From tom at functionalmedia.com  Thu Oct  1 10:24:33 2009
From: tom at functionalmedia.com (Tom Hanlon)
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 10:24:33 -0400
Subject: [colug-php] PHP/Javascript empty text box issues
In-Reply-To: <24776106.21254304670087.JavaMail.rob@albert3>
References: <24776106.21254304670087.JavaMail.rob@albert3>
Message-ID: <6C7A59D0-49C3-4EB3-A0A3-2D2A42890318@functionalmedia.com>

<?

if (strlen($_POST[search_text])<3) {
header( location "previous page?message=no_search_term" ;
## must be at top of page before any content, headers come first

}

Then before form

if ($_GET[message]=="no_search_term") {
echo "YOUR SEARCH STRING IS TOO SHORT, please try again";

}

The java script stuff works but confuses by adding too many options.  
So I do not mind a head of the php script with a bunch of error  
checking and a Location header for a redirect where needed. Possibly  
setting $_GET values as part of the redirect.. Or a cookie.

--
Tom

On 30 Sep 2009, at 05:57, Rob Haag wrote:

> Hi, I'm working on a search engine for a database, I found that if a  
> search for whitespace (empty form) is made...it takes a long time  
> (it does turn up results albeit useless), so I am trying to  
> implement this as a check...
> I have this in my document head (I found it on the web @ http://www.tizag.com/javascriptT/javascriptform.php 
> :
>
> <script type='text/javascript'>
> function notEmpty(elem, helperMsg){
>   if(elem.value.length == 0){
>       alert(helperMsg);
>       elem.SetValue("Bill Gates Sucks");
>       elem.focus();
>       return false;
>   }
>   return false;
> }
> </script>
>
> I tried adding the 'SetValue' to at least try and throw in a default  
> string (I was gonna change it before putting it up for my client :) )
> I also did have the 'else' section as 'return true;' but I thought a  
> hard return false may work...it don't (I also read something about  
> the Geko browser engine not using the 'focus', and it does not  
> refocus when an empty box is used either.
>
>
> this is my form:
>      <form action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>" method="post">
>           <label for="search_text"> Search in Database</label><br />
>           <input type="text" name="search_text" <?php  
> if(isset($_POST['search_text'])) echo 'value="'. 
> $_POST['search_text'].'"';  ?> id='req1'/>
>           <input type="submit"
>                  onclick="notEmpty(document.getElementById('req1'),  
> 'Please Enter a Value (Searching for Nothing takes a really long  
> time.')"
>                  value="Search" class="btn2"/>
>       </form>
>
> if I submit an empty box, the popup with the alert works, but after  
> clicking 'ok' it continues with the flow anyway...thus searching for  
> 'nothing'...taking a long time making debugging quite frustrating :)  
> Any help/suggestions would be much appreciated, thanks in advance...
>
>
>
> -- 
> Rob Haag
>
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