[SOLVED] Check if username exists?

[Northern Flame]

I a, creating a registration form for my membership program

and I want to check if the username exists before the form

is submitted. How can I do this? I attempted to do it with a

bit of javascript, but it doesn't seem to be working. Can

someone please show me how to do this or modify my script

so that it works?

 

this is how Im trying to do it.

 

<script type="text/javascript">
function nameCheck(){
var userName = document.getElementById('username').value;
var num = <?php 
$name = 'userName';
echo mysql_num_rows(mysql_query("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username='$name'"));
?>;
if(num == 1){
document.getElementById('alert').innerHTML = "Username " + userName + " Already Exists!";
}
</script>
<input type="text" name="username" id="username" size="20" onBlur="nameCheck()">

 

but that doesnt work, the mysql_num_rows returns back 0,

anybody have any ideas on how to do this?

[TheFilmGod]

javascript and php don't work.

 

This is the problem:

$name = 'userName';

 

Php is parsed before javascript will fill in that variable.

[Northern Flame]

Yea I know,

but is there a way that I can check if the

user exists using PHP and doing it before

the user hits "submit"?

[TheFilmGod]

yeah it's called ajax. You need to do a http request and then use php to check. It's rather difficult and you might as well have them submit it and check. I don't think that this extra work is worth those few seconds to the user. IMO.

[Northern Flame]

lol alright,

I guess Ill just wait for the submit,

thanks for the advice!