---
title: "Validations in PHP"  
description: "Validation is used to check whether user has submitted the input or not. There are two types of validation:"  
author: "Royce Roy"  
published: 2016-06-03  
updated: 2019-09-07  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12147/validations-in-php  
category: "php"  
tags: ["php", "validation"]  
reading_time: 9 minutes  

---

# Validations in PHP

Validation is used to check whether user has submitted the input or not. There are two types of validation:

· Client side validation: Validation is performed on the client machine web browser.

· Server Side validation: After submitted by user,The data has sent to a server and perform validation checks in server machine.

##### Client Side validation:

Client side validation is done by using [Javascript](https://www.mindstick.com/Tag/article/javascript). Javascript validation is one of the common features used by language. Interactive websites contains dynamic content that requires user input and that input must be valid.

##### Code Implementation:

Step1: First we will create an HTML Form . Let the name of the page form.php:

```
<center>
<div class="user">
<!-- Creating a form: -->
<form method="post" name="myForm" onsubmit="return validate()">
<h2><u>REGISTRATION FORM</u></h2>
<table>
<tr><td>Username:</td><td colspan="3"><input type="text" name="uname"  class="user1"></td></br>
<tr><td>Password:</td><td colspan="3"><input type="password" name="pass"  class="user1"></td></br>
<tr><td>Name   :</td><td colspan="3"><input type="text" name="name" class="user1"></td></br>
<tr><td>D.O.B:</td><td><select name="year" class="date" id='year'>
<option value='Select' selected="selected">Year</option>
<?php
for($i=date('Y');$i>=1980;$i--){
 echo("<option>$i</option>");
   }
?>
</select></td>
<td><select name="month" class="date" id='month'>
<option value='Select' selected="selected">Month</option>
<?php
$array=array(1=>'Jan',2=>'Feb',3=>'Mar',4=>'April',5=>'May',6=>'June',7=>'Jul',8
=>'Aug',9=>'Sep',10=>'Oct',11=>'Nov',12=>'Dec');
     foreach($array as $k=>$v){
 echo("<option value='$k'>$v</option>");
    }   
?>
</select></td>
<td><select name="day" id='day' class="date">
<option value='Select' selected="selected">Day</option>
<?php
for($i=1;$i<=31;$i++){
 echo("<option>$i</option>");
 }      
?>
</select></br></td></tr>
<tr><td>Phone:</td><td colspan="3"><input type="number" name="phone"  class="user1"></br></td></tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit" class="user3"></br></td></tr>
</table>
</form>
</div>
<?php
require_once(“script_validation.php”);
?>
```

\

Step 2: Create script_validation.php:

```
<?php
//connection is made with database
$con = mysqli_connect("localhost","username",”password”, 'database name');
//when the form is submmited it will insert the values entered by user
if(isset($_POST["submit"])){  
            $uname=$_POST["uname"];
            $pass=$_POST["pass"];
            $name=$_POST["name"];
            $dob=$_POST["year"]."-".$_POST["month"]."-".$_POST["day"];
            $phone=$_POST["phone"];
//It will insert the value in database which is enterd by the user.
$con->query("insert into user_login values('$uname','$pass','$name','$dob',$phone)"); }
?>
//client side validation
<script>
function validate(){
//If any of the fields is left empty or null,this function will validate the fields and  alerts a message to returns false,to prevent the form being submitted

              var uname=document.forms["myForm"]["uname"].value;
           var uname=document.forms["myForm"]["pass"].value;
           var uname=document.forms["myForm"]["name"].value;
           var uname=document.forms["myForm"]["phone"].value;         

   if(uname == null || uname == "" )             {
                         alert("Username must be filled.");                         return false;
            }
   if (document.getElementById('year').value == 'Select')
           {                        alert("Please select Year");                     return false;
           }
  else if (document.getElementById('month').value == 'Select')          {
                       alert("Please select Month");                       return false;
          }
   else if (document.getElementById('day').value == 'Select')         {
                       alert("Please select Day");                       return false;

         }

} 

</script>
```

\

##### Code Output:

Now, lets run our sample, and check whether it validate form data or not. Left all the fields blank with null values and try to submit, the form will immediately popup a message “**UserName must be filled**”.

Similarly, left the other fields blank and check whether it validate form and show appropriate message or not.

![Validations in PHP](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/ad94f51c-66ab-45d5-9f0c-825cc2207bf8/images/cc387827-ec43-45cb-8465-b01ac8acaaad.png)

##### Server Side validation:

In this post you’ll learn **Server side validation** using PHP. Validation using PHP are considered to be more secure .PHP has a wide variety of functions and features which is used to validate a form.

```
<?php
//when the form is submmited it will insert the values entered by user
if(isset($_POST["submit"])){
       $uname=$_POST["uname"];
       $pass=$_POST["pass"];
       $name=$_POST["name"];
       $day = $_POST["day"];
       $month = $_POST['month'];
       $year = $_POST["year"];
       $dob= $year."-".$month."-".$day;
       $phone=$_POST["phone"];
//connection is made with database
$con = mysqli_connect("localhost","username",”password”, 'database name');
//It will insert the value in database which is enterd by the user        $con->query("insert into user_login values('$uname','$pass','$name','$dob',$phone)");
           if(empty($uname))//if username is empty than message would be given
                 {                       $msg= "Please enter Username";                 } 
             else
                {                        if(empty($pass)) //if password is empty than message would be given
                {
                 $msg= "Please enter Password";
                 } 
                 else  if(empty($name)) //if name is empty than message would be given
                 {                 $msg= "Please enter Name";
                 }
               else if(empty($year)) //if Year is empty than message would be given
                 {                 $msg= "Please enter Year"; 
                 }
         else  if(empty($month)) //if month is empty than message would be given                {                   $msg= "Please enter Month";
                 }        else  if(empty($day)) //if Day is empty than message would be given                 {
                   $msg= "Please enter Day";                 }
        else   if(empty($phone)) //if phone is empty than message would be given                 {
             ?>           <strong style=background-color:red>Please enter Phone</strong>           <?php
                 }
       }
}?>
//Style is used in the form<style>input[type=text],input[type=number],input[type=password] {    padding: 10px 20px;    margin: 3px 0;    display: inline-block;    border: 1px solid #ccc;    border-radius: 6px;    box-sizing: border-box;          marg}.user{   background-color:lightgrey;   width:40%;   margin-top:20px;   }
</style>
```

##### Code Output:

Now, lets run our sample, and check whether it validate form data or not. Left all the fields blank with null values and try to submit, the form will immediately popup a message **“Please enter username”**.

Similarly left the other fields blank and check whether it validate form and show appropriate message or not.

![Validations in PHP](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/ad94f51c-66ab-45d5-9f0c-825cc2207bf8/images/663fa441-6a3e-4ab3-a80b-5509d6f45884.png)\

##### Validation using Regular Expression (Server side):

We will show you how to validate names, **e-mails and URL’s**:

##### PHP-Validate e-mails:

The code below show the validation in e-mail :

**Step1:**Create an HTML page email.php

```
<style>.text
{     text-align:center;           line-height:525px;</style><form method="post" class="text"><input type="text" name="email"><input type="submit" name="sub"></form><?phprequie_once(“validate.php”);
?>
```

\

Step2: Create validate.php:

```
<?php//when the form is submmited it will insert the values entered by userif(isset($_POST["sub"])){$email=$_POST["email"];//the pattern is "any letter or number followed by @ followed by any letter or number//followed by . followed by 2-4 letters and maybe another.$okay = preg_match(
        '/^[A-z0-9_\-]+[@][A-z0-9_\-]+([.][A-z0-9_\-]+)+[A-z.]{2,4}$/', $email
);
if ($okay) {    echo $email." is valid<br />";} else {    echo $email." is invalid<br />";
}}?></form> 
```

##### Code Output:

Here is the output of e-mail validation:

![Validations in PHP](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/ad94f51c-66ab-45d5-9f0c-825cc2207bf8/images/b2a42e4e-074c-45af-81a2-7c96421d6f19.png)\

##### PHP-Validate name:

The code below show the validation in name:

Step1: Create an HTML page name.php

```
     <form method="post">
               Name: <input type="text" name="name">
      <span class="error"></span>
      <input type="submit" name="sub">
      </form>
<?php
 require_once(“validate.php”);
?>
```

Step2: Create validate.php:

```
<?php
  if(isset($_POST["sub"]))
{
  $name = $_POST["name"];
    // check if name only contains letters and whitespace
    if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$name)) {
      echo "Only letters and white space allowed";
    }
}

  ?> 
```

##### Code Output:

When you will enter numbers, symbols or other than letters it will show a message “**Only letters and white spaces are allowed**”.

![Validations in PHP](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/ad94f51c-66ab-45d5-9f0c-825cc2207bf8/images/92701b98-461b-4c20-b28f-15a800fd7f8a.png)\

##### PHP-Validate number:

The code below show the validation in number:

Step1: Create an HTML page number.php

```
  <form method="post">
    <input type="text" name="number">
    <input type="submit" name="submit">
</form>
<?php
require_once(“validate.php”);
?>
```

Step2: Create validate.php

```
<?php
if(isset($_POST["submit"]))
{
    $num = $_POST['number'];
    if (!preg_match('/^[0-9]*$/', $num))
    {
        echo("Only number should be entered");
    } else
    {
       echo("Valid");
    }
}
?>
```

\

Code Output:

When you will enter letters, symbols or other than number it will show a message “Only number should be entered”.

![Validations in PHP](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/ad94f51c-66ab-45d5-9f0c-825cc2207bf8/images/90550a10-a1d5-4dcf-96c1-d1653cfeb562.png)

##### PHP-Validate Password:

The code below show the validation in password:

Step1: Create an HTML page password.php

```
<form method="post">
   <input type="text" name="password">
   <input type="submit" value="submit" name="submit">
</form>
<?php
require_once(“validate.php”);
?>
```

\

Step2: Create validate.php

```
<?phpif(isset($_POST["submit"])){
if(!empty($_POST["password"]) ){
        $password = $_POST["password"];
        if (strlen($_POST["password"]) <= '8') {            echo "Your Password Must Contain At Least 8 Characters!";        }
        elseif(!preg_match("#[0-9]+#",$password)) {
            echo "Your Password Must Contain At Least 1 Number!";
        }        elseif(!preg_match("#[A-Z]+#",$password)) {             echo "Your Password Must Contain At Least 1 Capital Letter!";
        }
        elseif(!preg_match("#[a-z]+#",$password)) {
             echo "Your Password Must Contain At Least 1 Lowercase Letter!";
        }
    }          }
          ?>
```

\

##### Code Output:

Your password must contain minimum 8 characters which include 1 uppercase letter, 1 lowercase and 1 number.

![Validations in PHP](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/ad94f51c-66ab-45d5-9f0c-825cc2207bf8/images/dbb5e9e2-d473-4172-90b1-01e22b54b7d9.png)\

---

Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12147/validations-in-php

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