PHP - Check Box Validating..

How much should you validate a First Name?

This is my code...

// Validate First Name.
if (empty($trimmed['firstName'])){
$errors['firstName'] = 'Please enter your First Name.';
}else{
if (preg_match('#^[A-Z \'.-]{2,20}$#i', $trimmed['firstName'])){
$firstName = $trimmed['firstName'];
}else{
$errors['firstName'] = 'First Name must be 2-20 characters (A-Z \' . -)';
}
}

I did this for fear if I left things wide-open it would be a security risk.

And in the U.S. at least, the above would really cover all valid First Names.

Thoughts?



Debbie

Hi, I have a user system where people login to my site with their emails. The thing I am after is when a person is registering I want to validate that they have entered a valid email with @.com in the string and not just some repetitive characters e.g. wwwwwww. Could some one guide me what is the best way to check for a valid email and for repetive characters in any given field examle firstname. One last thing I would also like to check that a person only enters Alphabets for name and stuff.

Hello all,

I need your help again. I have this page where the user inputs data:


<?php
include "include/dbc.php";

include "include/header.inc";

#error checking will go here
?>

<style type="text/css">
.mydate{
color:#00F;
text-decoration:underline;
cursor:pointer;
}
</style>

<script type="text/javascript">
function displayDate(d){
var date=new Date();
var D=date.getDate();
date.setDate(D+d);
var YYYY=date.getFullYear();
var MM=date.getMonth()+1;
MM<10?MM='0'+MM:null;
var DD=date.getDate();
DD<10?DD='0'+DD:null;
var span=document.getElementById('date');
span.innerHTML= 'Entries for '+MM+'/'+DD+'/'+YYYY;
}
onload=function(){displayDate(0)};
</script>

<h1>Food Diary</h1>

<div class="full">
<center><div><span class="mydate" onclick="displayDate(-1)"><img src="images/left_arrow.png" border="0">Yesterday</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span id="date" style="font-size:2em;"></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="mydate" onclick="displayDate(1)">Tomorrow<img src="images/right_arrow.png" border="0"></span></div><br />
<a href="#" onclick="displayDate(0);return false;">Today</a>
</center>

<div class="full">
<form name="exercise" id="exercise" method="GET" action="">
  <center><table>
<tr>
     <td><h3>Add an Activity</h3></td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td><input name="NewSearchString" style="width: 100px" type="text"/>&nbsp;&nbsp;<input type="submit" value="Search" /> </td>
</tr>
    <tr>
     <td>
         <select name="activity">
             <option value="_">Activity Browse...</option>
                <option value="all">All Activities</option>
                <option value="biking">Biking</option>
                <option value="condition">Conditioning</option>
                <option value="dancing">Dancing</option>
                <option value="fish">Fishing & Hunting</option>
                <option value="Home">Home Activities</option>
                <option value="misc">Miscellaneous</option>
                <option value="music">Music Playing</option>
                <option value="occupation">Occupation</option>
                <option value="running">Running</option>
                <option value="sports">Sports</option>
                <option value="walking">Walking</option>
                <option value="water">Water Activities</option>
                <option value="winter">Winter Activities</option>
</select> &nbsp;&nbsp;<input type="submit" value="Submit" /></td></tr></table></center></form>
</td>
</tr>
</table> </center>
<table width="100%">
    <tr bgcolor="#66CC33">
     <td><div>Activity</div></td>
        <td><div>Specific Activity</div></td>
        <td><div>Time (hh:mm)</div></td>
        <td><div>Distance</div></td>
        <td><div>Units</div></td>
</tr>
    <tr bgcolor="#66CC33">
     <td><div></div></td>
      <td><div></div></td>
       <td><div></div></td>
        <td><div class="Float"></div></td>
        <td class="cp_Distance"><div></div></td>
</tr>
<?php
if(isset($_GET[activity])) {
$category=$_GET[activity];
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM exercise WHERE type='$category'");
?>
<form action="add_activity.php" method="POST">
<?php
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
echo '<tr><td><div>'.$row[Type].'</div></td>';
echo '<td><div>'.$row[Name].'<input type="hidden" name="exerciseid[]" value="'.$row[Name].'"></div></td>';
echo '<td><div><input type="text" name="duration['.$row['Name'].']"></div></td>';
echo '<td><div><input type="text" name="distance['.$row['Name'].']"></div></td>';
echo '<td><div><select name="metric[]">
<option value=""></option>
         <option value="mile">mile</option>
             <option value="Km">km</option>
             <option value="M">m</option>;
             <option value="Yard">yrd</option>
             <option value="Feet">ft</option>
            </select></div></td></tr>';
echo'<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="1">';

}
mysql_close();
?>

<tr><td colspan="6" align="center"><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Add Activities" onClick="return confirm(
  'Are you sure you want to submit the activities?');"></td></tr>
</form>
<?php
}
?>
    <tr bgcolor="#66CC33">
     <td><div></div></td>
      <td><div></div></td>
       <td><div></div></td>
        <td><div class="Float"></div></td>
        <td class="cp_Distance"><div></div></td>
</tr></table>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div></div>
<?php include "include/footer.inc"; ?>


I want to validate that the user enters data for at least one of all the fields provided (distance, duration, metric). If someone could help me get started I'd greatly appreciate it.

This topic has been moved to Other Programming Languages.

http://www.phpfreaks.com/forums/index.php?topic=347582.0

I have the following code below to validate a date that the user types in. But I am getting the following error: "Warning preg_match() [function.preg-match]: Unknown modifier '('"

Code: [Select]
if(!empty($_POST['exp_date'])) {

$pattern = '(^[0-9]{1,2})'    // 1 or 2 digits
                .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
                .'([0-9]{1,2})'     // 1 or 2 digits
                .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
                .'([0-9]{1,4}$)';   // 1 to 4 digits

$exp_date = trim($_POST['exp_date']);

if(preg_match($pattern, $exp_date)){

$pattern = '(^[0-9]{1,2})'    // 1 or 2 digits
                .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
                .'([a-zA-Z]{1,})'   // 1 or more alpha
                .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
                .'([0-9]{1,4}$)';   // 1 to 4 digits

if (preg_match($pattern, $exp_date)){

    $pattern = '(^[a-zA-Z]{1,})'  // 1 or more alpha
                .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
                .'([0-9]{1,2})'     // 1 or 2 digits
                .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
                .'([0-9]{1,4}$)';   // 1 to 4 digits

  if (preg_match($pattern, $exp_date)){
 
$pattern = '(^[a-zA-Z]{1,})'  // 1 or more alpha
                     .'([0-9]{2})'       // 2 digits
                     .'([0-9]{4}$)';     // 4 digits

   if (preg_match($pattern, $exp_date)){
   
      $pattern = '(^[0-9]{4})'      // 4 digits
                          .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
                          .'([0-9]{1,2})'     // 1 or 2 digits
                          .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
                          .'([0-9]{1,2}$)';   // 1 to 2 digits
 
    if (preg_match($pattern, $exp_date)){

    $pattern = '(^[0-9]{2})'      // 2 digits
.'([0-9]{2})'       // 2 digits
.'([0-9]{4}$)';     // 4 digits

   if (preg_match($pattern, $exp_date)){
   
       $pattern = '(^[0-9]{4})'      // 4 digits
  .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
      .'([a-zA-Z]{1,})'   // 1 or more alpha
  .'([^0-9a-zA-Z])'   // not alpha or numeric
  .'([0-9]{1,2}$)';   // 1 to 2 digits
   
   } else {
   
      $errors[]= 'Please enter a valid expiration date.';
 
  } 

} else {

   $errors[]= 'Please enter a valid expiration date.';
   
}   
   
   } else {
   
      $errors[]= 'Please enter a valid expiration date.';
   
   }
 
  } else {
 
      $errors[]= 'Please enter a valid expiration date.';
 
  }

} else {
 
    $errors[]= 'Please enter a valid expiration date.';

}

} else {

   $errors[]= 'Please enter a valid expiration date.';
   
}

} else {

   $errors[]= 'Please input an expiration date.';

}