How to process text from HTML form?

**eXeonical** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

deko wrote:[color=blue]
> This may be a basic question -
>
> I have a form on my web page that looks like this:
>
> <span id="site_search ">
> <form name="frmSearch " method="post" action="" style=" margin: 0 0 0
> 15px ">
> Search This Site:
> <input type="text" name="search_fi eld"><input name="Go" type="submit"
> value="Go" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
> </form>
> </span><br/>
>
> How do take the input from this form and use it to populate another form (on
> another page within the same site) when the user clicks the Go button?
> Also, how do I cancel any action if the form is empty?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>[/color]

The input from user can be found in eiher $_GET or $_POST arrays
depending on the method your form uses. You should read

PHP: Predefined Variables - Manual

http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.predefined.php

PHP is a popular general-purpose scripting language that powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world.

In you case you can use something like this:
if (empty($_POST['search_field'])) {
// Error message
} else {
// Search code
}

**Geoff Berrow** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

I noticed that Message-ID: <cdtot1$f4s$1@p laza.suomi.net> from eXeonical
contained the following:
[color=blue]
>The input from user can be found in eiher $_GET or $_POST arrays
>depending on the method your form uses. You should read
>http://www.php.net/manual/en/languag...predefined.php
>
>In you case you can use something like this:
>if (empty($_POST['search_field'])) {
> // Error message
>} else {
> // Search code
>}[/color]

And you populate a text box like this

<input type="text" name="name"valu e="<?php echo $_POST['search_field'];
?>">
--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

**Michael Fesser** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

.oO(deko)
[color=blue]
>I have a form on my web page that looks like this:
>
> <span id="site_search ">
> <form name="frmSearch " method="post" [...][/color]

span is an inline-element, you can't put block-elements like a form in
it. Use a div or a more reasonable element instead.

Micha

**Chung Leong** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

"Geoff Berrow" <blthecat@ckdog .co.uk> wrote in message
news:v7r4g09vhn rrem84a0grbi457 mfn6dt8ir@4ax.c om...[color=blue]
> I noticed that Message-ID: <cdtot1$f4s$1@p laza.suomi.net> from eXeonical
> contained the following:
>[color=green]
> >The input from user can be found in eiher $_GET or $_POST arrays
> >depending on the method your form uses. You should read
> >http://www.php.net/manual/en/languag...predefined.php
> >
> >In you case you can use something like this:
> >if (empty($_POST['search_field'])) {
> > // Error message
> >} else {
> > // Search code
> >}[/color]
>
> And you populate a text box like this
>
> <input type="text" name="name"valu e="<?php echo $_POST['search_field'];
> ?>">
> --
> Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
> It's only Usenet, no one dies.
> My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
> Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/[/color]

Don't forget to escape HTML special characters. Hence

<input type="text" name="name"valu e="<?php echo
htmlspecialchar s($_POST['search_field']); ?>">

**deko** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

> span is an inline-element, you can't put block-elements like a form in[color=blue]
> it. Use a div or a more reasonable element instead.[/color]

Thanks for the tip.

**deko** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

> And you populate a text box like this[color=blue]
>
> <input type="text" name="name"valu e="<?php echo $_POST['search_field'];
> ?>">[/color]

Hi and thanks for the reply.

So, the receiving form should look like this:

<INPUT TYPE=text value="<?php echo $_POST['search_field'];?>">
<INPUT type=submit VALUE='Search'>

But the receiving form is on a different page - how do I pass the value of
$_POST to this other page? The idea is for the user to click Go on one page
and then be taken to another page with another form which will be
automatically populated with $_POST from the first page/form.

I tried this on the sending form/page:

<div id="site_search ">
<form name="frmSearch " method="post" action="" style=" margin: 0 0 0
15px ">
Search This Site:
<input type="text" name="search_fi eld"><input name="Go" type="submit"
value="Go" style= "font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
</form>
<?php echo ($_POST['search_field']);?>
<meta http-equiv="refresh" "csi_search.php "> 
</div><br/>

The value I entered in the form was echoed on the sending page, but I didn't
get redirected to csi_search.php. Suggestions?

**Geoff Berrow** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

I noticed that Message-ID: <qPSdnQbbxscGHZ _cRVn-ug@comcast.com> from
Chung Leong contained the following:
[color=blue]
>Don't forget to escape HTML special characters. Hence
>
><input type="text" name="name"valu e="<?php echo
>htmlspecialcha rs($_POST['search_field']); ?>">[/color]

Nah, that's the wrong place for it. Besides, he may want to preserve
markup.

He might want to use stripslashes($_ POST['search_field']) though

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

**Geoff Berrow** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

I noticed that Message-ID:
<55wMc.1564$AY5 .234@newssvr21. news.prodigy.co m> from deko contained the
following:
[color=blue]
>But the receiving form is on a different page - how do I pass the value of
>$_POST to this other page?[/color]

<form name="frmSearch " method="post" action="other_p age.php">

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

**deko** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

> <form name="frmSearch " method="post" action="other_p age.php">

I'll give it a shot....

Regarding cancelling action if a form is blank, I'm trying to get this to
work:

<form method="POST" action=
"<?
if ( empty($_POST['message']) || empty($_POST['email_address']) )
{
} //by the way, is there a better way to construct this without the else
statement?
else
{
include "send_mail.php" ;
}
?>"
style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12px">
Email address: <input name="email_add ress" type="text" /><br />
Message:<br />
<textarea name="message" rows="12" cols="25"></textarea><br />
<input type="submit" value="Send" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif">
</form>

The problem is that get errors the second time I try ti use the form - but
it seems to work the first around. The error I get is something like:

Warning</b>:%20%20Cannot %20modify%20hea der%20informati on%20-%20headers%20al r
eady%20sent%20b y%20(output%20s tarted%20at%20/home/clearpoi/public_html/beta/
contact.php:19) %20in%20<b

My guess is that I need to reset the form after processing it. Should I
have some kind of reset action in send_mail.php? Below is the script. As
you will see, I am trying to send the user to a thank you page after
submitting feedback. This seems to be buttering things up somehow...

<?php
$email = $_REQUEST['email'] ;
$message = $_REQUEST['message'] ;
mail( "dave@Clearpoin tSystems.com", "CSI Feedback Form", $message, "From:
$email_address" );
header( "Location: http://www.ClearpointS ystems.com/beta/thankyou.html" );
?>

**deko** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

> <form name="frmSearch " method="post" action="other_p age.php">

That did the trick. Thanks.

**Geoff Berrow** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

I noticed that Message-ID:
<%CxMc.795$H43. 297@newssvr27.n ews.prodigy.com > from deko contained the
following:
[color=blue]
>My guess is that I need to reset the form after processing it. Should I
>have some kind of reset action in send_mail.php? Below is the script. As
>you will see, I am trying to send the user to a thank you page after
>submitting feedback. This seems to be buttering things up somehow...
>
><?php
>$email = $_REQUEST['email'] ;
>$message = $_REQUEST['message'] ;
>mail( "dave@Clearpoin tSystems.com", "CSI Feedback Form", $message, "From:
>$email_address " );
>header( "Location: http://www.ClearpointS ystems.com/beta/thankyou.html" );
>?>[/color]

Yes, but where is that in the script? If you have output html before
it, it will not work.

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

**deko** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

> Yes, but where is that in the script? If you have output html before[color=blue]
> it, it will not work.[/color]

where is what? output html? before what? sorry, no comprenday...

**Geoff Berrow** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

I noticed that Message-ID:
<5eyMc.801$ss3. 310@newssvr27.n ews.prodigy.com > from deko contained the
following:
[color=blue][color=green]
>> Yes, but where is that in the script? If you have output html before
>> it, it will not work.[/color]
>
>where is what? output html? before what? sorry, no comprenday...[/color]

Post the full script

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

**deko** · Jul 17 '05, 07:26 AM

Re: How to process text from HTML form?

> Post the full script

Here's the whole enchlada. To duplicate the problem: go to
http://www.clearpointsystems.com/beta/contact.php and enter anything in the
Email Address form, and the Message form, and click send. You *should* be
taken to the "Thank You" page at
http://clearpointsystems.com/beta/thankyou.html. Now go back to contact.php
and click on the Send button *without entering anything* in either form.
You will receive a 404 - File not found error - with something that looks
like this in your browser's address bar:

Warning</b>:%20%20Cannot %20modify%20hea der%20informati on%20-%20headers%20al r
eady%20sent%20b y%20(output%20s tarted%20at%20/home/clearpoi/public_html/beta/
contact.php:19) %20in%20<b

Here is code from the Feedback form:

<div id="right_menu_ feedback">
<form method="POST" action=
"<?
if ( empty($_POST['message']) || empty($_POST['email_address']) )
{
}
else
{
include "send_mail.php" ;
}
?>"
style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12px">
Email address: <input name="email_add ress" type="text" /><br />
Message:<br />
<textarea name="message" rows="12" cols="25"></textarea><br />
<input type="submit" value="Send" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif">
</form>
</div>

Here is the entire send_mail.php file:

<?php
$email = $_REQUEST['email'] ;
$message = $_REQUEST['message'] ;
mail( "myaddress@mydo main.com", "CSI Feedback Form", $message, "From:
$email_address" );
header( "Location: http://www.mydomain.co m/thankyou.html" );
?>

Perhaps I shouldn't have a separate script to send the message - can I merge
send_mail.php into the form code on contact.php? Not sure this would solve
the problem... which I'm sure is something elementary...

Thanks again for your help.

How to process text from HTML form?

How to process text from HTML form?

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