peppericious Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I have a dropdown menu in a form where users must select their instrument: here's the dropdown: <label for="instrument"><span class='red'>*</span>Your main instrument</label> <select name="instrument" id="instrument"> <option value="select" selected="selected">Select your instrument…</option> <option value="bassoon">Bassoon</option> <option value="cello">Cello</option> <option value="clarinet">Clarinet</option> <option value="double_bass">Double Bass</option> <option value="flute">Flute</option> <option value="french_horn">French Horn</option> <option value="oboe">Oboe</option> <option value="percussion">Percussion</option> <option value="trombone">Trombone</option> <option value="trumpet">Trumpet</option> <option value="tuba">Tuba</option> <option value="viola">Viola</option> <option value="violin">Violin</option> <option value="other">Other</option> </select> I want to validate to ensure that the user has selected an instrument from the list. I was going to do something like this: // validate for instrument selection if(!isset($_POST['instrument'])) { $serrors[] = 'Please select your instrument.'; } else { $_SESSION['instrument'] = $_POST['instrument']; } The problem is, the session variable gets set if the user bypasses the menu altogether, leaving the default 'Select your instrument...' option (at the top) as it is. How can I ensure a selection other than the 'Select your instrument...' at the top of the list? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerny Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 if(!isset($_POST['instrument']) || $_POST['instrument'] == "select") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peppericious Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 if(!isset($_POST['instrument']) || $_POST['instrument'] == "select") Perfect. Thanks!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikachu2000 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 That doesn't validate that an actual, available option from the list has been selected. In order to do that, the easiest thing to do would be to construct an array containing the values, and use the array both to build the <option> list, and to validate that a proper value was selected via in_array. $instruments = array('bassoon', 'cello', 'clarinet'); // etc. echo "<select name=\"instrument\">\n"; echo "<option value=\"select\">Select One</option>\n"; foreach( $instruments as $v ) { echo "<option value=\"$v\">" . ucfirst($v) . "</option>\n"; } echo "</select>\n"; Then simply validate the field like so: if( isset($_POST['instrument']) && in_array($_POST['instrument'], $instruments) ) { // field is set and contains a valid value. } else { // no selection made, or invalid value supplied } Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peppericious Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 That's very helpful and informative, Pikachu2000... However, when I put this in my form.... <label for="instrument"><span class='red'>*</span>Your main instrument</label> <?php $instruments = array( 'bassoon', 'cello', 'clarinet', 'double bass', 'flute', 'french horn', 'oboe', 'percussion', 'trombone', 'trumpet', 'tuba', 'viola', 'violin', 'other' ); echo "<select name=\"instrument\">\n"; echo "<option value=\"select\">Select One</option>\n"; foreach( $instruments as $v ) { echo "<option value=\"$v\">" . ucfirst($v) . "</option>\n"; } echo "</select>\n"; ?> </li> .. and this at the top, with my other validations.... if(isset($_POST['instrument']) && in_array($_POST['instrument'], $instruments)) { $_SESSION['instrument'] = $_POST['instrument']; } else { $errors[] = 'Please select your instrument.'; } ... I get a "Notice: Undefined variable: instruments..." message on line 62, that is this line... if(isset($_POST['instrument']) && in_array($_POST['instrument'], $instruments)) { ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikachu2000 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Are they in the same script? Is the array defined before the point where in_array() is used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peppericious Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Here's the whole script... be gentle, I'm an amateur... it's for a site I did up for my local orchestra... <?php session_start(); // check to ensure user has come from select screen if(!isset($_SESSION['form_started'])) { header('Location: ar_select.php'); exit(); } $formtype = $_SESSION['formtype']; $orch = $_SESSION['orch']; $page_title = "Register/Audition | Musical Experience"; // run validations on all input if(isset($_POST['submit'])) { include('includes/mysqli_connect.php'); $errors = array(); // teacher first if (empty($_POST['mus_teacher_fname'])) { // $errors[] = '<strong>Music Teacher First Name</strong>: you forgot to enter this.'; } else { if (get_magic_quotes_gpc()) { $_SESSION['mus_teacher_fname'] = ucwords(mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, stripslashes(trim($_POST['mus_teacher_fname'])))); } else { $_SESSION['mus_teacher_fname'] = ucwords(mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['mus_teacher_fname']))); } } // teacher last if (empty($_POST['mus_teacher_lname'])) { // $errors[] = '<strong>Music Teacher Last Name</strong>: you forgot to enter this.'; } else { if (get_magic_quotes_gpc()) { $_SESSION['mus_teacher_lname'] = ucwords(mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, stripslashes(trim($_POST['mus_teacher_lname'])))); } else { $_SESSION['mus_teacher_lname'] = ucwords(mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['mus_teacher_lname']))); } } // Examining Body if (empty($_POST['ex_body'])) { // $errors[] = '<strong>Examining Body</strong>: you forgot to enter this.'; } else { if (get_magic_quotes_gpc()) { $_SESSION['ex_body'] = ucwords(mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, stripslashes(trim($_POST['ex_body'])))); } else { $_SESSION['ex_body'] = ucwords(mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['ex_body']))); } } // Musical experience if (empty($_POST['mus_exp'])) { // $errors[] = '<strong>Musical experience</strong>: you forgot to enter this.'; } else { if (get_magic_quotes_gpc()) { $_SESSION['mus_exp'] = ucwords(mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, stripslashes(trim($_POST['mus_exp'])))); } else { $_SESSION['mus_exp'] = ucwords(mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['mus_exp']))); } } // instrument if(isset($_POST['instrument']) && in_array($_POST['instrument'], $instruments)) { $_SESSION['instrument'] = $_POST['instrument']; } else { $errors[] = 'Please select your instrument.'; } // end validations if(empty($errors)) { // get all the session variables and write them to the db //////////////////// } } // close IF submitted conditional include('includes/header.php'); ?> <p><img src="images/demo-images/art1.gif" alt="" width="170" height="220" /></p> </div> <!-- c1 content closer --> </div> <!-- c1 closer --> <div id="c2"> <div class="content"> <p><img src="images/site/reg_banner_3.png" /><p> <h2><?php echo $formtype . " for " . $orch; ?></h2> <p>Fields marked with an asterisk (<span class='red'>*</span>) are required.</p> <?php //////////// // if no errors, say post done if (!empty($errors)) { // If everything's OK. // errors, so report them echo "<div id='error_box'><h2>Oops!…</h2> <ul class='error'>Please fix the following error(s):" ; foreach ($errors as $msg) { // display each error echo "<li>" . $msg . "</li>"; } echo '</ul></div>'; } //////////// ?> <div id='reg_form'> <form id="form1" name="form1" method="post" action=""> <fieldset> <legend>Music related information</legend> <div class='col'> <ul> <li> <label for="music_school">Music School</label> <select name="music_school" id="music_school"> <option value="csm" selected="selected">CSM</option> <option value="abrsm">ABRSM</option> <option value="ccvec">CCVEC</option> <option value="ria">RIA</option> <option value="other">Other</option> </select> <label for="mus_teacher_fname">Music Teacher First Name</label> <input type="text" name="mus_teacher_fname" id="mus_teacher_fname" /> <label for="mus_teacher_lname">Last Name</label> <input type="text" name="mus_teacher_lname" id="mus_teacher_lname" /> <label for="instrument"><span class='red'>*</span>Your main instrument</label> <?php $instruments = array( 'bassoon', 'cello', 'clarinet', 'double bass', 'flute', 'french horn', 'oboe', 'percussion', 'trombone', 'trumpet', 'tuba', 'viola', 'violin', 'other' ); echo "<select name=\"instrument\">\n"; echo "<option value=\"select\">Select One</option>\n"; foreach( $instruments as $v ) { echo "<option value=\"$v\">" . ucfirst($v) . "</option>\n"; } echo "</select>\n"; ?> </li> </ul> </div> <div class='col'> <ul> <li> <p style='font-weight:bold'>Last music exam passed:</p> <label for="grade">Grade</label> <select name="grade" id="grade"> <option value="1" selected="selected">1</option> <option value="2">2</option> <option value="3">3</option> <option value="4">4</option> <option value="5">5</option> <option value="6">6</option> <option value="7">7</option> <option value="8">8</option> </select> <label for="mus_ex_year">Year</label> <select name="mus_ex_year" id="mus_ex_year"> <?php for ($year = date("Y")-10; $year <= date("Y"); $year+= 1) { echo "<option value='" . $year . "'>" . $year . "</option>"; } ?> </select> <label for="ex_body">Examining Body</label> <input type="text" name="ex_body" id="ex_body" /> </li> </ul> </div> <div class='clearfloat'></div> <label for="mus_exp">Do you already have experience of playing in an orchestra or other ensemble?</label> <textarea name="mus_exp" id="mus_exp" ></textarea> </fieldset> <fieldset> <legend>Terms & Conditions</legend> <input type="checkbox" name="t_and_c" id="t_and_c" /> <label for="t_and_c" style="display:inline;">I have read and agree to the <a href="#">Terms & Conditions</a> of Cork Youth Orchestra.</label> </fieldset> <input type="submit" name="submit" id="submit" value="Submit My Application" /> </form> </div> <!-- reg form closer --> </div> <!-- c2 content closer --> </div> <!-- c2 closer --> <?php include('includes/footer.php'); ?> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikachu2000 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Looks like you just need to move the array definition up above the call to in_array(), and that should take care of it. Variables have to be defined before attempting to access them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peppericious Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Looks like you just need to move the array definition up above the call to in_array(), and that should take care of it. Variables have to be defined before attempting to access them. .. should've thought of that. Done now and working like a charm. Thanks a lot.... What a forum this is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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