) { ... }

Answer 2

The check should be:
if(!empty($v)) {
// Stuff here
}
This is assuming that the GET variable actually contains an array of arrays.
Most likely you don't need the foreach.
This code is also vulnerable to SQL injection, all parameters needs to be escaped before entered into a SQL query
Try this instead:
$vals = $_GET['claimant'];
if(!empty($vals)) {
$query = "INSERT INTO `cR_Claimants` (`memberID`, `ParentSubmission`, `Name`, `DOB`, `Company`, `Email`, `MainPhone`, `OtherPhone`, `MobilePhone`, `OwnershipPercentage`, `Address`, `ZIPcode`, `Country`) VALUES ('".$memberID."', '".$refNumb."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['name'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['DOB'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['company'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['email'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['mainPhone'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['alternatePhone'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['mobilePhone'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['percentage'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['address'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['ZIP'])."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($vals['country'])."')";
$resultinsClaim=mysql_query($insClaim) or die("Error insert Claimants: ".mysql_error());
}

Answer 3

Not sure why you're using a foreach() loop here..._GET['claimant'] is probably not an array of values unless you have multiple fields on your form called claimant[].
Just do this:
$claimant = $_GET['claimant'];
if( $claimant != ""){
$insClaim = "YOUR REALLY LONG QUERY";
// etc.
}
ALSO: please, please, please use mysql_real_escape_string() on all incoming request parameters.