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Form Processing

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WebStuck

WebStuck

Programmer
Joined
Apr 12, 2003
Messages
79
Location
US
Hi,

I am working on a form that displays a country drop down box. When a country is selected, my php script displays any applicable states/provinces in a state/provinces drop down box or if the country doesn't have states it displays cities in a city drop down box. I have all of that working but am unsure of how to know when the form is actually ready for submission so that I can pass control to a php ProcessForm function. I could check to make sure that each form field has a value set and if so then process the form. However, I feel that the user should be shown an error message if all fields aren't set instead of just being shown the form again. My code is below:

<html>
<head>
<title>Submit Your Site</title>
</head>

<body>
<p align="center">
<font face="arial" size="2">
<?php
mysql_connect('localhost', 'user', 'password') OR die("Can't connect to database!");

mysql_select_db('database');

print <<<END
<form name="joinform" method="POST" action="URLOFTHISPAGE" enctype="multipart/form-data">
<b>Webmaster Information</b><br><br>
Your Name:
<input type="text" name="member_name" size="20" value="$member_name">
<br>
Your Email Address:
<input type="text" name="member_email" size="20" value="$member_email">
<br>
Would you like to join our newsletter:
END;
if ($member_newsletter == "Y")
{
print <<<END
<input type="radio" name="member_newsletter" value="Y" checked>Yes
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<input type="radio" name="member_newsletter" value="Y">Yes
END;
}
if ($member_newsletter == "N")
{
print <<<END
<input type="radio" name="member_newsletter" value="N" checked>No
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<input type="radio" name="member_newsletter" value="N">No
END;
}

print <<<END
<br>
<br><br><b>Site Information</b><br><br>
Site Name:
<input type="text" name="member_site_name" size="20" value="$member_site_name">
<br>
Site URL:
<input type="text" name="member_site_url" size="20" value="$member_site_url">
<br>
Site Description:
<input type="text" name="member_site_description" size="20" value="$member_site_description">
<br>
Site Category:
<select name="member_site_category">
<option value="">Please Choose</option>
END;
$query = "SELECT CATEGORY_NAME FROM CATEGORY";

$result = mysql_query($query) OR die("Invalid query!");

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
if ($row[CATEGORY_NAME] == "$member_site_category")
{
print <<<END
<option value="$row[CATEGORY_NAME]" selected>$row[CATEGORY_NAME]</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="$row[CATEGORY_NAME]">$row[CATEGORY_NAME]</option>
END;
}
}

print <<<END
</select>
<br><br><br>
<b>
Regional Information
</b>
<br>
<i>
Select your site's targeted country, state, or city.
</i>
<br><br>
Site Country:
<select name="member_site_country" onchange="joinform.submit();">
<option value="">Please Choose</option>
END;
if ($member_site_country == "All")
{
print <<<END
<option value="All" selected>All</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="All">All</option>
END;
}

$query = "SELECT DISTINCT LOCATION_COUNTRY FROM LOCATION";

$countryresult = mysql_query($query) OR die("Invalid query!");

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($countryresult))
{
if ($row[LOCATION_COUNTRY] == "$member_site_country")
{
print <<<END
<option value="$row[LOCATION_COUNTRY]" selected>$row[LOCATION_COUNTRY]</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="$row[LOCATION_COUNTRY]">$row[LOCATION_COUNTRY]</option>
END;
}
}

if ($member_site_country == "Other")
{
print <<<END
<option value="Other" selected>Other</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="Other">Other</option>
END;
}
print <<<END
</select>
<br>
END;

if ($member_site_country == "Other")
{
print <<<END
Other Country Name:
<input type="text" name="member_site_country_other" size="20" value="$member_site_country_other">
<br>
END;
}

$query = "SELECT DISTINCT LOCATION_STATE FROM LOCATION WHERE LOCATION_COUNTRY = '$member_site_country'";

$stateresult = mysql_query($query) OR die("Invalid query!");

if ($member_site_country != "All")
{
if (mysql_num_rows($stateresult) > 1)
{
if ($member_site_country != "Canada")
{
print <<<END
Site State:
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
Site Province:
END;
}
print <<<END
<select name="member_site_state" onchange="joinform.submit();">
<option value="">Please Choose</option>
END;
if ($member_site_state == "All")
{
print <<<END
<option value="All" selected>All</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="All">All</option>
END;
}

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($stateresult))
{
if ($row[LOCATION_STATE] == "$member_site_state")
{
print <<<END
<option value="$row[LOCATION_STATE]" selected>$row[LOCATION_STATE]</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="$row[LOCATION_STATE]">$row[LOCATION_STATE]</option>
END;
}
}
print <<<END
</select>
<br>
END;
}
else
{
$member_site_state = "";
}
}

if ($member_site_country != "")
{
if (($member_site_country != "All") AND ($member_site_state != "All"))
{
if ($member_site_country != "Other")
{
if (($member_site_state != "") OR (($member_site_country != "Canada") AND ($member_site_country != "United States")))
{
if ($member_site_state != "")
{
$query = "SELECT DISTINCT LOCATION_CITY FROM LOCATION WHERE LOCATION_STATE = '$member_site_state'";
}
if (($member_site_country != "Canada") AND ($member_site_country != "United States"))
{
$query = "SELECT DISTINCT LOCATION_CITY FROM LOCATION WHERE LOCATION_COUNTRY = '$member_site_country'";
}
$cityresult = mysql_query($query) or die("Invalid query!");

print <<<END
Site City:
<select name="member_site_city">
<option value="">Please Choose</option>
END;
if ($member_site_city == "All")
{
print <<<END
<option value="All" selected>All</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="All">All</option>
END;
}

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($cityresult))
{
if ($row[LOCATION_CITY] == "$member_site_city")
{
print <<<END
<option value="$row[LOCATION_CITY]" selected>$row[LOCATION_CITY]</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="$row[LOCATION_CITY]">$row[LOCATION_CITY]</option>
END;
}
}

if ($member_site_city == "Other")
{
print <<<END
<option value="Other" selected>Other</option>
END;
}
else
{
print <<<END
<option value="Other">Other</option>
END;
}
print <<<END
</select>
<br>
END;
}
}
}
}

if (($member_site_country == "Other") OR ($member_site_city == "Other"))
{
print <<<END
Other City Name:
<input type="text" name="member_site_city_other" size="20" value="$member_site_city_other">
<br>
END;
}

print <<<END
<br><br>
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
END;
?>
</font>
</p>
</body>
</html>


Thanks!
Ben
 
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What about checking for submission via the submit button?
You depend on client side scripting with the onChange events. You might as well add a button that sets a hidden field which can be used as "trigger" for validation.
I'd make it
Code: 
<input type="button" onClick="document.form.trigger.value='1';document.form.submit();>
Then check for $_POST['trigger'] and write that program branch with validation. If errors are detected put them into an associative array and introduce structures like this:
Code: 
print "</select>";
if ($error['city']){
   print "<span class="error">A city selection is required</span>";
   //etc.
Define the style for .error with CSS.
 
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Well, currently the form doesn't depend on client side scripting because a visitor could click the submit button to have the form bring up associated states or cities. I added the onChange form submit so that the visitor wouldn't have to click the submit button to see more of the form display.

It seems like a form that displays a country drop down box that when selected displays associated states or cities would be pretty common. However, I can't figure out a really good way to do it. I am starting to wonder if my form shouldn't be split into multiple php files, but then a lot of the files would contain similiar code and I believe it would be more confusing to work on.

My best solution so far that I am implementing is if $member_site_city contains a value then process the form. I don't think it is a perfect solution because if the visitor forgets to choose a city and submits the form then it will just display the form again instead of displaying an error message.

- Ben
 
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