Question

I have a contact form that is being submitted, I have PHP validation all set up before it sends the email, however, I have 2 fields that are dynamically disabled or enabled based on the link clicked to get to the contact form.

I need to know how to determine whether they are disabled or not and then validate them only if they’re not disabled.

Here’s part of my form:

<label for="name">Name</label><br />
<input type="text" name="name" id="name" />

<label for="email">Email</label><br />
<input type="text" name="email" id="email" />

<label for="number">Phone Number</label><br />
<input type="text" name="number" id="number" />

<div id="date-time">
    <label for="date">Date</label><br />
    <input type="text" name="date" id="date" <?php
        if (!isset($_GET["appt"])==true) echo('disabled="disabled"'); ?> />

    <label for="time">Time</label><br />
    <input type="text" name="time" id="time" <?php
        if (!isset($_GET["appt"])==true) echo('disabled="disabled"'); ?> />
</div>

Here’s part of my mail.php file (disregard the cookie functions):

    $name   = trim($_POST["name"]);
    $email  = trim($_POST["email"]);
    $phone  = trim($_POST["phone"]);
    $date   = trim($_POST["date"]);
    $time   = trim($_POST["time"]);

//Check to make sure that the name field is not empty
    if($name == NULL) {
        $hasError = true;
        $emailSent = false;
        cookie("hasError", "true");
        cookie("nameError", "true");
    } else {
        $name = $name;
    }

//Check to make sure sure that a valid email address is submitted
    if($email == NULL) {
        $hasError = true;
        $emailSent = false;
        cookie("hasError", "true");
        cookie("emailError", "true");
    } else if (!eregi("^[A-Z0-9._%-]+@[A-Z0-9._%-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$", $email)) {
        $hasError = true;
        $emailSent = false;
        cookie("hasError", "true");
        cookie("emailError", "true");
    } else {
        $email = $email;
    }

//Check to make sure that the phone field is not empty
    if($phone == '' || $phone < 10) {
        $hasError = true;
        $emailSent = false;
        cookie("hasError", "true");
        cookie("phoneError", "true");
    } else {
        $phone = $phone;
    }

//Check to make sure that the date field is not empty
    if($date == '') {
        $hasError = true;
        $emailSent = false;
        cookie("hasError", "true");
        cookie("dateError", "true");
    } else {
        $date = $date;
    }

//Check to make sure that the time field is not empty
    if($time == '') {
        $hasError = true;
        $emailSent = false;
        cookie("hasError", "true");
        cookie("timeError", "true");
    } else {
        $time = $time;
    }

I’m still learning my way around PHP so thanks in advance for any help you can give. 🙂

//EDIT

appt is from a URL query string. Even if the query string is not present & the inputs are disabled, I’m using jQuery to add or remove disabled from the inputs upon clicking a link on the page.

Answer 1

You can use isset($_POST['date']) to check if the value is set during the submit, cos, if the fields that are disabled will not be submitted in the form right.

EDIT

You might face a problem here, as it is very easy to tamper with the form in client side and pass both date and time here. So the best thing you can do here is have a hidden field which you set with either date or time along with setting the “dynamic” fields disabled. So, in the server side, just read the hidden field and read the required value accordingly.