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PHP and MySQL Tutorials
Enhance your expertise as a website back-end developer with these PHP and MySQL tutorials. Explore the latest server-side development libraries to boost your skills in creating dynamic website elements. Stay ahead in the field and become a more proficient website coder with these in-depth tutorials.
PHP and MySQL Tutorials:
Complete Server-Side Contact Form Validation Using PHP Language for Secure Data Handling.
reading time
Reading Time:
00:06 Minutes
implement time
Implement Time:
00:20 Minutes

Introduction to PHP Server-Side Validation

Form validation is a crucial part of any web application to ensure that the submitted data is accurate, formatted correctly, and secure. While client-side validation using JavaScript (such as jQuery) can provide immediate feedback to users, it is not sufficient for security purposes since it can be bypassed easily. This is where PHP server-side validation comes into play.

Why Use PHP Server-Side Validation?

  • Security: Prevents malicious data from being submitted, protecting against SQL injection, XSS, and other attacks.
  • Accuracy: Ensures correct input format and required fields before processing data.
  • Reliability: Works even when JavaScript is disabled on the client’s browser.
  • Data Integrity: Prevents invalid or incomplete data from entering the database.

Building a Simple Contact Form

Below is a small HTML form that collects basic contact information:

HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
	<meta charset="UTF-8">
	<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
	<title>Contact Form</title>
</head>
<body>
	<form action="process.php" method="POST">
		<label for="name">Name:</label>
		<input type="text" name="name" required>

		<label for="email">Email:</label>
		<input type="email" name="email" required>

		<label for="phone">Phone:</label>
		<input type="text" name="phone" required>

		<label for="message">Message:</label>
		<textarea name="message" required></textarea>

		<button type="submit">Submit</button>
	</form>
</body>
</html>

PHP Validation Functions with Detailed Explanations

1. Empty Field Validation
PHP
function empty_check($value) {
	return (!isset($value) || trim($value) === '') ? 'invalid' : 'valid';
}

Description: This function ensures that no required fields are left blank. It checks if the input is set and not just empty spaces. If the input is empty, it returns 'invalid'; otherwise, it returns 'valid'.

2. Minimum Length Validation
PHP
function min_check($value, $minval) {
	return (strlen($value) < $minval) ? 'invalid' : 'valid';
}

Description: This function validates that the input length meets a minimum character requirement. If the input is shorter than $minval, it returns 'invalid', ensuring sufficient data is provided.

3. Maximum Length Validation
PHP
function max_check($value, $maxval) {
	return (strlen($value) > $maxval) ? 'invalid' : 'valid';
}

Description: This function ensures that input does not exceed the maximum allowable length. If it does, 'invalid' is returned, helping prevent buffer overflows or unnecessary large inputs.

4. Minimum and Maximum Length Validation
PHP
function minmax_check($value, $minval, $maxval) {
	return (strlen($value) < $minval || strlen($value) > $maxval) ? 'invalid' : 'valid';
}

Description: This function checks if the input length falls within a specified range. If the input is shorter than $minval or exceeds $maxval, it returns 'invalid'.

5. Email Validation
PHP
function email_check($value) {
	return (!filter_var($value, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) ? 'invalid' : 'valid';
}

Description: Using PHP’s built-in FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL, this function ensures the email format is correct. If the input is not a valid email, it returns 'invalid'.

6. Contact Number Validation
PHP
function contact_check($value) {
	return (!preg_match('/^[0-9-+ ]+$/', $value) || strlen($value) < 10 || strlen($value) > 16) ? 'invalid' : 'valid';
}

Description: This function ensures that phone numbers contain only numbers, spaces, -, and +. It also validates that the number is between 10 to 16 characters long.

Processing the Form with PHP

PHP
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
	$name = $_POST['name'];
	$email = $_POST['email'];
	$phone = $_POST['phone'];
	$message = $_POST['message'];

	$errors = [];
	
	if (empty_check($name) == 'invalid') {
		$errors[] = 'Name is required';
	}
	if (email_check($email) == 'invalid') {
		$errors[] = 'Invalid email format';
	}
	if (contact_check($phone) == 'invalid') {
		$errors[] = 'Invalid phone number';
	}
	if (minmax_check($message, 10, 500) == 'invalid') {
		$errors[] = 'Message must be between 10 and 500 characters';
	}
	
	if (empty($errors)) {
		echo "<p>Form submitted successfully!</p>";
		// Here you can process and store the data
	} else {
		foreach ($errors as $error) {
			echo "<p style='color:red;'>$error</p>";
		}
	}
}

Conclusion

Server-side validation with PHP is an essential practice for securing web forms against bad data and attacks. Even though client-side validation improves user experience, server-side validation ensures security and data integrity.

By using the above PHP validation functions, we can ensure that our contact form accepts only valid data before processing it, making our application more robust and reliable.

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