PHP - Using If/elseif To Route Error Messages

How is it possible, in PHP, to display an error message next to a form input text field if a user is attempting to submit a form with empty fields? Moreover, how is it possible to remove the same error message when the user fills in the input field with the required data and/or refreshes the page?

I have 2 files that I am working with: application.php and process.php.

application.php mainly has the HTML of the form.
process.php has the PHP for processing and validating the form.

I am very new to learning PHP (I started learning it last week) and I have been searching for hours for a clear answer. I have already tried different methods for generating the error message including: using empty(), !isset, $_POST["name"] = "", etc, and have tried using session_start();, $row, echo, print, and other variables to try and display error message on the page, and I have tried using unset();, and = null, to try and remove the error message once the input field has been filled but all to no avail. Either the method I try only half works, or nothing works, and I cannot pinpoint which is the part that is not working.

I only have 2 files to work with, and as an example of what I want to do is:

1. If the first name field is empty when the user clicks submit, an error message should appear next to the input.
2. If the user fills in the input and clicks submit, the form should be processed and added to the database.
3. When the user returns to the application to page to fill in another application form, the error message should not appear.

Is this possible with PHP?

I've been hacking at this for 3 hours now.. My syntax seems to be screwed up on something, but I cannot find it for the life of me!

Error thrown is obvious I am missing or have something nested wrong!
Parse error: parse error in C:\wamp\www\php\php_study\login_processor.php on line 22


Here is my code. Error is being thrown on the line of the elseif statment.

<?php
  include('db_cxn.php');
  $cxn = mysqli_connect($host, $user, $pass, $db) or die("Query died: connect");
  $sql = "SELECT username FROM users WHERE username = '$_POST[username]'";
  $result = mysqli_query($cxn, $sql) or die("Query Died: username");
  $num = mysqli_num_rows($result);
  if ($num > 0) {
      $sql = "SELECT username FROM users WHERE username='$_POST[username]' AND password=md5('$_POST[password]')";
      $result2 = mysqli_query($cxn, $sql) or die("Query died: password");
      $num2 = mysqli_num_rows($result2);
      if ($num2 > 0) {
          $_SESSION['auth'];
          $_SESSION['logname'] = $_SESSION['username'];
      } //if ($num2 > 0)
      
      header("Location: the_secret_page.php");
  } //if ($num > 0)
  
  else {
      $message1 = "The login name, '$_POST[username]' does not exist in the database. Please try again";
      $username = strip_tags(trim($_POST[username]));
      include('login_form.php');
  } //else
  
  elseif ($num == 0) {
      $message1 = "The username you entered does not exist. Please try again.s";
      include("login_form.php");
  } //elseif ($num == 0)
?>

I don't think my form html/php code is necessary, but I'll include it for reference:

<h1>Login Form</h1>

<?php
  $fields_1 = array("username" => "User Name", "password" => "Password");
?>

<form method="post" action="login_processor.php">
<fieldset>
<legend>Login Form</legend>
<?php
  if (isset($message_1)) {
      echo "$message_1";
  } //if (isset($message_1))
  foreach ($fields_1 as $field => $value) {
      if (preg_match("/pass/i", $field))
          $type = "password";
      else
          $type = "text";
      echo "<div id='field'>
<label for='$field'>$value</label>
<input id='$field' name='$field' type='$type' value='" . @$$field . "' size='20' maxlength='50' />
</div>\n";
  } //foreach ($fields_1 as $field => $value)
?>
<input type="submit" name="Button" value="Login" />
</fieldset>
</form>

I have to get the error messages to appear...but for some reason they're not showing up if I leave the forms blank and click submit.

Code: [Select]
  <?
  $PROVINCES = array( "--" => "--- Please Select Provinces ---",
"nf"=>"Newfoundland",
"pe"=>"Prince Edward Island",
"nb"=>"New Brunswick",
"ns"=>"Nova Scotia",
"qc"=>"Quebec",
"on"=>"Ontario",
"mb"=>"Manitoba",
"sk"=>"Saskatchewan",
"ab"=>"Alberta",
"bc"=>"British Columbia",
"nt"=>"Northwest Territories");
 
  if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET')
  {
  $dimwelcomeMsg = TRUE;
  }
 
  if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST')
  {
  if ($_POST['uname'] == ''){
$errMsg['uname'] = "Username must not be blank!!!"; 
$unameInError = true;
  }
  if (empty($_POST['year']) == TRUE){
  $errMsg['year'] = "Year must not be blank!!";
  }
  if (count($errMsg) > 0 ):
  $dispErrorMsg = TRUE;
else:

foreach ($_POST as $key => $val):
$key = strtoupper($key);
$successMsg[$key] = $val;
endforeach;

$dispSuccessMsg = TRUE;


endif;
  }
  ?>
<html  >

<head>
<title>Comp10065 - Simple Form Validatioon</title>

 
<style type="text/css">


body { margin: 0; padding: 0; font: 80%/1.5 Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #111; background-color: green; }
h2 { margin: 0px; padding: 10px; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 200%; font-weight: normal; color: #FFF; background-color: #CCC; border-bottom: #BBB 2px solid; }
h1 {color:#006600}
p#copyright { margin: 20px 10px; font-size: 90%; color: #999; }
div.form-container { margin: 10px; padding: 5px; background-color: #FFF; border: #EEE 1px solid; }
p.legend { margin-bottom: 1em; }
p.legend em { color: #C00; font-style: normal; }
div.errors { margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 5px 10px; border: #FC6 1px solid; background-color: #FFC; }
div.errors p { margin: 0; }
div.errors p em   { color: #C00; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; }
div.success { margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 5px 10px; border: #FC6 1px solid; background-color: #FFC; }
div.success p { margin: 0; color:#006633}
div.success li {list-style-type: none; }
div.form-container form p { margin: 0; }
div.form-container form p.note { margin-left: 170px; font-size: 90%; color: #333; }
div.form-container form fieldset { margin: 10px 0; padding: 10px; border: #DDD 1px solid; }
div.form-container form legend { font-weight: bold; color: #666; }
div.form-container form fieldset div { padding: 0.25em 0; }
div.form-container label,
div.form-container span.label { margin-right: 10px; padding-right: 10px; width: 150px; display: block; float: left; text-align: right; position: relative; }
div.form-container label.error,
div.form-container span.error { color: #000; }
div.form-container select.error, div.form-container div.error {background-color: #FEF;}
div.form-container label em,
div.form-container span.label em { position: absolute; right: 0; font-size: 120%; font-style: normal; color: #C00; }
div.form-container input.error { border-color: #C00; background-color: #FEF; }
div.form-container input:focus,
div.form-container input.error:focus,
div.form-container textarea:focus { background-color: #FFC; border-color: #FC6; }
div.form-container div.controlset {margin: 3px}
div.form-container div.controlset label,
div.form-container div.controlset input { display: inline; float: none; }
div.form-container div.controlset div { margin-left: 170px; }
div.form-container div.buttonrow { padding-left: 430px; border: 1px solid #CCCCCC }
div#wrapper {width: 700px ; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto}
pre {color:black; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 30px}
</style>

</head>

<body>

<div id="wrapper">

<h1> Form Validation Lab</h1>

<div class="form-container">
 <? if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET') : ?>
 <? if (displayWelcomeMsg) : ?>
 <p>Please fill in the form........</p>
 <? endif; ?>
 
<? endif; ?>

<? if ($displaySuccessMsg): ?>
<div class="success">
<p>Thank you for your submission.</p>
<ol>
<? foreach($successMsgs as $key => $successMsg): ?>
<li><?= $key ?> = <?= $successMsg ?> </li>
<? endforeach; ?>
</ol>
</div>
<? endif; ?>

<? if ($dispErrorMsg) : ?>
<div class="errors">
<p><em>Oops...the following errors were encountered</em></p>
<ul>
<? foreach ($errMsgs as $key => $errMsg): ?>
<li><?= $errMsg ?> </li>
<? endforeach; ?>
</ul>
<p>Please correct the errors and re-submit this form.</p>
</div>
<? endif; ?>




<form action="<?= $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] ?>" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="act" value="post">
<div class="buttonrow">
<input type="submit" value="Submit This Form " class="button" />
<a href="<?= $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] ?>" >Start Again</a>
</div>

<p class="legend"><strong>Note:</strong> Required fields are marked with an asterisk (<em>*</em>)</p>
<fieldset>
<legend>User Details</legend>
<div>
<label for="uname" >User Name <em>*</em></label>
<? if (isset($errMsgs['uname'])) echo 'class = "errors"' ?>
           
<input id="uname" type="text" name="uname"  value="<?=$_POST['uname'] ?>"  />
(must be greater than 5 chars)</div>
<div>
<label for="email">Email Address </label>
<input id="email" type="text" name="email" value="" />
</div>
</fieldset>

<fieldset>

<legend>Submission</legend>
<div>
<label for="year">Year (YYYY) <em>*</em></label>
<input id="year" type="text" name="year"
            <? if (isset($errMsgs['year'])) echo 'class = "errors"' ?>
value="" size="4" maxlength="4"  />
(4 digit number)</div>
<div>
<label for="date">Month (MM)</label>
<input id="date" type="text" name="month" value="" size="4" maxlength="2" />

(number ranging from 1-12)</div>
</fieldset>

<fieldset>
<legend>Preferences</legend>
<div>
<label for="type" >Province (Multiple Select) <em>*</em></label>
<select name = "province[]" multiple size = "12" id="type"  >
                <? foreach ($PROVINCES as $abbreviation => $longname); ?>
                <option value = "<?=$abbreviation ?> "></option>
                <? enfgoreach; ?>
</select>

</div>
<div class= 'controlset'   >
<span class="label">Status (Mult Select)<em>*</em></span>
<input name="status[]" id="approved" value="approved" type="checkbox"  /> <label for="approved">Approved</label>
<input name="status[]" id="pending" value="pending" type="checkbox"  /> <label for="pending">Pending Application</label> <input name="status[]" id="actives" value="actives" type="checkbox"  /> <label for="actives">Active Service</label>

</div>

<div class= 'controlset'>
<span class="label">  Location  <em>*</em></span>
<input name="location" id="radio1" value="Garage" type="radio" /> <label for="radio1">Garage</label>
<input name="location" id="radio2" value="Attic" type="radio" /> <label for="radio2">Attic</label>
<input name="location" id="radio3" value="House" type="radio" /> <label for="radio3">House</label>

</div>
</fieldset>

</form>
<p>This debug info is here to help you. You are only required to display the POST array</p>
<pre><?= print_r($_POST,true) ?> </pre>
</div>

</div>

</body>
</html>

Hi,

I am creating a cms using php and my sql for my website. I have managed to create the majority of it but am having trouble added a menu on each page.

It appears on the homepage with the following code:

      <ul id="headlines">

<?php foreach ( $results['articles'] as $article ) { ?>

        <li>
          <h2>
         <a href=".?action=viewArticle&amp;articleId=<?php echo $article->id?>"><?php echo htmlspecialchars( $article->title )?></a>
          </h2>
        </li>

<?php } ?>

      </ul>

Once I click on a selection from the menu it takes me to the correct article but there is no menu now.

If I try to copy and paste the code from homepage into my viewArticle file it gives me the error messages 'undefined index articles on line 6' and 'invalid argument supplied for for each'.

This is the viewArticle code after I pasted in the code from homepage:

      <ul id="headlines">

<?php foreach ( $results['articles'] as $article ) { ?>

        <li>
          <h2>
         <a href=".?action=viewArticle&amp;articleId=<?php echo $article->id?>"><?php echo htmlspecialchars( $article->title )?></a>
          </h2>
        </li>

<?php } ?>

      </ul>

      <h1 style="width: 75%;"><?php echo htmlspecialchars( $results['article']->title )?></h1>
      <div style="width: 75%;"><?php echo $results['article']->content?></div>


I would really appreciate anybody helping me figure out how I can add the menu onto the viewArticle page.

Thanks in advance

hello  , i have this code:


<?php

function error_table($err){
echo"<p><span class='textborder'>$err</span></p>";
}


?>

in a separate php file and then call it from another php file , like this :


$msg_err='bla bla';
error_table($msg_err);


when i click the button it shows the text with its border(the class has a border ,color and 1px)
but when i have the code inside other if functions it shows it 2 or 3 times...