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Form Verification Using Javascript


emmaclarke

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Hi AllI'm trying to do form verification using a postcode. The postcode must be either: Postal code: AB12 12AB (any two letters followed by any two numbers followed by any two numbers followed by any two letters) or AB1 2AB (any two letters followed by a single number then any single number followed by two letters).The first verification works fine but i'm not sure how to do the second verification. The first pattern works but it ignores the second pattern, it probably isn't the right syntax for it.

  <!-- \s* means optional space. \w+ means one or more alphanumeric chars-->  <!-- \d{5} means exactly five digits -->  zipcode: <input type="text" name="zip" pattern="\w+\w+\d{2}\s*\d{2}\w+\w+" pattern="\w+\w+\d{1}\s*\d{1}\w+\w+"><br>

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I am a noob when it comes to regex, but why are you stating pattern="~" twice? Shouldn't they be merged?

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pattern isn't a valid attribute for the input element in HTML or XHTML. You should use Javascript, and a server-siade language, to verify the information.

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It is using validate.js which incorporates a pattern attribute in the input element

/** * Validate.js: unobtrusive HTML form validation. * * On document load, this module scans the document for HTML forms and * textfield form elements.  If it finds elements that have a "required" or  * "pattern" attribute, it adds appropriate event handlers for client-side  * form validation. * * If a form element has a "pattern" attribute, the value of that attribute * is used as a JavaScript regular expression, and the element is given an * onchange event handler that tests the user's input against the pattern. * If the input does not match the pattern, the background color of the * input element is changed to bring the error to the user's attention. * By default, the textfield value must contain some substring that matches * the pattern. If you want to require the complete value to match precisely, * use the ^ and $ anchors at the beginning and end of the pattern. * * A form element with a "required" attribute must have a value provided. * The presence of "required" is shorthand for pattern="\S".  That is, it  * simply requires that the value contain a single non-whitespace character * * If a form element passes validation, its "class" attribute is set to  * "valid".  And if it fails validation, its class is set to "invalid". * In order for this module to be useful, you must use it in conjunction with * a CSS stylesheet that defines styles for "invalid" class.  For example: * *	<!-- attention grabbing orange background for invalid form elements --> *	<style>input.invalid { background: #fa0; }</style> * * When a form is submitted the textfield elements subject to validation are * revalidated.  If any fail, the submission is blocked and a dialog box * is displayed to the user letting him know that the form is incomplete * or incorrect. * * You may not use this module to validate any form fields or forms on which * you define your own onchange or onsubmit event handlers, or any fields * for which you define a class attribute. * * This module places all its code within an anonymous function and does * not define any symbols in the global namespace. */(function() { // Do everything in this one anonymous function	// When the document finishes loading, call init()	if (window.addEventListener) window.addEventListener("load", init, false);	else if (window.attachEvent) window.attachEvent("onload", init);	// Define event handlers for any forms and form elements that need them.	function init() {		// Loop through all forms in the document		for(var i = 0; i < document.forms.length; i++) {			var f = document.forms[i];  // the form we're working on now			// Assume, for now, that this form does not need any validation			var needsValidation = false;			// Now loop through the elements in our form			for(j = 0; j < f.elements.length; j++) {				var e = f.elements[j];  // the element we're working on				// We're only interested in <input type="text"> textfields				if (e.type != "text") continue;				// See if it has attributes that require validation				var pattern = e.getAttribute("pattern");				// We could use e.hasAttribute() but IE doesn't support it				var required = e.getAttribute("required") != null;				// Required is just a shortcut for a simple pattern				if (required && !pattern) {					pattern = "\\S";					e.setAttribute("pattern", pattern);				}				// If this element requires validation,				if (pattern) {					// validate the element each time it changes					e.onchange = validateOnChange;					// Remember to add an onsubmit handler to this form					needsValidation = true;				}			}			// If at least one of the form elements needed validation,			// we also need an onsubmit event handler for the form			if (needsValidation) f.onsubmit = validateOnSubmit;		}	}		  	// This function is the onchange event handler for textfields that 	// require validation.  Remember that we converted the required attribute	// to a pattern attribute in init().	function validateOnChange() {		var textfield = this;							// the textfield		var pattern = textfield.getAttribute("pattern"); // the pattern		var value = this.value;						  // the user's input		// If the value does not match the pattern set the class to "invalid".		if (value.search(pattern) == -1) textfield.className = "invalid";		else textfield.className = "valid";	}	// This function is the onsubmit event handler for any form that 	// requires validation.	function validateOnSubmit() {		// When the form is submitted, we revalidate all the fields in the		// form and then check their classNames to see if they are invalid.		// If any of those fields are invalid, display an alert and prevent		// form submission.		var invalid = false;  // Start by assuming everything is valid		// Loop through all form elements		for(var i = 0; i < this.elements.length; i++) {			var e = this.elements[i];			// If the element is a text field and has our onchange handler			if (e.type == "text" && e.onchange == validateOnChange) {				e.onchange(); // Invoke the handler to re-validate				// If validation fails for the element, it fails for the form				if (e.className == "invalid") invalid = true;			}		}		// If the form is invalid, alert user and block submission		if (invalid) {			alert("The form is incompletely or incorrectly filled out.\n" +				  "Please correct the  highlighted fields and try again.");			return false;		}	}})();

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Oh, right, but your page isn't going to be valid HTML if you do that.But that aside, the program is likely to have been designed for only one pattern attribute.Here's the regular expression that does what both of your pattern attributes do:

\w{2,}\d{1,2}\s*\d{1,2}\w{2,}

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Ingolme,with the patterns you wrote what happens if you require the following????1 letter, 4 letters or 4 numbers, 5letters or numbers, 3letters or numbers, 1number, then either !&@? character?i know 1 letter would start the pattern:\w+but i'm not sure on ORs.

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In RegExp, + means "One or more". If you only want a single character, omit the +.\w includes more than letters, though, I believe hyphens and a couple of other characters are allowed.Regular expressions are difficult to learn, and it's not something I'd ask you to learn, so here's a regular expression that does what you ask

[a-zA-Z]([a-zA-Z]{4}|\d{4})[\da-zA-Z]{8}\d[!&@\?]

Isn't "5letters or numbers, 3letters or numbers" the same as saying "8 letters or numbers"? This code is prepared like that. If you wanted some kind of separator between them, tell me and I'll modify the code.

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In RegExp, + means "One or more". If you only want a single character, omit the +.\w includes more than letters, though, I believe hyphens and a couple of other characters are allowed.Regular expressions are difficult to learn, and it's not something I'd ask you to learn, so here's a regular expression that does what you ask
[a-zA-Z]([a-zA-Z]{4}|\d{4})[\da-zA-Z]{8}\d[!&@\?]

Isn't "5letters or numbers, 3letters or numbers" the same as saying "8 letters or numbers"? This code is prepared like that. If you wanted some kind of separator between them, tell me and I'll modify the code.

Hi IngolmeYes but i think they want the 4 letters/numbers, 5letters/numbers, 3letters/numbers separated for some reason - probably to show you can do your pattern expression. I've found a website to do with regex advice with regards to patterns but it doesn't say how to do ORS.
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Hi IngolmeYes but i think they want the 4 letters/numbers, 5letters/numbers, 3letters/numbers separated for some reason - probably to show you can do your pattern expression. I've found a website to do with regex advice with regards to patterns but it doesn't say how to do ORS.
Who is "they"?
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