Link as Submit button. A little problem bugging me

[irkevin]

Ah the title says, I want to have a link acting as a submit button.

 

I made it. Like below:

 

<script type="text/javascript">

function submitForm(type){
      
   for(i = 0;i < post_form.lenght;i++)
      document.post_form.post[i].value = type;
            
   document.post_form.submit();
}

<form method="post" action="test.php" name="post_form">
<input type="checkbox" name="post[]" value="1" /> 1
<input type="checkbox" name="post[]" value="2" /> 2
<input type="checkbox" name="post[]" value="3" /> 3
</form>
<a href="javascript:submitForm('delete');">Delete</a>
</script>

 

But, when using a submit button, you specify the <name> attribute to use it with php. Like below

 

<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit" />

<?php

if(isset($_POST['submit']){
   code there
}

 

 

The name submit will be use in php. But when using a link, how do I specify a name to refer it to php?

 

Can someone please help?

[ignace]

You don't and you wouldn't use:

 

if(isset($_POST['submit']))

 

but:

 

if (!empty($_POST))

[Jibberish]

Could you just add a hidden input called submit in the form

 

<input type="hidden" name="submit" value="submit" />

[ignace]

Could you just add a hidden input called submit in the form

 

<input type="hidden" name="submit" value="submit" />

 

Yeah but IMO using if (isset($_POST['submit'])) is bad practice as your code won't be portable. Imagine I have a new project I have the existing PHP code (which I copy-paste to the new project) but the front-end (html) is made by someone else or like irkevin submit my form using an a-element instead of the normal submit button like I used in my previous project.

[irkevin]

Ignace, your solution is working.

 

But lets say, i have different link which will execute different action. How do i tell the php code which link was pressed?

 

Hope that makes sense. lol

[ignace]

But lets say, i have different link which will execute different action. How do i tell the php code which link was pressed?

 

Then we are talking about a different story and is something like:

 

if (!empty($_POST)) {//make sure that _POST contains something
    if (!empty($_POST['multifield'])) {//this should be set and should contain something
        if ('option1' === $_POST['multifield']) {
            //handle option1
        } else if ('option2' === $_POST['multifield']) {
            //handle option2
        }
    }
}

 

However whenever you process forms you should use something like:

 

$requiredFields = array('..');
if (!empty($_POST) && hasRequiredFields($requiredFields, $_POST)) {
    //something was posted and all required fields are present.
}

function hasRequiredFields($requiredFields, $array) {
    $isValid = true;
    foreach ($requiredFields as $field) {
        if (!isset($array[$field])) {
            $isValid = false;
            break;
        }
    }
    return $isValid;
}

[irkevin]

Sorry to say this. But i don't really understand something.

 

$_POST['multifield'] ! What is multifield reffering to and what is option1 reffering to?

[ignace]

$_POST['multifield'] is just the name of a field (name="multifield") option1 and option2 refer to: "i have different link which will execute different action"

[irkevin]

Oh i see, but the problem is i don't have a clue of how to assign the otpion to the link..

[ignace]

Oh i see, but the problem is i don't have a clue of how to assign the otpion to the link..

 

<select name="multifield">

    <option value="option1">Option #1</option>

    <option value="option2">Option #2</option>

</select>