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
Let's assume that we accidently made an error. The form still submits its information obviously, but when refreshed, none of the values are there! This is easily solved. What we will do is check each field for an error, and if there is an error, echo out a value for that particular field. We will do this, to show what we typed in before, as well as to highlight the field that requires attention!
So open up form.php and:
Replace:
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<input type="text" name="name" />
With:
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<input type="text" name="name"
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<?php
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echo 'class="errorbg"';
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}
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}
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?> />
True! It is very ugly now. But it works and looks fine. First it checks if the user has clicked on the submit button, by checking if there is a value for the submit post item. If the form was submitted then it shows the value in the field. The stripslashes function above is in case we have magic quotes turned on, which automatically escapes our strings for us, but when we return it we see alot of slashes, so with stripslashes we only show the slashes that we intended to show. Then we check to see if this field had an error in it, if it did then we assign it a CSS class, to make the field go yellow. The CSS i used is:
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.errorbg {
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background: #ffe958;
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}
Now enter in the same code for e-mail, website and message. It may occur to you that we never checked the website field for any errors so we can leave out the error displaying segment of the code in this part. I will show you the entire code, just so i haven't lost anyone:
Form.php:
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<form name="guestbook" method="post" action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" class="guestbookform">
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<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
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<tr>
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<td valign="top">Name:*</td>
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<td valign="top"><input type="text" name="name"
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<?php
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echo 'class="errorbg"';
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}
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}
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?> /></td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td valign="top">E-Mail:*</td>
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<td valign="top"><input type="text" name="email"
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<?php
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echo 'class="errorbg"';
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}
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}
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?> /></td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td valign="top">Website:</td>
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<td valign="top"><input type="text" name="website"
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<?php
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}
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?> /></td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td valign="top" colspan="2">Message:</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td valign="top" colspan="2"><textarea name="message" rows="7" <?php
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echo 'class="errorbg"';
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}
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}
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?>><?php
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}
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?></textarea></td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td valign="top" colspan="2" align="center"><input type="text" name="message2" /><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Sign Guestbook" /></td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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</form>
Look at the message field here. We had to break up the statement into two parts. First to show the error CSS class in the textarea tag; then to show the text in the text area tag. Pretty self explanatory. But look what happens! When we click on submit, and there are no errors, the form says success, but the values are still in the form. We have two options here. We can either throw up a thank you screen which automatically redirects the user back to the page, or we can simply erase the POST information on successful entries. We will do the later seeing as though we want our users to see the following page as quick as possible.
Open up index.php and look for:
Find:
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$postentry = @mysql_query("INSERT INTO `entries` (name, email, website, message, date, ip) VALUES ('".addslashes($_POST['name'])."', '".addslashes($_POST['email'])."', '".addslashes($_POST['website'])."', '".addslashes($_POST['message'])."', now(), '".$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']."')");
Underneath it add:
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if($postentry == true){
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}
Simple. This just clears the contents of our POST array. Next we want to set up a honey pot. Next page!
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.