Form validation, with .. next to no javascript, but without refreshing the page

[TeddyKiller]

A form, with a form action. onsubmit event calls a javascript function.

Any function

<script>function blah{}</script>

Within the function, will contain no javascript. Just PHP. I feel this isn't quite ajax as it doesn't play around with more than 1 line of javascript.

 

My question is.. would it be secure to do all my php form validation in that javascript function, using database queries, and without it reloading the page?

 

Problem is.. I have an ahref, and it opens up a div, powered by javascript. When clicking the submit button... it reloads the page.. and the div disappears. I'd like it stayed open.

 

If the form validation isn't the best method, maybe you can redirect me to something that is?

Thanks!

[Pikachu2000]

A client side technology should not be relied upon for form validation. Validation should be performed server-side.

[TeddyKiller]

It wouldn't be client side though. It'll just be a javascript function.. with PHP inside it.. that'd make it server side?

[Alex]

From what I understand what you're attempting to do is impossible. Can you elaborate?

[TeddyKiller]

Oh wait.. it would be client side, because if javascript was disabled on the browser.. the php wouldn't execute. Damn.

 

Lets take facebook. The comment featuer on there.. when you comment on a post.. it validates it without reloading the page. I have something like this, but what it does.. is it calls a javascript function.. which calls a php page to do the validation. Although this wouldn't work if you have javascript disabled. (I found it off a tutorial site)

You should know what I mean if you use facebook though.

You fill in the textarea, click the submit button. Then the comment gets posted.. and there was no refreshing the page.

[Alex]

You can't execute PHP like that at all. PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is, as its name implies, only a preprocessor. Meaning that PHP is executed on the server side, only, and the output of that is sent to the browser. You simply can't embed PHP in JavaScript function.

 

JavaScript is so widely supported these days it's really not important to consider about the extremely small percentage of people browsing the web that might not have JavaScript support. If I recall correctly, the statistics were estimated at under 5% several years ago.

 

What you're looking for is AJAX (which isn't what you explained at all). The variables that you wish to submit and validate would be sent via the HTTP request made through AJAX. Your PHP script can then validate these variables and send the response back to JavaScript where the appropriate action can be taken.

[TeddyKiller]

Hmm.. was hoping to minimize the use of ajax.

Ok so Ajax it is.. I know its the wrong section but do you a tutorial, or can you provide a basic thing of what I'm looking for.

I'd like it to support ultiple errors.

 

Hope its not too much to ask for, I'd post in the ajax section but it'd be kinda.. reposting.

[Alex]

You can find a good tutorial that covers the fundementals of AJAX here. If you're using a JavaScript library like jQuery, YUI, etc.. many of them include easy ways to implement AJAX. If you want to use JQuery you can look here for some good examples on how to use AJAX in JQuery.

[TeddyKiller]

Ah yeah. Methods like the JQuery one is one I have used before. Just can't fully understand it...

Does this mean..

$.ajax({
  url: 'mypage.php',
  success: function(data) {
    $('.result').html(data);
    alert('Load was performed.');
  }
});

If mypage.php had an echo. Would it get displayed on the page where the function is or what?[/code]

[Alex]

That would put the contents of the output in all elements of class "result".

[TeddyKiller]

Right. Ok thanks I think have sense of it now.

url: "mypage.php",

Does this enable things after the tag.

So..

url: "mypage.php?act=something",

It'll help in minimizing pages..

[Alex]

That should be another parameter, like so:

 

$.ajax({
  url: 'mypage.php',
  data: {act: 'something'},