Form Validation and MySQL

[Pavlos1316]

Hello,

 

I am trying to validate and insert some values into a db.

 

Although I did this 3-4 times succesfully, I have a problem which I don't know where it came from.

 

My validation code (partial):

 

<?php
//connect to db
require_once('dbconnection.php');

$name = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['name']);   //LINE 3

function validateName($name){
	//if it's NOT valid
	if(strlen($name) < 3){
		return false;
	//if it's valid
	}else{
		return true;
        }
        }

$query = "INSERT INTO s_table (ID, Name) VALUES ('Null', '$name')";
mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
mysql_close();

//Send email code
?>

But I get: Undefined index: name in.... on line 3. (This is a Notice and not an ERROR but I prefer to get rid of it instead of disabling the Notices and "hide" it.)

 

What am I doing wrong 

[cssfreakie]

Undefined index:

 

this means $_POST['name'] is not defined. So either your form name  is spelled wrong or your not submitting the form (aka directly running the code above)

 

so a good thing could be to check if someone pressed the submit button and than check if the value of $_POST['name'] is as expected.

for instance

<?php

if(isset($_POST['submit']) && !empty($_POST['name'])){
     //check the values... are they as expected?


    //run your code


}else{
   echo 'form was not submitted'; // do something about it
}



?>

 

 

[Pavlos1316]

What do you mean by "your form name is spelled wrong"? Where?

 

or your not submitting the form Hm... I am calling the php script using require_once('validate.php') at the top where my form is. I have my

<form action=''>

because I am using JQ validation as well. I don't know/think the mistake is here.

 

My email is being sent even if it's empty...

[cssfreakie]

What do you mean by "your form name is spelled wrong"? Where?

 

Look your giving $name a value of $_POST['name'] So $_POST['name'] has to come from somewhere. This most likely is a form. for instance:

 

<form action="" method="post">
      <input type="text" name="name"  />

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

 

As you can see this form has an input field with the name of "name" When someone fills that in with for instance the name GORILLA

ones someone presses submit,..... $_POST['name'] will hold the value of GORILLA

 

But when you don't submit that form $_POST['name'] is not even set.

So if you say $name = $_POST['name'] the script doesn't know what your talking about because $_POST['name'] doesn't exist. (since you didn't submit anything)

 

So to repeat the above. IF you first check if someone submitted a form and than check the value of $_POST['name'] you won't get any error.

 

What i meant with miss-spelled is say you have a field name like this

<input type="text" name="naame" />

ones you press submit it's not $_POST['name'] that is being set but $_POST['naame']

 

So always check the spelling if you see the error "undefined index" or make sure you submitted the form

[Pavlos1316]

What i meant with miss-spelled is say you have a field name like this

Oh... You said form name at first and I was confused... My spelling I have checked it and it was ok...

 

I am using the if(isset ($_POST['submit']))... I don't know.... If I wasn't submiting the form to the validation.php would I get my email send????

[cssfreakie]

Look the question you posted was: But I get: Undefined index: name in.... on line 3 ... now what?

 

The cause of that is explained above.  Your non related question, do i get email?

 

I have no idea and no one does without visionary skills. your code has a comment in it (//include mail script here) but that's it.