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PHP Build a Basic PHP Website (2018) Adding a Basic Form Using Object and Validating Email

Modure Rares
PLUS
Modure Rares
Courses Plus Student 9,041 Points
Posted by Modure Rares
Modure Rares
Courses Plus Student 9,041 Points

PHP email validation

I have this code trying to validate an email address but the prbl is that any email i type (even if is not valid ) the program runs like it is valid.

if($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {

        $name = trim($_POST["name"]);
        $email = trim($_POST["email"]);
        $details = trim($_POST["suggestion"]);

        if($name == "" || $email == "" || $details == ""){
            echo "Please fill in al the fields";
            exit;
        }

        echo "<pre>";
        $email_body = "";
        $email_body .= "Name: " . $name . "\n";
        $email_body .= "Email: ". $email . "\n";
        $email_body .= "Details: " . $details ."\n"; #this represents a linebreak 
        echo $email_body;
        echo "</pre>";

        // EMAIL SENDING CODE HERE 

        require("include/class.phpmailer.php");

        $mail = new PHPMailer; 
        ///creating the object

         if(!$mail->ValidateAddress($email)){
            echo "Invalid email address. Please enter a valid email address in order to send a suggestion. Thanks!";
            exit;
         }
Mike Wagner
Mike Wagner
23,559 Points

Can you elaborate on "even if it's not valid" a bit more? The email validation in most languages is fairly rudimentary when left as they are. A lot of them just check to make sure there aren't any illegal characters, that there's an @, a '.' and then make sure there's at least a few characters before/after them and call it good.

1 Answer

jlampstack
jlampstack
23,932 Points
jlampstack
jlampstack
23,932 Points

Your email validation check looks different. It should look something like this....

if(!PHPMailer::validateAddress($email)){
        echo "Invalid Email Address";
        exit;
    }

The teacher also has her check above the code that creates a new mailer object. Try moving yours immediately after the check that makes sure all required fields are completed.

PS. Not related to this topic, but you are missing the Spam Honeypot Field Check which should be placed between the required fields check and email validation check.