$_POST method help

Hi, I have a problem. This code is always returning 1 on $register_complete even when I leave the username field (in the form) empty.

function register_user() {
$register_complete = register_check_username();
if($register_complete) {
echo "Testing...";
}
else { echo "Please in all fields correctly."; }
}

function register_check_username() {
if(!isset($_POST['username'])) { return "0"; }
else { return "1"; }
}

 

You're returning a string whose value just happens to be "0", as opposed to returning a true zero. Strange things happen when using strings to represent numbers and then trying to use them in if calls and so on.

If you want to return zero (as a poor man's false), return zero: not a string that just has one character that happens to be the character for zero. Same goes for one.

Anyway, firstly try changing your register_check_username function to something like:

function register_check_username() {
if(!isset($_POST['username'])) { return 0; }
else { return 1; }
}

if that works, then in reality you should actually change it. You don't really want to return numbers, you want to return boolean values.
function register_check_username() {
if(!isset($_POST['username'])) { return false; }
else { return true; }
}

This can even be made a lot simpler by:
function register_check_username() {
return isset($_POST['username']);
}

 

TwistMyArm, I think you do not understand question correctly. He said "This code is always returning 1 on $register_complete even when I leave the username field (in the form) empty." There is no matter for PHP what to compare, it is always will be True:
("0" == false)
(0 == false)
("1" == true)
(1 == true)

Vizuke, if you have a text field on the form, you always will have variable 'username' set. So you need to check is this variable empty or not. Your function can be as follows:

function register_check_username()
{
 if (isset($_POST['username']) && trim($_POST['username']) != '')
  return true;
 else
  return false;
}

PHP:

 

wmtips: you're absolutely correct.

That's what I get for trying to answer forum questions when I've just woken up to feed the baby

I would like to add, though, that my argument against returning numbers as strings still stands.

 

TwistMyArm, no problems . About returning numbers: sure they are better than strings in such case. But I prefer bool for logical functions (yes/no), boolean results are easy to understand.

Also we can do our functions or conditions more elegant with booleans, for example:

function register_check_username()
{
  return (isset($_POST['username']) && trim($_POST['username']) != '');
}

PHP:

 

Thanks for the tip guys. I fixed it with the empty() function.

function register_check_username() {
     if(empty($_POST['username'])) { return 0; }
     else { return 1; }
}

PHP:

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