Php form doesn't display error messages

Question

I am trying to create a form that checks and validates name, email. But I can't see any error messages. I don't know a lot of PHP, can't say that I even know the basics.

Here is the code:

<iframe name="formDestination" class="nnn"></iframe>
<div class="container33">
        <form action="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]);?>" class="thwid" method="post"  target="formDestination">
            <label for="fname">Full Name</label>
            <input type="text" id="fname" name="firstname" placeholder="Your full name..." value="<?php echo $name;?>"><span class="error">* <?php echo $nameErr;?></span>
            <label for="email">Your E-mail</label>
            <input type="text" id="email" name="email" placeholder="Your E-mail adress..."> <span class="error">* <?php echo $emailErr;?></span>

            <label for="message">Your message</label>
            <textarea id="message" name="message" placeholder="Write your message here / the reason why you want to contact us " ></textarea>

            <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">
        </form>
    </div>


<?php 
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
$to = "[email protected]"; 
$from = $_POST['email'];
$first_name = $_POST['first_name'];
$last_name = $_POST['last_name'];
$subject = "Form submission";
$subject2 = "Copy of your form submission";
$message = $first_name . " " . $last_name . " wrote the following:" . "\n\n" . $_POST['message'];
$message2 = "Here is a copy of your message " . $first_name . "\n\n" . $_POST['message'];

$headers = "From:" . $from;
$headers2 = "From:" . $to;
mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers);
mail($from,$subject2,$message2,$headers2);
echo "Mail Sent. Thank you " . $first_name . ", we will contact you shortly.";
} ?>
<?php
   $nameErr = $emailErr = "";
   $name = $email = $comment = "";

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
  if (empty($_POST["name"])) {
    $nameErr = "Name is required";
  } else {
    $name = test_input($_POST["name"]);
    if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$name)) {
      $nameErr = "Only letters and white space allowed"; 
    }
  }

  if (empty($_POST["email"])) {
    $emailErr = "Email is required";
  } else {
    $email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
    if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
      $emailErr = "Invalid email format"; 
    }
  }

  if (empty($_POST["comment"])) {
    $comment = "";
  } else {
    $comment = test_input($_POST["comment"]);
  }

function test_input($data) {
  $data = trim($data);
  $data = stripslashes($data);
  $data = htmlspecialchars($data);
  return $data;
}
}?>

Andrew Schultz · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-27 07:05:45Z

1

Move the form HTML code below all of the PHP code otherwise your error variables such as $emailErr won't be displayed as they are not defined before they are used.

answered Mar 27, 2018 at 7:05

Andrew Schultz

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Comments

Karlo Kokkak · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-27 07:59:56Z

Re-positioned code blocks in their proper places. Also deleted unneeded codes.

Try:

<?php 

function test_input($data) {
  $data = trim($data);
  $data = stripslashes($data);
  $data = htmlspecialchars($data);
  return $data;
}

if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
    $emailErr = "";
   $name = $email = $comment = "";
   $nameErr  = "";

  if (empty($_POST["fullname"])) {
    $nameErr = "Name is required";
  } else {
    $name = test_input($_POST["fullname"]);
    if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$name)) {
      $nameErr = "Only letters and white space allowed"; 
    }
  }

  if (empty($_POST["email"])) {
    $emailErr = "Email is required";
  } else {
    $email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
    if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
      $emailErr = "Invalid email format"; 
    }
  }

  if (empty($_POST["comment"])) {
    $comment = "";
  } else {
    $comment = test_input($_POST["comment"]);
  }

  if( trim( $emailErr ) == "" AND trim( $nameErr ) == "" ) {
        $to = "[email protected]"; 
        $from = $_POST['email'];
        $first_name = $_POST['fullname'];
        $last_name = $_POST['last_name'];
        $subject = "Form submission";
        $subject2 = "Copy of your form submission";
        $message = $first_name . " " . $last_name . " wrote the following:" . "\n\n" . $_POST['message'];
        $message2 = "Here is a copy of your message " . $first_name . "\n\n" . $_POST['message'];

        $headers = "From:" . $from;
        $headers2 = "From:" . $to;
        mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers);
        mail($from,$subject2,$message2,$headers2);
        echo "Mail Sent. Thank you " . $first_name . ", we will contact you shortly.";
    }

}?>
<style>.error { color:red; } </style>
<!-- <iframe name="formDestination" class="nnn"></iframe> -->
<div class="container33">
        <form action="" class="thwid" method="post">
            <label for="fname">Full Name</label>
            <input type="text" id="fname" name="fullname" placeholder="Your full name..." value="<?php echo @$name;?>"><span class="error">* <?php echo @$nameErr;?></span>
            <label for="email">Your E-mail</label>
            <input type="text" id="email" name="email" placeholder="Your E-mail adress..."> <span class="error">* <?php echo @$emailErr;?></span>

            <label for="message">Your message</label>
            <textarea id="message" name="message" placeholder="Write your message here / the reason why you want to contact us " ></textarea>

            <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">
        </form>
    </div>

Shringiraj Dewangan · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-27 08:46:13Z

<?php
   $nameErr = $emailErr = "";
   $name = $email = $comment = "";

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
  if (empty($_POST["name"])) {
    $nameErr = "Name is required";
  } else {
    $name = test_input($_POST["name"]);
    if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$name)) {
      $nameErr = "Only letters and white space allowed"; 
    }
  }

  if (empty($_POST["email"])) {
    $emailErr = "Email is required";
  } else {
    $email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
    if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
      $emailErr = "Invalid email format"; 
    }
  }

  if (empty($_POST["comment"])) {
    $comment = "";
  } else {
    $comment = test_input($_POST["comment"]);
  }

function test_input($data) {
  $data = trim($data);
  $data = stripslashes($data);
  $data = htmlspecialchars($data);
  return $data;
}
}?>
<div class="container33">
  <form action="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]);?>" class="thwid" method="post"  target="">
      <label for="fname">Full Name</label>
      <input type="text" id="fname" name="firstname" placeholder="Your full name..." value="<?php echo $name;?>">
      <span class="error">* <?php echo $nameErr;?></span>
      <br>

      <label for="email">Your E-mail</label>
      <input type="text" id="email" name="email" placeholder="Your E-mail adress..."> 
      <span class="error">* <?php echo $emailErr;?></span>  
      <br>

      <label for="message">Your message</label>
      <textarea id="message" name="message" placeholder="" ></textarea>

      <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">
  </form>
</div>

halfer · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-29 20:13:49Z

0

Try this.

<?php
   $nameErr = $emailErr = "";
   $name = $email = $comment = "";

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
  if (isset($_POST["firstname"]) && $_POST["firstname"] != "") {

    $name = test_input($_POST["firstname"]);
    if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$name)) {
      $nameErr = "Only letters and white space allowed"; 
      echo $nameErr;
    }

    } else {
       $nameErr = "Name is required";
       echo $nameErr;
  }

  if (isset($_POST["email"]) && $_POST["email"] != '') {
    $email = test_input($_POST["email"]);
    if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
      $emailErr = "Invalid email format"; 
    }
    echo $emailErr;

  } else {
    $emailErr = "Email is required";
    echo $emailErr;
  }

  if (isset($_POST["comment"]) && $_POST["comment"] != '') {
     echo $comment;
     $comment = test_input($_POST["comment"]);
  } else {
     $comment = "";
     echo $comment;
  }

function test_input($data) {
  $data = trim($data);
  $data = stripslashes($data);
  $data = htmlspecialchars($data);
  return $data;
}
}?>

You need to echo the value if you get any error.

Tip : Always use isset to check if the value is set or not. Also do the same in your email function.

edited Mar 29, 2018 at 20:13

halfer

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answered Mar 27, 2018 at 7:10

Smit Raval

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1 Comment

webnub Over a year ago

Now i just get "syntax error, unexpected '$_POST' (T_VARIABLE), expecting" when i try to load taht page. its line 19 in the code taht you posted here.

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