Question

I need to validate an empty field with php and javascript, but both of the methods fail.

<form method="POST" name="contact_form"
action="<?php echo htmlentities($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']); ?>">
<input type="text" name="pickupaddress"  value="<?
 if($pickupaddress == ''){ 
echo "";} 
else{echo htmlentities($pickupaddress);}?> " id="pickupaddress"/>
<input type ="submit" name="submit" value"Reserve"/> 
</form>

//////// Php validation DOES NOT WORK////////

$pickupaddress ='';
$err ='';

$pickupaddress = $_POST['pickupaddress'];

if($pickupaddress == ''){   //if empty field, I also tried == ""
$err.="Please provide pick up address.";
}

///// Javascript validation does not work.


if(form.pickupaddress ==""){
alert("empty address!");
}

//when I click submit nothing happens.
//I am thinking the problem is with

htmlentities($pickupaddress);

//Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Here is hopefully simpler answer:

$pickupaddress = trim($_POST['pickupaddress']); //trims the string
    if (empty($pickupaddress)){   //if empty field
    $err.="Please provide pick up address.";
}