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Help validating a form

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DataSpy

DataSpy

Technical User
Nov 15, 2002
39
US
Hello, I'm having troulbe validating a form. I found this script on a website, but it doesn't seem to be working.

<!-- start html & script -->
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>Untitled</title>
<script language="JavaScript">
function validate() {
1 = document.form.1.value;
if ((1 == "")) {
alert("Please enter your name or your email address.");
return false;
}
else return true;
}
</script>
</head>

<body>
<form action="index.html" method="post" name="form" onSubmit="return validate()">
<input type='text' name='1' value="" onFocus="document.form.1.value='';"><br>
<input type='submit' value='tst'>
</form>
</body>

</html>
<!-- end html & script -->
Any help would be greatly appretiated & thanx in advance!
 
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Don't start either variable names or element names/IDs with numbers. Some browsers will deal with element names/IDs that begin with a number but some won't.

1 = document.form.1.value; will be treated as an invalid assignment and you can't call your input field '1' either.

 
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Also, for maximum compatibility, use document.forms['form'].elements['1'].value as opposed to document.form.1.value.

There may also be a problem with a form named "form".


--Chessbot

"See the TURTLE of enormous girth!"
-- Stephen King, The Dark Tower series
 
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I've never noticed a problem with a form called 'form'.

Nor have I noticed a problem with dot-string syntax anywhere. document.form should work fine afaik.
 
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Dot-string syntax works in MSIE, but causes errors in Firefox and more.

There will definitely be a problem with forms called "forms".

--Chessbot

"See the TURTLE of enormous girth!"
-- Stephen King, The Dark Tower series
 
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chessbot -

unfortunately i just lost this same argument (i was on your side) on another website. it was literally 1 hour ago.

however, to be most readable, i will always vow to use the form:

Code: 
document.forms['form_name'].elements['elem_name'];



to test, i created a form like this:

Code: 
<form name="form">
  <input type="text" name="value">
  <input type="button" onclick="alert(document.form.value.value);">
</form>

and grossly, it seemed to work fine, even in NS 4.

*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
Lois: "Peter, you're drunk!"
Peter: "I'm not drunk, I'm just exhausted from stayin' up all night drinking!
 
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cLFlaVA:
Works in my FireFox browser. Odd, no?

Everyone:
----------------------
Use associative arrays ([tt]document.forms['myform'][/tt]) instead of dot-name syntax ([tt]document.myform[/tt])! If nothing else, it lets you use a variable in the form's name without using [tt]eval()[/tt]. Also, it is more aesthetically pleasing.

--Chessbot

"See the TURTLE of enormous girth!"
-- Stephen King, The Dark Tower series
 
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chessbot - yeah, it worked for me in all browsers.

document.garbage.filth

seems to be valid.

You make a good point, however, by describing the use of variable names with the preferred method.

*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
Lois: "Peter, you're drunk!"
Peter: "I'm not drunk, I'm just exhausted from stayin' up all night drinking!
 
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Hehe ... It's a plot to make people use them ... that happens to be true ... but it is still a plot ... or better, an incentive ... I need more statements so I can use more ellipses ... ... ... ... ... ... .

--Chessbot

"See the TURTLE of enormous girth!"
-- Stephen King, The Dark Tower series
 
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Yay! I'm glad this is settled at last. Does this mean you're gonna stop beating up on dot-string all the time? :D

Chessbot, I didn't say there wouldn't be a problem with a form called "forms"; it was called "form" which works afaik.

 
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Maybe we won't beat up on it as much, but we will most likely still suggest using [].[] as the preferred method :)

*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
Lois: "Peter, you're drunk!"
Peter: "I'm not drunk, I'm just exhausted from stayin' up all night drinking!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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