Creating Forms | Forms | Php Tutorial

Introduction

Forms are essential for user interaction on web pages. They allow users to input data and submit it to a server for processing. In this tutorial, we will cover how to create forms in HTML and handle form submissions using PHP.

Basic HTML Form Structure

An HTML form is created using the <form> element. This element acts as a container for various input elements such as text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, and submit buttons.


                    <form method="post" action="submit.php">

                      <label for="name">Name:</label>

                      <input type="text" id="name" name="name">

                      <input type="submit" value="Submit">

                    </form>

Form Elements

HTML forms can contain various types of input elements:

<input type="text"> - A single-line text input field
<input type="password"> - A password input field
<input type="radio"> - A radio button
<input type="checkbox"> - A checkbox
<input type="submit"> - A submit button
<textarea> - A multi-line text input field
<select> - A dropdown list

Example Form

Here is a more comprehensive example of a form with different types of input elements:


                    <form method="post" action="submit.php">

                      <label for="name">Name:</label>

                      <input type="text" id="name" name="name">


                      <label for="email">Email:</label>

                      <input type="email" id="email" name="email">


                      <label for="password">Password:</label>

                      <input type="password" id="password" name="password">


                      <label for="gender">Gender:</label>

                      <input type="radio" id="male" name="gender" value="male"> Male

                      <input type="radio" id="female" name="gender" value="female"> Female


                      <label for="hobbies">Hobbies:</label>

                      <input type="checkbox" id="sports" name="hobbies" value="sports"> Sports

                      <input type="checkbox" id="music" name="hobbies" value="music"> Music


                      <label for="bio">Bio:</label>

                      <textarea id="bio" name="bio"></textarea>


                      <label for="country">Country:</label>

                      <select id="country" name="country">

                        <option value="us">United States</option>

                        <option value="ca">Canada</option>

                        <option value="uk">United Kingdom</option>

                      </select>


                      <input type="submit" value="Submit">

                    </form>

Handling Form Data with PHP

Once the form is submitted, the data is sent to the server and can be processed using PHP. The following PHP script retrieves and displays the submitted data:


                    <?php

                      $name = $_POST['name'];

                      $email = $_POST['email'];

                      $password = $_POST['password'];

                      $gender = $_POST['gender'];

                      $hobbies = $_POST['hobbies'];

                      $bio = $_POST['bio'];

                      $country = $_POST['country'];


                      echo "Name: " . htmlspecialchars($name) . "<br>";

                      echo "Email: " . htmlspecialchars($email) . "<br>";

                      echo "Password: " . htmlspecialchars($password) . "<br>";

                      echo "Gender: " . htmlspecialchars($gender) . "<br>";

                      echo "Hobbies: " . htmlspecialchars(implode(',', $hobbies)) . "<br>";

                      echo "Bio: " . htmlspecialchars($bio) . "<br>";

                      echo "Country: " . htmlspecialchars($country) . "<br>";

                    ?>

Conclusion

Creating forms in HTML and handling form submissions with PHP is a fundamental skill in web development. By understanding the basics of form elements and data processing, you can create interactive and dynamic web applications.