form validation

[gaza165]

a user is submitting a comment to the database

 

what is the best way to use for form validation

 

this is what i currently have implemented but because it is not redirecting to another page and coming back, if the user refreshes the page, it will send the post again.

 

<?php
// basic form and form processing code -

// condition the inputs and setup default values -
$submitted = isset($_POST['submit']) ? $_POST['submit'] : FALSE; // was the form submitted?
$name = isset($_POST['name']) ? $_POST['name'] : ""; // condition the form's name field
$comments = isset($_POST['comments']) ? $_POST['comments'] : ""; // condition the form's name field

if($submitted) {

include ('dbconnect/dbconnect.php');

$form_error = array(); // array to hold any form validation errors

// validate the form data here (set elements in $form_error to hold error messages)
	if(empty($name)) {
	$form_error[] = "Please fill in the name";
	}
	if(empty($comments)) {
	$form_error[] = "Please fill in the comments";
	}

// if there were no form validation errors, use the data that was submitted
if(empty($form_error)) {
	// do something with the data here
	$result = "INSERT INTO public_comments (name,message) values ('$name','$comments')";
                $sql = mysql_query($result);
}
}

// display the form if it has not been submitted or there are form validation errors
If(!$submitted || !empty($form_error)) {
// check for and display any form validation errors
if(!empty($form_error)) {
	foreach($form_error as $error) {
		echo "$error<br />";
	}
}

}
// display the form, with any previously submitted values
?>
		   <div id="contactform">
		   <a name="sendmessage">
		   <form action="#showcomments" method="POST">
		   <p class="input">Name:<input type="text" name="name" id="name" value="<?php echo $name; ?>" /></p> 
		   <p class="input">Comments:<textarea cols="55" rows="5" id="comments" name="comments"></textarea></p>  
		   <input type="submit" id="send_message" name="submit" value="Send Message" class="contactbutton"/>	
		   </form>
		   </a>
		   </div>

[gaza165]

someone must have a response to this...

 

Garry

[monkeytooth]

Well I would suggest unset().. since your script already does a check to see if the form was submitted and does what it has to accordingly from there.. I would say after the data has been input into the database.. do

 

unset($_POST['submit']);

 

Add it here..

 

	// if there were no form validation errors, use the data that was submitted
if(empty($form_error)) {
	// do something with the data here
	$result = "INSERT INTO public_comments (name,message) values ('$name','$comments')";
                $sql = mysql_query($result);
                unset($_POST['submit']);  //New Line
}
}

[monkeytooth]

that will remove the set value behind what defines your form as submited.. or should atleast, so this way it wont exist if the page is refreshed..