[SOLVED] help with form validation

[CyberShot]

I am trying to use preg_match to validate input. I don't know why but when I push the submit button, instead of inserting the correct value, It inserts a 1.

 

I have a simple form that you type your name and push submit. When you do that, the code puts the name in a list above the form. There is a drop down menu that you can select the name from a list and push submit to delete the name. It all works. I tried to use preg_match to validate the name being input and I get a one every time I submit. I don't know why. This is all the code

 

$pattern = '/[A-Za-z]+/';
$name = preg_match($pattern, $_POST[name]);
if(isset($_POST[name]))
{
$sql="INSERT INTO mytable (names) VALUES ('$name')";
header("Location: http://localhost/php_sandbox/dbtest/index.php");
}

[mikesta707]

thats because preg_match returns true of false (or rather, values that evaluate to true of false)

you probably meant to do

$pattern = '/[A-Za-z]+/';
if (isset($_POST['name']) && preg_match($pattern, $_POST['name']))
           $name = $_POST['name'];
$sql="INSERT INTO mytable (names) VALUES ('$name')";
header("Location: http://localhost/php_sandbox/dbtest/index.php");
}

[CyberShot]

are the single quotes in 
[code
$_POST['name']

 

optional?  The code works without them.

[cags]

No they aren't optional. PHP will throw an 'Notice: Use of undefined constant ' if your not seeing it, then it's because of the way you have your error reporting set. Without the quotes PHP views it as a constant, when it realises the constant doesn't exists it will cast it to a string with the value of the name of the constant. Just because it fixes your mistakes though, doesn't mean you have to make them.