Validating user input

[Xtremer360]

I'm trying to figure out what would be the best way to deal with this on the back end.  When I submit my form I want to verify that there were selections made to both questions and the answers but still be able to tie in the right answers to the right questions.

 

<?php 
<fieldset>
                        
                            <legend>Secret Questions</legend>
                        
                            <dl>
                            
                                <dt><label for="question1">Question #1:</label></dt>
                                <dd>
                                    <select size="1" name="questions[]" id="question1">
                                        <option value="">- Select -</option>
                                        <?php
                                        while ( $row = mysqli_fetch_array ( $result, MYSQLI_ASSOC ) ) { 
                                            print "<option value=\"".$row['id']."\">".$row['question']."</option>\r";
                                        }
                                        ?>
                                     </select>
                                </dd>
                                     
                            </dl>
                            
                            <dl>
                                
                                <dt><label for="answer">Answer:</label></dt> 
                                <dd><input type="text" name="answers[]" id="answer" size="54" /></dd>
                                
                            </dl>
                            
                            <dl>
                            
                                <dt><label for="question2">Question #2:</label></dt>
                                <dd>
                                    <select size="1" name="questions[]" id="question2">
                                        <option value="">- Select -</option>
                                        <?php
                                        mysqli_data_seek( $result, 0 );
                                        while ( $row = mysqli_fetch_array ( $result, MYSQLI_ASSOC ) ) { 
                                            print "<option value=\"".$row['id']."\">".$row['question']."</option>\r";
                                        }
                                        ?>
                                     </select>
                                </dd>
                                     
                            </dl>
                            
                            <dl>
                                
                                <dt><label for="answer">Answer:</label></dt> 
                                <dd><input type="text" name="answers[]" id="answer" size="54" /></dd>
                                
                            </dl>
                                   
                            <dl class="submit">
                            
                                <input type="submit" name="submit" id="submit" value="Enter" />
                            
                            </dl>
                        
                        </fieldset>
?>

[redixx]

I'm not really understanding what you're trying to do, can you try to clarify?

[Xtremer360]

I'm trying to do a few things. I'm trying to verify that there was a selection made for  both question select boxes and that the user gave input into the answer text boxes. Then I'm trying to I guess form some sort of array so that the answer one ties into the id of the question that it goes with because in my answers db table i have

 

userID, questionID, answer

[redixx]

I just threw this together real fast, maybe it will help you figure something out

 

$correct_answers = array('green','blue','red');

$answers = $_POST['answers']; // as array

$empty = array();
foreach($answers as $answer)
{
if (empty($answer)) {
	$empty[$answer] = $answer;
}
}

if (!empty($empty)) {
// not empty, continue	
$i = 0;
$wrong = array();
foreach($answers as $answer)
{
	if ($answer != $correct_answers[$i])
		$wrong[$answer] = $answer;
	}

	$i++;
}

if (empty($wrong)) {
	// passed
} else {
	echo 'Wrong answers: <br />';
	foreach($wrong as $w)
	{
		echo $w.'<br />';
	}
}
} else {
echo 'Empty answers: <br />';
foreach($empty as $e)
{
	echo $e.'<br />';
}
}

[Xtremer360]

I tried working with it but couldn't get anything with it, but it feels as if this could be done differently. Any other ideas?

[monkeytooth]

You have 4 static elements correct? Select box "value" is the ID of the question? then the text input next to it is the answer right? Why not cause I know your likely pushing this through with a post/get via jquery match the pairs of data up.. you are the one that makes your string to get posted..

 

myfile.php&q1=ValueFromSelect1&a1=AnswerFromInput1&q2=ValueFromSelect2&a2=AnswerFromInput2 then in your backend. If any one of the 4 variables are empty or otherwise invalid to you reject it with an error. Otherwise you know variable q1 goes with a1 and q2 goes with... a2