Question

How to POST conditionally to self, or another script

Asked by: DoctorNash

Experts,

Could you advise script that accomplishes the following objective:

There is a form with a couple of mandatory fields. When the form is submitted, if the mandatory fields are not filled, then the same form should present again, highlighting the fields that weren't filled. If the fields were filled, then via POST method the form should supply the fields data to another script - say crunch.php.

Thanks for your help!

Regards,
DocNash

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Asked On
2005-10-15 at 00:38:46ID21596000
Tags

post

,

form

,

script

,

self

,

another

Topic

PHP Scripting Language

Participating Experts
2
Points
50
Comments
5

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Answers

 

by: ravenplPosted on 2005-10-15 at 06:46:37ID: 15091237

The default action for FORM tak is self. You can change it with javascript code

document.myFormname.action = 'http://myserver.tld/myscript.php'

do it, if javascript validation function fails.

 

by: wccazPosted on 2005-10-15 at 10:47:08ID: 15091893

As ravenpl points out, javascript validation works the best for simple validation and if that's all you need, go that way.

If you have checking that really has to be performed on the server side (check a database or something), your php code could perform the checking at the top and, if things are OK, branch to an "include('crunch.php');" which would give crunch.php access to all the form result variables.  The else side of your branch would then redisplay the form with the fields highlighted (and the fields that were OK filled in with the values you received).  

 

by: wccazPosted on 2005-10-15 at 11:19:08ID: 15091971

Here's a simple example of server-side form validation and form highlighting.  I like to use a hidden field to detect if entry is from the form vs the initial display.  You could use the value of the submit button if you prefer:

File my_form.php:

<?php
$fields = array('Name','Address','City','State','Zip');

if ($_REQUEST['fromform']==1)
{
      // User submitted the form
      $ok_to_process = TRUE;

      // Very simple checking.  You can make this as complex as you need.
      foreach ($fields as $field)
      {
            $bad_field[$field] = FALSE;
            if (trim($_REQUEST[$field]) == '')
            {
                  $bad_field[$field] = TRUE;
                  $ok_to_process = FALSE;
            }
      }

      if ($ok_to_process)
      {
            // Process the form
            include('my_form_processor.php');
            return;
      }
}
// Present the form
?>
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<form method=post>
<table>
<?php
foreach ($fields as $field)
{
      $val = $_REQUEST[$field];

      $style = '';
      if ($bad_field[$field])
            $style = 'style="color:red;"';

      echo "<tr><td $style>$field</td><td><input type=text value=\"$val\" name=\"$field\" width=30 /></td></tr>\n";
}
?>
<tr><td><input type=hidden value=1 name=fromform /></td><td><input type=submit name=submit value="Submit" /></td></tr>
</table>
</form>
</body>
</html>

File my_form_processor.php:

<?php
$fields = array('Name','Address','City','State','Zip');

?>
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Form Results
<table>
<?php
foreach ($fields as $field)
{
      $val = $_REQUEST[$field];
      echo "<tr><td>$field</td><td>$val</td></tr>\n";
}
?>
</table>
</body>
</html>

 

by: DoctorNashPosted on 2005-10-18 at 01:29:53ID: 15105545

You guys are incredible - what a prompt response!

The crux of what I was looking for was in the comment to 'include' crunch.php in the first Form's script. This will work I think, but I'd like to avoid doing this - if possible, because crunch.php is a complex script that when it's on it's own, has Action>Self under which is a stack of logic to determine whether to present additional pages of results with dynamically generated 'back' and 'forward' buttons, number of pages to 'fast forward' etc. If I include it in the first Form script, then won't I have to remove Action>Self from crunch.php, and ensure all it's logic makes sense under the first Form's Action>Self?

I hope you understand what I mean.

Regards,
DocNash

 

by: wccazPosted on 2005-10-18 at 06:35:20ID: 15107223

If crunch.php displays forms also and you want it to get control directly once the initial form was accepted, you'd need to specify it directly for the action.  Otherwise your shell would get control instead and would have to include logic to divert you back in.

You could use the __FILE__ magic constant to get its filename to specify in the action parameter rather than hardcoding.  You'd need to add any required path information.

Other than that, I don't think including the file should cause any problems in structure as the call is within a set of braces and it's followed by a return, so I don't think you'd get any evil side-effects.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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