Ultimate Guestbook Tutorial: How to build a Guestbook with a honeypot, error checking, IP banning, pagination, e-mail notification and smilies with PHP and mySQL
So we have a nice looking form so far. But when you click on submit it does absolutely nothing but refresh the page. How useful! Lets start by checking the content. Making sure that the user submitted a name, a proper e-mail address and a message. We will then start putting some records into the database and then setup a honeypot.
1. Open up index.php and above the include('templates/skin.php'); line add:
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$error['name'] = 'Please enter your name';
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}
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$error['email'] = 'Please enter an e-mail address';
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} else {
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if(!eregi("^[_a-z0-9-]+(\.[_a-z0-9-]+)*@[a-z0-9-]+(\.[a-z0-9-]+)*(\.[a-z]{2,3})$", $_POST['email'])){
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$error['email'] = 'Please enter a correct e-mail address';
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}
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}
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$error['message'] = 'Please enter a message';
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}
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}
This is our error checking segment of the guestbook. I'll explain what's going on using the line numbers above.
1: This checks the POST array. This array (an array is a series of data, imagine an excel spreadsheet, this is a form of an array) is filled when someone sends form information or simply information from the browser to your webserver. In this case it sends information containing the data entered into the form. We created a submit button remember, this submit button contained a value that we specified, we now access this information with this line.
So after all of that. The first line checks to see if the POST variable of 'submit' has a value using the isset() function. This basically checks to see if the user has submitted the form, if they have, execute the following code, if not continue with the rest of the code outside of the brackets.
3: Line 3 does the same sort of thing. However it accesses the name variable and checks to see if the string length equals 0. If it does, then we can assume that no text was entered, and seeing as though this is a required field, we will flag it as an error. This happens in line 4, where we store some text into an array called $error using the variable called name.
Next we have:
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if(!eregi("^[_a-z0-9-]+(\.[_a-z0-9-]+)*@[a-z0-9-]+(\.[a-z0-9-]+)*(\.[a-z]{2,3})$", $_POST['email'])){
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$error['email'] = 'Please enter a correct e-mail address';
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}
This uses regular expressions, which is basically a pattern matching tool in php, to determine if the supplied e-mail address is in fact an e-mail address.
15: This does the same as the name error checking, but instead of testing it for 0 we test it for under 2. We don't want someone to just write us a single character, but we might just want to accept a simple 'hi'. You can change this to a higher number if you want to restrict smaller messages.
If you don't understand exactly what is happening above please read up on regular expressions or leave a comment below and i will get back to you. But anyhow lets keep going. Now that we have some error handling we want to be able to display these errors; if any happen to exist; we were smart enough to only show errors after someone submits the form, and not just when the page loads. The next page in the tutorial will cover showing these errors on the page, using our skin.php file.
32 Responses to “Ultimate Guestbook Tutorial: How to build a Guestbook with a honeypot, error checking, IP banning, pagination, e-mail notification and smilies with PHP and mySQL”
By VLADIS
on Jun 2, 2008
I make this guestbook.
It go not me. It always write this errors:
Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /3w/wz.cz/m/medvede/5/includes/actions.php on line 3
Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /3w/wz.cz/m/medvede/5/includes/functions.php on line 12
Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /3w/wz.cz/m/medvede/5/templates/entries.php on line 15
i have it on http://medvede.wz.cz/5/index.php
Help me, please.
thank you
By VoiDeT
on Jun 2, 2008
Hey Vladis,
Did you make sure you have created the database correctly?
Please make sure you have done this, otherwise this error would definitely show up.
By VLADIS
on Jun 3, 2008
I make this TABLE :
CREATE TABLE `entries` (
`id` int(8) NOT NULL auto_increment,
`name` varchar(255) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
`email` varchar(255) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
`website` varchar(255) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
`message` text collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
`date` timestamp NOT NULL default CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
`ip` varchar(15) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 COLLATE=latin1_general_ci AUTO_INCREMENT=1 ;
and this:
CREATE TABLE `spam` (
`id` int(8) NOT NULL auto_increment,
`ip` varchar(15) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`),
KEY `ip` (`ip`)
) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 COLLATE=latin1_general_ci AUTO_INCREMENT=1 ;
I have in config.php this code:
And it doesn’t go.
By VLADIS
on Jun 3, 2008
I have in config.php this code:
$host = ‘mysql.webzdarma.cz’;
$username = ‘medvede48′;
$password = ‘xxx’;
$dbname = ‘guestbook’; - - I try also entries
$email = ‘your@email.com’;
$connect = mysql_connect($host, $username, $password);
$dbselect = mysql_select_db($dbname);
$items = 10;
By VoiDeT
on Jun 3, 2008
Can you please provide me with your ftp details?
It could be my end, or it could be your end. But i thought i tested this script without any rows in the database. Let me know
By VLADIS
on Jun 3, 2008
I have it on: photoshopsk.wz.cz
password: 7754705
I have files from this tutorial.
By VoiDeT
on Jun 4, 2008
And your username for me to log in please?
By VLADIS
on Jun 5, 2008
(https://www.webzdarma.cz/)
My username on FTP is : photoshopsk.wz.cz
and password: 7754705
(https://www.webzdarma.cz/mysql/index.php)
And username on mysql server is: photoshopsk
password:ragp3s
By VoiDeT
on Jun 7, 2008
Those settings do not work.
I need username, password, and address.
Otherwise i cannot look for you.
By VLADIS
on Jun 7, 2008
Look you:
1) http://photoshopsk.wz.cz/1/1.JPG
2) http://photoshopsk.wz.cz/1/2.JPG
3) http://photoshopsk.wz.cz/1/3.JPG
Do you thing this or no?
If no this, then what you think? What of address?
By Linnea
on Jun 9, 2008
Hi! I just want to say thank you for a wonderful tutorial. I will probably use this at my website when I have finished it, so I can send the link later. Thank you!
By VoiDeT
on Jun 9, 2008
@ Linnea - Thanks alot for your comment. I would love to see your website when you have finished with it!
@Vladis - Doesn’t work dude. Maybe you have limited the IP range of access?
By VLADIS
on Jun 11, 2008
My action what I make.
1.) I am download this tutorial: http://www.jotlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/guestbook.zip
2.) I give it on a web all. (http://photoshopsk.wz.cz/)
3.) I am create table :
CREATE TABLE `entries` (
`id` int(8) NOT NULL auto_increment,
`name` varchar(255) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
`email` varchar(255) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
`website` varchar(255) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
`message` text collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
`date` timestamp NOT NULL default CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
`ip` varchar(15) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 COLLATE=latin1_general_ci AUTO_INCREMENT=1 ;
and this:
CREATE TABLE `spam` (
`id` int(8) NOT NULL auto_increment,
`ip` varchar(15) collate latin1_general_ci NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`),
KEY `ip` (`ip`)
) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 COLLATE=latin1_general_ci AUTO_INCREMENT=1 ;
4.) I chanqe in config.php on it :
AND IT NO GO.
You know where is mistake???
By Amanda
on Jun 11, 2008
Hello. I am trying to make a wedding website and want to add a guestbook feature. Everything seemed to be working okay but now I get two big errors.
Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/.magdalen/danfrancis/www/attempt/includes/actions.php on line 3
and
Fatal error: Call to undefined function: pagination() in /home/.magdalen/danfrancis/www/attempt/templates/skin.php on line 48
Any clue what is going on? Any help would be great. The site it’s at right now (just testing it out) is: http://www.danfrancisphotography.com/attempt/index.php
THANKS AGAIN!
By Lily
on Jun 11, 2008
Hello there.
It doesn’t work at myhomepage.. Can you please tell me, what I’ve done wrong?
- Lily.
By VoiDeT
on Jun 11, 2008
Hey people,
I don’t know why you are having these problems. It sounds like an error in the SQL. I am happy to look on your server if you provide me with the correct FTP details or cpanel details.
I have installed this script from the zip file and it works fine.
Thank you
By Lily
on Jun 12, 2008
What do you mean with the correct FTP details or cpanel details?
By VoiDeT
on Jun 12, 2008
However you upload the files to your server,
so i can see what the problem is. Because i cant replicate it
By Lily
on Jun 12, 2008
The only thing I’ve changed is the MySQL otherwise I haven’t touched anything. The same text as Amanda got I have at my page.
By VoiDeT
on Jun 12, 2008
Yep,
what sql did you change?
the connection settings?
By eHobayyeb
on Jun 22, 2008
Amazing!
Everything works fine.
I am new PHPier and found many useful tips & tricks!
Keep it up VoiDeT, I will do all PHP tuts here.
Thanks
Mohammad
hattoon.com
By HCF
on Jul 5, 2008
Hi, awesome tutorial, shows exactly how to use the basics. 2 questions regarding your techniques:
1. What about using mySQLi instead of the usual mySQL (only PHP5, but way better), since it is faster and more secure.
2. I guess this was designed for beginner and advanced user, so it would be useful to show a lil bit of object oriented programming, since it makes the source code more accessible and php more flexible.
Awesome work, greetings from Germany.
By VoiDeT
on Jul 5, 2008
HCF!
Vielen dank für ihre nette antwort. Du hast auf Englisch geschreiben, so ich werde auf Deutsch antworten. Es freut mich so viel das du die tutorial magst. So danke noch mal. Ich hab noch nicht viele mysqli probiert. Aber ich weiß das es OOP ist. Für dieser tutorial will ich sehr einfach machen, aber vielleicht lern ich MySQLi für meine selber projekte.
Vielen dank noch mal,
By Fredrik
on Jul 7, 2008
Hi voidet,
I like the icons you use to identify the country, OS and browser. How did you do that?
By VoiDeT
on Jul 7, 2008
Firestats plugin mate
By Akira
on Jul 30, 2008
Nice guestbook. I like it.
By Dan Bunyard
on Aug 9, 2008
Awesome work! I have a guestbook on my existing site but….to put it mildly….it was hacked together to make it work. You have sure a great example here of the things you can do with PHP/MySQL. Keep up the great work, and happy coding!!
By Franklyn
on Aug 11, 2008
I havent read the code in detail but wouldnt it be better to do the error handling client side ?.
By VoiDeT
on Aug 12, 2008
Doing just client side opens you up to attacks.
This is a server side tutorial anyhow. By just doing client side error checking would be insecure and negligent.
By mm
on Aug 24, 2008
hi - this is really a great tutorial. Im very glad you did this as I was confused about how to add a honeypot.
listen, do you know how to add an ADMIN page/function to this GB, or is it already there? I was testing mine and managed to ban my own IP! I’m not sure how to manage the database at this point. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!
By VoiDeT
on Aug 24, 2008
Hey,
Simply go into phpmyadmin and delete the entry in the banlist that is associated with your IP address
Thanks for the comments!
By Yousha
on Sep 11, 2008
This form needs CAPTCHA security image.
GL.