Form Validation Issue

[barnstormer]

I have a form that limits what characters go in each field, but only a few fields are actually required.  If nothing is filled in the fields that are not required then the validation considers them invalid.  Is there something I can add to accept an empty field?  Here's a sample of some of the code:

 

if (!empty($_POST['Submit'])) {
    
    //  firstname
if (!eregi("^([0-9a-z'\.\ -])+$", $_POST['firstname'])){
    $arrErrors['firstname'] = 'Invalid ';}
    if ($_POST['firstname']=='')
        $arrErrors['firstname'] = 'Please provide ';

//  lastname
if (!eregi("^([0-9a-z'\.\ -])+$", $_POST['lastname'])){
    $arrErrors['lastname'] = 'Invalid ';}
    if ($_POST['lastname']=='')
        $arrErrors['lastname'] = 'Please provide ';

//  address1
if (!eregi("^([0-9a-z'#/\.\ -])+$", $_POST['address1'])){
    $arrErrors['address1'] = 'Invalid ';}

//  address2
if (!eregi("^([0-9a-z'#/\.\ -])+$", $_POST['address2'])){
    $arrErrors['address2'] = 'Invalid ';}

 

Any help would be greatly appriciated.  I need it bad.

 

Aaron

[Orio]

Every time you want to allow empty strings too, you need to replace the + with * in your regular expression.

 

"^([0-9a-z'#/\.\ -])*$"         Accepts empty strings
"^([0-9a-z'#/\.\ -])+$"         Doesn't accept empty strings

 

Orio.

[barnstormer]

That works!  Thank you so much, you're a life saver!  And a genius!

 

Aaron