Simple PHP Validation Help?

[tonyking]

Hello, I have a very simple form where a user will enter a "code". I want to check that code to make sure it matches a list of codes. If it does the code will be emailed to me, and they would be redirected to a success page. If it doesn't match one of the valid codes, they would be redirected to an error page.

Here's my code so far:

<?php
$to = "my email";
$subject = "Code";
$email = "my email";
$message = $_REQUEST['code'] ;
$headers = "From: $email";
$sent = mail($to, $subject, $message, $headers) ;
if($sent)
{header( 'Location: http://www.mysite.com/success.html' ) ; }
else
{header( 'Location: http://www.mysite.com/error.html' ) ; }
?>

As you can see no validation of the submitted code, I have no idea how to do this with php, but I know it's not hard.

All I really need is something simple where I can manually code 15 - 20 codes into the form and check for a match. Can anyone help?

[Moshambi]

Are you going to be storing the codes in a database?

[tonyking]

Eventually yes, but for right now I don't mind hard coding 10 into the script itself just to get me by.

[Moshambi]

Well first you need to set up a form:

<form action="submitcode.php" method="post">
<input type="text" name="usercode" /><br />
<input type="submit" name="submit" />
</form>

then you are going to need to make a check in your PHP file submitcode.php for this example:

$usercode = $_POST['usercode'];
$realcode = "123abc";

if(strcasecmp($usercode, $realcode) == 0)
{
echo "They Match!";
}
else
{
echo "Invalid code!";
}

I would also like to note a few things.

FIRST! I hvae not tested this code I simply just created it in the reply box just now.

Second. The strcasecmp() will match a string "XXAA" to "xxAa"....it is case insensitive.

Third. If you are going to do this from a database there will be some different code.

I hope this basic example gives you an idea how to go about this, also I hope this post helped you out

[/code]

[tonyking]

Thanks, one question as I don't know the syntax. How do I code it for multiple "real codes"? There will be 10 or so.

[Moshambi]

You could easily do it using an array:

$realcode = array('code1', 'code2', 'code3', 'code4', 'code5'); // You can put as many as you need in here...

$match = "false";
// Now to loop through the array...
foreach ($codes as $value)
{
if(strcasecmp($realcode[$value], $usercode) == 0)
{
$match = "true";
}
}

if($match == "true")
{
echo "Valid Code!";
}
else
{
echo "Invalid Code!";
}

[tonyking]

Awesome I think that's exactly what I need, then I can just replace the "Valid Code" message with an email script & redirect.

[Moshambi]

Yup you should be able to. But if you have troubles with it you can always post here hope it all goes well for you

[tonyking]

Or not.. >.< Wish I knew this stuff better. here's the code I am using:

<?php
$usercode = $_POST['code'];
$codes = array('1', '2', '3', '4', '5');
$match = "false";

foreach ($codes as $value)
{
if(strcasecmp($realcode[$value], $usercode) == 0)
{
$match = "true";
}
}

if($match == "true")
{
        $to = "info@n2flash.com";
        $subject = "Raffle Code";
        $email = "info@n2flash.com";
        $message = $_REQUEST['code'] ;
        $headers = "From: $email";
        $sent = mail($to, $subject, $message, $headers) ;
        if($sent)
        {header( 'Location: http://www.n2flash.com/success.html' ) ; }
        else
        {header( 'Location: http://www.n2flash.com/error.html' ) ; }
}
else
{
header( 'Location: http://www.n2flash.com/error.html' ) ;
}

?>

If i submit a 1, 2 ,3, 4 or 5 or anything else... It directs to the error page, and no email is sent.

If I leave the form blank, it goes to success and sends an email. Is there somethign wrong with what I have?

[Moshambi]

Ok 1 thing that might be making it mess up...but I'm not positive about this is where you do your foreach loop try using a different variable for $codes as that is what you named your array...

if that doesn't work could you show your html page too please?


EDIT: I just noticed that you should just name you array to $realcodes for this line here:
if(strcasecmp($realcode[$value], $usercode) == 0)