One php page named contactPage.php will contain all the code. Let抯 create a simple contact form.


The action parameter of the form tag, tells our form to return to the same page after the user presses the submit button. We have three fields that the user can fill out: name, email and comments.

We also have a hidden field called 損rocess?with the value of 1. This field will allow our script to check if the form has been submitted as you will see later.

Ok, so we got our form. Now let抯 code the part where the script processes the data entered into the form. For simplification purposes, we are going to ignore the name and comments fields. Also, we will just display 慪ay! You entered a valid email address?as a success message.

<?php
if($_POST['process']==1)
{
    // IF THE EMAIL FIELD WAS LEFT BLANK
    if(empty($_POST['email']))
    {
        echo '<p style="color:#C00">Please enter your email address.</p>';
    }
    // IF USER ENTERED SOMETHING INTO THE EMAIL FIELD
    else
    {
        // IF USER ENTERED AN INVALID EMAIL ADDRESS
        if(preg_match('/.*@.*\..*/',  $_POST['email']) > 0)
        {
            echo 'Yay! You entered a valid email address!';
        }
        // IF USER ENTERED A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS
        else
        {
            echo '<p style="color:#C00">Please enter a valid email address.</p>';
        }
    }
}?>


if($_POST[憄rocess抅==1) checks if the form has been submitted.

If the form has been submitted, then it makes sure the user did not leave the email field blank by using the empty function.

The preg_match function searches what the user entered as an email address and checks if it matches the regular expression. If preg_match returns a 0 it means there was no match. If it returns a 1 it means there is at least one match.

Of course, the code does not let you know if the email address actually exists. It only makes sure you entered an email address in a valid format which would be the email, then the @ character, then the domain name, then a period and then something else (email@domain.extension).

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