Issue with field validation?

Question

I must be having a massive brain fart today...

I am trying to make sure that either a ZipCode, or a City is entered into the form

$zip = @$_POST['ZipCode'];
$city = @$_POST['City'];

// validate, at least zipcode and radius if not City/radius
$errMsg = '';
$valid = true;
$valCity = (isset($city) && strlen($city) > 0);
$valZip = (isset($zip) && strlen($zip) > 0);

if(!(!$valCity && $valZip) || ($valCity && !$valZip)){
    $errMsg .= '<p>Please make sure at least a city/town, or zip code is entered.</p>';
    $valid = false;
}

ZipCode only works, City only does not work. What am I doing wrong?

ollieread · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-17 18:27:55Z

4

Your code is little bit more complicated than it needs to be, and you're using isset where you really need to use empty.

$zip = $_POST['ZipCode'];
$city = $_POST['City'];

// validate, at least zipcode and radius if not City/radius
$errMsg = '';
$valid = true;

if(empty($zip) && empty($city)){
    $errMsg .= '<p>Please make sure at least a city/town, or zip code is entered.</p>';
    $valid = false;
}

If both $zip and $city are empty, then the message will be set and $valid will become false.

The difference is that empty() will check the value of a variable, where isset() will check the presence of the variable, so by setting $zip and $city, whether they were null or not, isset() would always return true for them.

-- UPDATE --

Just FYI, empty will also check string length, so there's no need to do both.

edited Dec 17, 2013 at 18:27

answered Dec 17, 2013 at 18:20

ollieread

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Comments

Charlie74 · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-17 18:14:37Z

1

Your if is a little more complicated than it needs to be...

if(!($valCity || $valZip)){
    $errMsg .= '<p>Please make sure at least a city/town, or zip code is entered.</p>';
    $valid = false;
}

This says that both valCity and valZip need to be true. If either is false, your message will display.

answered Dec 17, 2013 at 18:14

Charlie74

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4 Comments

Kevin Over a year ago

please see the question. I need either/or... not both as required

Charlie74 Over a year ago

Fixed... your condition just needs to be an OR. If either is true, this will work.

Kevin Over a year ago

I did clarify exactly in the question, read it again and you will see ZipCode only works, City only does not work. What am I doing wrong?

ollieread Over a year ago

The core problem is the code above, not the if statement, this approach won't help at all.

LightningBoltϟ · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-17 18:21:52Z

0

Use this:

if(!isset($zip) || !isset($city)){
    $errMsg = '<p>Please make sure at least a city/town, or zip code is entered.</p>';
    $valid = false;
}

And this:

$errMsg .=

Can rather be:

 $errMsg =

And doesn't have to be defined like this:

$errMsg = '';

Before the if function. At the top somewhere of your code.

edited Dec 17, 2013 at 18:21

answered Dec 17, 2013 at 18:12

LightningBoltϟ

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1 Comment

ollieread Over a year ago

isset() is the wrong function to be using here, unless you're using it on the $_POST variables.

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