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Form validation

In Codeigniter, For form validation we use form_validation library. you can use this library anywhere in your controller class.

In Controller file we have create a class named "validate-form" where index() function initializes "form_validation" library :

function index()
{
//including validation library
$this->load->library('form_validation');
}

OR

and you can also set Autoload library(autoload.php).
$autoload['libraries'] = array('database', 'pagination', 'session', 'form_validation');

To set validation rules we will use the set_rules() function

$this->form_validation->set_rules();

set_rules() method takes three parameters :

1. Actual field name (e.g. uname).

2. Name of the field used to identify it (e.g. Username).

3. Validation rules for the form field.

$this->form_validation->set_rules('uname', 'Username', 'required');

The third parameter can be set for multiple rules like this :

$this->form_validation->set_rules('uname', 'Username', 'required|min_length[4]|max_length[10]);

set_rules() method is used to define the validation rules for the form fields.
$this->form_validation->run() return Boolean value, TRUE on success and FALSE on failure.

list of the rules with their specification :

required // Returns FALSE if the form field is empty.

matches // Returns FALSE if the form field does not match the defined value of parameter.

is_unique // Returns FALSE if the form field is not unique to the table and field name in the parameter.

min_length // Returns FALSE if the form field is shorter than the parameter value.

max_length // Returns FALSE if the form field is longer than the parameter value.

exact_length // Returns FALSE if the form field is not exactly the parameter value.

greater_than // Returns FALSE if the form field is less than the parameter value or not numeric.

less_than // Returns FALSE if the form field is greater than the parameter value or not numeric.

alpha // Returns FALSE if the form field contains anything other than alphabetical characters.

alpha_numeric // Returns FALSE if the form field contains anything other than alpha-numeric characters.

alpha_dash // Returns FALSE if the field contains anything other than alpha-numeric characters, underscores or dashes.

numeric // Returns FALSE if the form field contains anything other than numeric characters.

integer // Returns FALSE if the form field contains anything other than an integer.

decimal // Returns FALSE if the form field contains anything other than a decimal number.

is_natural // Returns FALSE if the form field contains anything other than a natural number.

is_natural_no_zero // Returns FALSE if the form field contains anything other than a natural number, but not zero.

valid_email // Returns FALSE if the form field does not contain a valid email address.

valid_emails // Returns FALSE if any value provided in a comma separated list is not a valid email.

valid_ip // Returns FALSE if the supplied IP is not valid.

valid_base64 // Returns FALSE if the supplied string contains anything other than valid Base64 characters.

VIEW FILE: valform.php

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Validating Form Fields Using CodeIgniter</title>
<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Marcellus' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'>
<link href="http://localhost/CodeIgniter/css/styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
</head>
<body>
<div id="container">
<?php echo form_open('validate_ctrl'); ?>
<h1>Validating form fields using CodeIgniter</h1>
<?php echo form_label('Student Name :'); ?><?php echo form_error('dname'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array('id' => 'dname', 'name' => 'dname')); ?>
<?php echo form_label('Student Email :'); ?> <?php echo form_error('demail'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array('id' => 'demail', 'name' => 'demail')); ?>
<?php echo form_label('Student Mobile No. :'); ?> <?php echo form_error('dmobile'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array('id' => 'dmobile', 'name' => 'dmobile','placeholder'=>'10 Digit Mobile No.')); ?>
<?php echo form_label('Student Address :'); ?> <?php echo form_error('daddress'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array('id' => 'daddress', 'name' => 'daddress')); ?>
<?php echo form_submit(array('id' => 'submit', 'value' => 'Submit')); ?> <?php echo form_close(); ?>
</div>
</body>
</html>

CONTROLLER FILE: validate_ctrl.php

<?php
class validate_ctrl extends CI_Controller {
function __construct() {
parent::__construct();
$this->load->model('form_model');
}
function index()
{
// Including Validation Library
$this->load->library('form_validation');
// Displaying Errors In Div
$this->form_validation->set_error_delimiters('<div class="error">', '</div>');
// Validation For Name Field
$this->form_validation->set_rules('dname', 'Username', 'required|min_length[5]|max_length[15]');
// Validation For Email Field
$this->form_validation->set_rules('demail', 'Email', 'required|valid_email');
// Validation For Contact Field
$this->form_validation->set_rules('dmobile', 'Contact No.', 'required|regex_match[/^[0-9]{10}$/]');
// Validation For Address Field
$this->form_validation->set_rules('daddress', 'Address', 'required|min_length[10]|max_length[50]');
if ($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE)
{
$this->load->view('valform');
}
else
{
$this->load->view('formsubmit');
}
}
}
?>

CSS FILE: styles.css

#container {
width:960px;
height:610px;
margin:50px auto
}
.error {
color:red;
font-size:13px;
margin-bottom:-15px
}
form {
width:320px;
padding:0 50px 20px;
background:linear-gradient(#fff,#CBCE80);
border:1px solid #ccc;
box-shadow:0 0 5px;
font-family:'Marcellus',serif;
float:left;
margin-top:10px
}
h1 {
text-align:center;
font-size:28px
}
hr {
border:0;
border-bottom:1.5px solid #ccc;
margin-top:-10px;
margin-bottom:30px
}
label {
font-size:17px
}
input {
width:100%;
padding:10px;
margin:6px 0 20px;
border:none;
box-shadow:0 0 5px
}
input#submit {
margin-top:20px;
font-size:18px;
background:linear-gradient(#22abe9 5%,#36caf0 100%);
border:1px solid #0F799E;
color:#fff;
font-weight:700;
cursor:pointer;
text-shadow:0 1px 0 #13506D
}
input#submit:hover {
background:linear-gradient(#36caf0 5%,#22abe9 100%)
}

how to use xss_clean form validation.

load security Helper on autoload.php

$autoload['helper'] = array('security');
No need to do anything more.

xss_clean is no longer part of form validation in Codeingitore 3
Just remove xss_clean from your validation roul

$this->form_validation->set_rules('pword', 'Password', 'required|max_length[30]|callback_pword_check');
If you really, really need to apply that rule, you should now also load the Security Helper, which contains xss_clean() as a regular function and therefore can be also used as a validation rule.

go to application/config/autoload.php :

$autoload['helper'] = array('security');
Or, before your form validation

$this->load->helper('security');

xss_clean is no longer part of form validation.

Unable to access an error message corresponding to your field name Username.(xss_clean)

The alternative is not to use it, as xss_clean is doing sanitization and not validation. xss_clean is part of security helper. If you need to do it, after validation you do.

$this->load->helper('security'); `
$value = $this->input->post('email',TRUE); //where TRUE enables the xss filtering
Also, you can enable global xss filtering in the config.php file

$config['global_xss_filtering'] = TRUE;

Example :-

File name : Home.php

class Home extends CI_Controller {

public function __construct() {
parent::__construct();
$this->load->library(array('form_validation','session')); // load form lidation libaray & session library
$this->load->helper(array('url','html','form')); // load url,html,form helpers optional
}

public function index(){

// set validation rules
$this->form_validation->set_rules('name', 'Name', 'required|min_length[4]|max_length[10]');
$this->form_validation->set_rules('email', 'Email', 'required|valid_email');
$this->form_validation->set_rules('number', 'Phone Number', 'required|numeric|max_length[15]');
$this->form_validation->set_rules('subject', 'Subject', 'required|max_length[10]|alpha');
$this->form_validation->set_rules('message', 'Message', 'required|min_length[12]|max_length[100]');

// hold error messages in div
$this->form_validation->set_error_delimiters('<div class="error">', '</div>');

// check for validation
if ($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE) {
$this->load->view('form_validation_demo');
}else{
$this->session->set_flashdata('item', 'form submitted successfully');
redirect(current_url());
}

}
}

view :- form_validation_demo.php

<?php if(validation_errors()) { ?>
<div class="alert alert-warning">
<?php echo validation_errors(); ?>
</div>
<?php } ?>

<?php if($this->session->flashdata('item')) { ?>
<div class="alert alert-success">
<?php echo $this->session->flashdata('item'); ?>
</div>
<?php } ?>

<?php echo form_open(); ?>

<div class="form-group">
<?php echo form_label('Your Name','name'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array("class"=>"form-control","name" => "name", "placeholder"=>"Enter Name","value" => set_value('name'))); ?>
</div>

<div class="form-group">
<?php echo form_label('Email address','EmailAddress'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array("class"=>"form-control","name" => "email", "placeholder"=>"Enter email","value" => set_value('email'))); ?>
</div>

<div class="form-group">
<?php echo form_label('Phone Number','number'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array("class"=>"form-control","name" => "number", "placeholder"=>"Enter Phone Number","value" => set_value('number'))); ?>
</div>

<div class="form-group">
<?php echo form_label('Subject','subject'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array("class"=>"form-control","name" => "subject", "placeholder"=>"Enter Subject","value" => set_value('subject'))); ?>
</div>

<div class="form-group">
<?php echo form_label('Message','message'); ?>
<?php echo form_input(array("class"=>"form-control","name" => "message", "placeholder"=>"Enter Message","value" => set_value('message'))); ?>
</div>

<button type="submit" class="btn btn-default">Submit</button>
<?php echo form_close(); ?>

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