codeigniter form validation for dynamic form input names - forms

Question

I have a codeigniter app. My view uses the database row ID to append to the input name to get a unique ID. this allows me to use all inputs in my form action, which is update.
my View syntax:
<?php if(isset($records)) {?>
<table id="hor-minimalist-a">
<tr>
<th> </th><th> </th><th>Customer Name</th><th>postalcode</th>
<tr>
<?php if(isset($records)) : foreach ($records as $row) : ?>
<tr>
<td>
<?php echo anchor('masterdata/confirm_delete_customer/'.$row->id, img(array('src'=>'images/delete_icon.png','border'=>'0','alt'=>'Delete'))); ?>
</td>
<td>
<input type=checkbox name="editcustomer[]" id="editcustomer[]" value="<?php echo $row->id ?>">
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputwide" type="text" name="customer_name_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="customer_name_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->customer_name ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputnarrow" type="text" name="postalcode_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="postalcode_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->postalcode ; ?>" >
</td>
</tr>
<?php endforeach ; ?>
</table>
<input type="submit" value="Update Checked Customers">
<?php endif; ?>
<?php echo form_close(); ?>
<?php } else {?>
<h4 id="warning"> No Customers currently in database</h4>
<?php } ?>
as you can see the input name's and id's are then unique.
My controller syntax is below:
function manage_customers()
{
$data['title']="Manage Customers";
//query model to get data results for form
$data=array();
if($query=$this->model_master_data->get_customer_records()){
$data['records']=$query;
}
$this->load->view("master_data/view_master_data_header",$data);
$this->load->view("master_data/view_master_data_nav");
$this->load->view("master_data/view_content_master_data_manage_customers",$data);
$this->load->view("master_data/view_master_data_footer");
$editcustomer = $this->input->post('editcustomer');
// single update - working
if( $this->input->post('editcustomer') != false )
{
foreach ($editcustomer as $row_id)
{
$data = array(
'postalcode' => $this->input->post('postalcode_'.$row_id),
'customer_name' => $this->input->post('customer_name_'.$row_id) );
$this->model_master_data->update_customer_records( $row_id, $data );
}
$this->session->set_flashdata('dbaction', 'Selected Records have been updated successfully');
redirect('masterdata/manage_customers', 'refresh');
}
}
How do I make use of the codeigniter validation class to ensure the users modify the input boxes with credible data?
How can the
$this->form_validation->set_rules("primary_contact_tell","Contact Person tell","required|xss_clean|min_length[10]|max_length[14]");
reference the correct dynamic name of the input field? form currently has only customer name and postal code but need to add the rest of the fields.
Thanks in advance, as always.

Answer 1

You can loop through your $records in controller as you are doing it in view to achieve dynamic input validation rules.
foreach($records as $row)
{
$this->form_validation->set_rules("customer_name_" . $row->id, "Customer name", "required|xss_clean|min_length[10]|max_length[14]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("postalcode_" . $row->id, "Customer name", "required|xss_clean|min_length[10]|max_length[14]");
}
Edit:
Think a little. I don't have ability to check what variables in your controller are. As far as I know basing on code you wrote here, this should be working:
foreach($editcustomer as $row_id)
{
$this->form_validation->set_rules("customer_name_" . $row_id, "Customer name", "required|xss_clean|min_length[10]|max_length[14]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("postalcode_" . $row_id, "Customer name", "required|xss_clean|min_length[10]|max_length[14]");
}

Answer 2

Working solution, big thanks to #yabol on this one. I still need to clean up the syntax a little but desired functionality working.
View
<?php
$attributes=array(
'name'=>'updatecustomer',
'id'=>'updatecustomer',
);
echo form_open('masterdata/manage_customers',$attributes);
?>
<div id="validation_failed">
<?php
echo validation_errors();
?>
</div>
<?php if(isset($records)) {?>
<table id="hor-minimalist-a">
<tr>
<th> </th><th> </th><th>Customer Name</th><th>Address Line 1</th><th>Address Line 2</th><th>Suburb</th><th>City</th><th>Postal Code</th><th>Contact Name</th><th>Contact Email</th><th>Contact Tel</th>
<tr>
<?php if(isset($records)) : foreach ($records as $row) : ?>
<tr>
<td>
<?php echo anchor('masterdata/confirm_delete_customer/'.$row->id, img(array('src'=>'images/delete_icon.png','border'=>'0','alt'=>'Delete'))); ?>
</td>
<td>
<input type=checkbox name="editcustomer[]" id="editcustomer[]" value="<?php echo $row->id ?>">
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputwide" type="text" name="customer_name_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="customer_name_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->customer_name ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputmedium" type="text" name="address_line_1_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="address_line_1_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->address_line_1 ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputmedium" type="text" name="address_line_2_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="address_line_2_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->address_line_2 ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputmedium" type="text" name="suburb_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="suburb_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->suburb ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputmedium" type="text" name="city_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="city_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->city ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputnarrow" type="text" name="postalcode_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="postalcode_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->postalcode ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputmedium" type="text" name="primary_contact_name_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="primary_contact_name_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->primary_contact_name ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputmedium" type="text" name="primary_contact_email_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="primary_contact_email_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->primary_contact_email ; ?>" >
</td>
<td>
<input class="inputmedium" type="text" name="primary_contact_tell_<?php echo $row->id ?>" id="primary_contact_tell_<?php echo $row->id ?>" value="<?php echo $row->primary_contact_tell ; ?>" >
</td>
</tr>
<?php endforeach ; ?>
</table><br>
<input type="submit" value="Update Checked Customers">
<?php endif; ?>
<?php echo form_close(); ?>
Controller
function manage_customers()
{
$data['title']="Manage Customers";
//query model to get data results for form
$data=array();
if($query=$this->model_master_data->get_customer_records()){
$data['records']=$query;
}
$editcustomer = $this->input->post('editcustomer');
if( $this->input->post('editcustomer') != false ){
foreach($editcustomer as $row_id)
{
$this->form_validation->set_rules("customer_name_" . $row_id, "Customer name", "required|min_length[6]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("address_line_1_". $row_id,"`Address Line 1`","required|xss_clean|min_length[6]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("address_line_2_". $row_id,"`Address Line 2`","xss_clean|min_length[6]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("suburb_". $row_id,"`Suburb`","required|xss_clean|min_length[6]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("city_". $row_id,"`City`","required|xss_clean|min_length[6]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("postalcode_". $row_id,"`Postal Code`","required|xss_clean|min_length[4]|max_length[5]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("primary_contact_name_". $row_id,"`Contact Person Name`","required|xss_clean|min_length[6]");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("primary_contact_email_". $row_id,"`Contact Person email`","required|valid_email|xss_clean");
$this->form_validation->set_rules("primary_contact_tell_". $row_id,"`Contact Person tell`","required|xss_clean|min_length[10]|max_length[14]");
}
}
if ($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE){
$data["message"]="";
$this->load->view("master_data/view_master_data_header",$data);
$this->load->view("master_data/view_master_data_nav");
$this->load->view("master_data/view_content_master_data_manage_customers",$data);
$this->load->view("master_data/view_master_data_footer");
} else {
// single update - working
if( $this->input->post('editcustomer') != false )
{
foreach ($editcustomer as $row_id)
{
$data = array(
'customer_name' => $this->input->post('customer_name_'.$row_id),
'address_line_1' => $this->input->post('address_line_1_'.$row_id),
'address_line_2' => $this->input->post('address_line_2_'.$row_id),
'suburb' => $this->input->post('suburb_'.$row_id),
'city' => $this->input->post('city_'.$row_id),
'postalcode' => $this->input->post('postalcode_'.$row_id),
'primary_contact_name' => $this->input->post('primary_contact_name_'.$row_id),
'primary_contact_email' => $this->input->post('primary_contact_email_'.$row_id),
'primary_contact_tell' => $this->input->post('primary_contact_tell_'.$row_id),
);
$this->model_master_data->update_customer_records( $row_id, $data );
}
$this->session->set_flashdata('dbaction', 'Selected Records have been updated successfully');
redirect('masterdata/manage_customers', 'refresh');
}
}
}