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How to validate 2 forms at once

I need a bit of help with the logic of this, please.

I have 2 forms. The one form has text fields and drop downs that have be filled in e.g.: product name, price, category etc.

Then next to it I have another form with the ability to upload a single image which is meant to be a featured image.

When I click submit I want to be able to check that an image has been selected and uploaded. But the problem is that the image has it's own form with it's own upload button that needs to be pressed.

So, if I click on submit to add a product, it is only checking that the submit button was pressed and not that the upload button had already been pressed. Not sure if I am making any sense as it's hard to explain. I will post some code which might help.

here is an example of some of the validation for the main form with all the details of the product with a button name of "add_product"

if(isset($_POST['add_product'])) {
		
		if(empty($_POST['prod_name'])) {
			
			$message .= "Product name required <br />";
		}
		
		if(empty($_POST['category'])) {
			
			$message .= "Category required <br />";
		}

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The upload form:

<form id="form" action="ajaxupload.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
<input id="uploadImage" type="file" accept="image/*" name="image" class="form-control" />
<input type="submit" id="button" name="upload" class="btn btn-fill btn-danger" value="Upload" />
</form>

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I thought about putting the image upload into the same form so they were both in 1 form but it isn't possible because the form with the image upload posts to ajaxupload.php and the other form is going to submit to the database.

Crazy Horse

ASKER

This is the php on the ajaxupload.php

$valid_extensions = array('jpeg', 'jpg', 'png', 'gif', 'bmp'); // valid extensions
$path = 'uploads/'; // upload directory

if(isset($_FILES['image']))
{
 $img = $_FILES['image']['name'];
 $tmp = $_FILES['image']['tmp_name'];
  
 // get uploaded file's extension
 $ext = strtolower(pathinfo($img, PATHINFO_EXTENSION));
 
 // can upload same image using rand function
 $final_image = rand(1000,1000000).$img;
 
 // check's valid format
 if(in_array($ext, $valid_extensions)) 
 {     
  $path = $path.strtolower($final_image); 
   
  if(move_uploaded_file($tmp,$path)) 
  {
  echo "<img src='$path' width='164px' />";

  }
 } 
 else 
 {
  echo 'invalid file';
 }
}

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I thought that maybe I could set a variable once they upload has completed and then check if it exists when I try submit the other form but not sure. So, after I echo the image, I set something like:

if(move_uploaded_file($tmp,$path)) 
  {
  echo "<img src='$path' width='164px' />";
 $file_upload = true;

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Ray Paseur

Why not just use one form? It's a POST-method request, so you can send other fields along with the file upload.

To expand on the idea a little more, each form submission is made via an HTTP request. If you can make one request instead of two, your application design will be greatly simplified!

Looking forward to the redesign that you're going to have to do after this initial implementation is set up, you might want to consider these ideas...

1. All images associated with a product must be replaceable.
2. All data fields associated with a product must be replaceable.
3. The order of presentation for the images must be user-settable.
4. Any image must be able to be deleted or overwritten.

When you take those ideas into account you will come to a set of simpler table maintenance scripts, and the programming (as well as the application) will be simplified.

Crazy Horse

ASKER

I want to be able to see the preview of the image uploaded which means the image needs to upload first. Doesn't that mean it has to be in a seperate form to upload separately to submitting the form with all the text fields? perhaps I am just making this too complicated because I want it to work like the wordpress version.

I have uploaded an image so you can see what I mean. I want to upload the image and show it on the right. Then if the user hasn't uploaded the image, when they click the button on the left form they should get an error to say that they need to upload an image. I just like the idea of them being able to see a thumbnail of the image they uploaded instead of just seeing the filename.
2forms.jpg

SOLUTION

Ray Paseur

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hielo

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Crazy Horse

ASKER

Okay, both of these are great so far. Thanks guys!

Great idea with the session variable, that worked perfectly. Only one issue with it..

If I don't upload an image and I try submit, I now get the error message I set that says I need to upload an image. If I upload the image and submit, I don't get the error which is exactly what I want to happen. BUT, if there is something else wrong with the form and it is submitted (like a field left empty for example), it shows the errors and the image that was uploaded disappears now. I assume that's because when I submit the form it is posting and refreshing the page.

I tried to put the uploaded image into a session variable as well so that it would still display even after page refresh but that didn't work.

 $_SESSION['imguploaded'] = true;
	$_SESSION['showimage'] = "<img src='$path' width='164px' />";
	   echo $_SESSION['showimage'];

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SOLUTION

NerdsOfTech

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Crazy Horse

ASKER

Trying to use 2 forms is way too complicated for me at this stage I would say. I think I will take the advice of using 1 form. However, I must say that the session variable method was working for me but trying to show the image straight away was an issue and a bunch of other stuff. I have got some good advice here to get me going though. Thanks to all!