Question

Below I have a php/mysqli block of code where it creates a drop down menu:

    $moduleHTML  = "";  
    $moduleHTML .= '<select name="modules" id="modulesDrop">'.PHP_EOL;
 $moduleHTML .= '<option value="">Please Select</option>'.PHP_EOL;  

     while($sqlstmt->fetch()) { 
         $moduleHTML .= sprintf('<option value="%1$s_%2$s_%3$s">%1$s - %2$s</option>'.PHP_EOL, $dbModuleNo, $dbModuleName, $dbModuleId);
    } 

$moduleHTML .= '</select>';

The HTML for this is:

<select name="modules" id="modulesDrop">
     <option value="">Please Select</option>
</select>

Now I am trying to display a message if the user has selected the option Please Select. But problem is that the message is not being displayed. MY question is how can I get message to be displayed stating that a Module needs to be selected if user selects Please Select?

Below is main code:

    <?php

    ...


        $moduleHTML  = "";  
        $moduleHTML .= '<select name="modules" id="modulesDrop">'.PHP_EOL;
     $moduleHTML .= '<option value="">Please Select</option>'.PHP_EOL;  

         while($sqlstmt->fetch()) { 
             $moduleHTML .= sprintf('<option value="%1$s_%2$s_%3$s">%1$s - %2$s</option>'.PHP_EOL, $dbModuleNo, $dbModuleName, $dbModuleId);
        } 

    $moduleHTML .= '</select>'; 

        $pHTML = "";

    ?>

    <form action="<?php echo htmlentities($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']); ?>" method="post">
    <table>
    <tr>
    <th>Module: <?php echo $moduleHTML; ?></th>
    </tr>
    </table>
    <p><input id="moduleSubmit" type="submit" value="Submit Module" name="moduleSubmit" /></p>
    </form>

    <?php


    if (isset($_POST['moduleSubmit'])){ 

    if (isset($_POST['modules']) && $_POST['modules'] == '' ){
    $pHTML = "<span style='color: red'>Please Select a Module</span>";
    }else{


    $assessmentform = "<div id='lt-container'>
    <form action='".htmlentities($_SERVER['PHP_SELF'])."' method='post' id='assessmentForm'>
    <p id='warnings'>{$pHTML}</p>
    <p><strong>View Assessment Details:</p>   
    name='sessionSubmit' /></p>
    </form>
    </div>";

    echo $assessmentform;

    }

    }
?>

Answer 1

You have given value = “” for the option Please Select. So you can directly check the element. Also, you have done it. Please check the line,

if (isset($_POST['modules']) && $_POST['modules'] == '' ){
    $pHTML = "<span style='color: red'>Please Select a Module</span>";
}else{

This line will check whether the user selected any value or not.