Handling Data not gathered in Form

[doubledee]

This is a tough one to summarize - especially in the Subject?!

 

I need to insert a Comment which consists of:

 

* article_id

* member_id

* body

* status

* created_on

* approved_on

* updated_on

 

Only the "body" field is gathered from my "Add a Comment" form, and everything else either comes from the $_SESSION or from NOW()

 

I am wondering if it would be easier to do Error-Handling and what-not if I created an Input for at least the first 4 fields above and populated the "Value" of those fields that already have values (e.g. "member_id")??

 

Then when the user clicks "Add a Comment", I can check all of the values in $_POST and handle everything in a uniform way, if you follow my new thinking?!

 

 

 

Debbie

 

 

[thewooleymammoth]

Im not sure i understand your question, but if you already have the values you want in a variable and don't want the user to change them, then there is no reason to populate a form with them. Just use the values you have.

[doubledee]

Im not sure i understand your question, but if you already have the values you want in a variable and don't want the user to change them, then there is no reason to populate a form with them. Just use the values you have.

 

Having a hard time formulating.  (Just so confused on this whole damn "Add a Comment" project...)  :-\

 

I don't think my original post/idea made sense because the user never knows the ArticleID and MemberID exist, and *if* they were blank, it's not like the user could do anything anyways.

 

So here is a second attempt to clean up my code.

 

Does this make sense?

 

// *************************************************************
// HANDLE FORM.											 *
// *************************************************************
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD']=='POST'){
// Form was Submitted (Post).

// Connect to the database.
require_once('private/mysqli_connect.php');

// Initialize Errors Array.
$errors = array();

// Trim all form data.
$trimmed = array_map('trim', $_POST);

// Set local variables.
$status = 'Pending';


// ******************************
// CHECK COMMENT INFORMATION.		*
// ******************************

// Check Article ID.
if (empty($_SESSION['articleID'])){
	$errors['articleID'] = '';
}else{
	$articleID = $_SESSION['articleID'];
}

// Check Member ID.
if (empty($_SESSION['memberID'])){
	$errors['memberID'] = '';
}else{
	$memberID = $_SESSION['memberID'];
}

// Check Comment.
if (empty($trimmed['body'])){
	$errors['body'] = 'Please enter a Comment.';
}else{
	$body = $trimmed['body'];
}


// Check for Data-Entry Errors.
if (empty($errors)){
	// Form data clean.

	// Add a new Comment.
	// Build query.
	$q = "INSERT INTO comment(article_id, member_id, body, status, created_on)
			VALUES(?, ?, ?, ?, NOW())";

 

 

Is that sufficient error-checking in case the Session values were lost and so my query doesn't blow up?

 

 

Debbie

 

 

[thewooleymammoth]

It seems ok. It kind of depends on what your doing exactly.

[doubledee]

It seems ok. It kind of depends on what your doing exactly.

 

What do you mean?

 

What extra details can I provide to help you help me out?

 

 

Debbie

 

[thewooleymammoth]

what are you doing with the errors array if there is an error? If you just want to declare that there was an error the array may not be necessary.

 

<?php
$error = "";
if(!isset($_POST['comment']))
     $error = "No comment was entered. <br />";

if (!isset($_SESSION['articleID']))
     $error .= "There was no article ID. <br />"

if (!isset($_SESSION['memberID']))
     $error .= "There was no member ID. <br />"

if(strlen(error) > 0){
   echo $error;
  //handle the error here.
}else
  //add the comment.
?>

[doubledee]

what are you doing with the errors array if there is an error?

 

If there is a form field that requires data-entry and the user leaves it blank or enters an invalid value, then I echo back the form error (e.g. $errors['body'] = 'Please enter a Comment.' to the right of the field when the form is reloaded.

 

Follow me?

 

 

Debbie

 

 

[thewooleymammoth]

ok well then that seems good as far as checking if those things exist.

[doubledee]

ok well then that seems good as far as checking if those things exist.

 

Say, another issue with this form...

 

I added two buttons at the end of "add_comment.php"...

 

* Return to Article

* Go to Home Page

 

After the user submits a comment, they see a message like this (if successful)...

 

Comment Submitted

 

All submissions must be reviewed by an Administrator.

 

Once approved, your comment will appear below the article:

"Postage Meters can save you money!"

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

If I click on either button, each works, but if I then click the browser "Back" button I get an "Undefined Index" error?!

 

How do I prevent things like that from breaking my form?  :-\

 

 

Debbie

 

 

[thewooleymammoth]

I would need to see  the page/code.