PHP cURL with SS validation

Question

I have some working cURL scripts but have been relying on the remote server for SS validation. I want to add some validation to our cURL scripts so that if they aren't filled out correctly the request won't get sent. I have client side JS validation, but want to duplicate with SS validation. Here is an example of my cURL script:

<?php
$url = 'https://remoteserver.com/POST.svc/Foo';
$Field1 = $_POST["Field1"];
//other input data

$fields = array(
'Field1'=>urlencode($Field1),
//other input data
);

foreach($fields as $key=>$value) { $fields_string .= $key.'='.$value.'&'; }
$fields_string = rtrim($fields_string,'& ');

$ch = curl_init($url);

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HEADER, 0);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $fields_string);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST, 0);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, 0);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);

$output = curl_exec($ch);

echo $output;
curl_close($ch);
?>

Can I just create an if/else statement like:

<?php
if(empty($_POST['Field1']))) {
echo "Error";
die();
} else {
$url = 'https://remoteserver.com/POST.svc/Foo';
$Field1 = $_POST["Field1"];
//other input data

$fields = array(
'Field1'=>urlencode($Field1),
//other input data
);

foreach($fields as $key=>$value) { $fields_string .= $key.'='.$value.'&'; }
$fields_string = rtrim($fields_string,'& ');

$ch = curl_init($url);

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HEADER, 0);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $fields_string);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST, 0);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, 0);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);

$output = curl_exec($ch);

echo $output;
curl_close($ch);
}

I have ajax stuff that is displayed if the return is "Error". This can't be that easy, is it?

thx

Marc B · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-18 16:41:16Z

1

Instead of just returning 'Error', why not return some useful stuff? A PHP structure such as

$request_status = array(
    'error' => 1,
    'error_msg' => 'Form was not completed properly'
    'error_details' => array(
        0 => 'Name field not completed',
        1 => 'Invalid state specified',
        2 => 'Password1 and Password 2 do not match'
    )
)

echo json_encode($request_status);

would be of far more use. Your client-side ajax code can simply look for the 'error' parameter in there and either go "Hey, it worked!" or do further based on the error_details you supplied, such as highlighting the form fields that weren't completed correctly.

This also allows you to send back other types of error messages as well, such as saying "hey, the place we're CURLing your form to isn't responding" and the like.

answered Feb 18, 2011 at 16:41

Marc B

362k44 gold badges433 silver badges508 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

10 Comments

Dirty Bird Design Over a year ago

That's awesome, Ill integrate this as well. Right now I do display the "message" that is returned from the remote server with the ajax validation. Is the original if/else format correct? I apologize, Im not as well versed in PHP as I am in JS/CSS/XHTML etc and really appreciate your help

Marc B Over a year ago

Sure, handing an AJAX submission is no different than handling a regular "the user clicked 'submit' on the form" as far as field validation goes. basically have a set of if/then/else checks to validate the fields that need validation, and then proceed (do curl) or abort (return the error data) .

Dirty Bird Design Over a year ago

Sorry to be so thick. so what I had in the second code box would work? if the field(s) are empty echo json_encode... (will add the function you provided) else - all the curl code?

Marc B Over a year ago

Yep. And then after the curl stuff completes, you can still return the above type of data, but making it error = 0 and error_msg = form submitted ok type thing.

Dirty Bird Design Over a year ago

Ill have to do some research on the $request_status.. and error = 0 and error_msg = form submitted ok stuff - I don't quite grasp that completely as far as how/where it would go in my script. I don't know if it will conflict with showing their server's response as I'm doing now.

|

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

PHP cURL with SS validation

1 Answer 1

10 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

10 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related