[SOLVED] Has anyone gotten server-side validation to work?

[cssmw]

I have now managed to get server-side validation to work using Ben's solution. Integrated into my code (which only creates database entries when the form is submitted) Ben's solution looks like this...

PHP Code:

<?php

require_once("/httpdocs/formtools/global/api/api.php");

if(isset($_POST['form_submitted']))
{
  $fields = array();
  $rules = array();
  $errors = array();

  $rules[] = "required,fm_name,Please enter your name.";
  $rules[] = "required,fm_email,Please enter your email address.";
  $rules[] = "valid_email,fm_email,Please enter a valid email address.";
  $rules[] = "required,fm_subject,Please enter a subject.";
  $rules[] = "required,fm_message,Please enter a message.";

  $errors = validate_fields($_POST, $rules);
 
  if(empty($errors))
  {
    $fields = ft_api_init_form_page(1);

    $params = array(
      "submit_button" => "form_submitted",
      "next_page" => "thank-you.php",
      "form_data" => $_POST,
      "finalize" => true
    );

    ft_api_process_form($params);
    $fields = array_merge($fields, $_SESSION["form_tools_form"]);
  }
  else
  {
    $fields = array_merge($fields, $_POST);
  }
}
?>

And just above the form...

PHP Code:

<?php
if(!empty($errors))
{
  echo "<div class='error'>Please fix the following errors:\n<ul>";
  foreach($errors as $error)
  {
    echo "<li>$error</li>\n";
  }
  echo "</ul></div>\n"; 
}
?>

The only difference is that I have used the following PHP in the form...

PHP Code:

<?php echo htmlspecialchars(@$fields['fm_name']); ?>

...instead of as in the online examples...

PHP Code:

<?=htmlspecialchars(@$fields['fm_name'])?>