PHP Validate Range Dates

Question

I have a simple code that will split the ranged dates into two. Here it is:

html:

<input type="text" name="range" />
<button type="submit>Submit</button>

php

$range = $_POST['range'];
$reservation = explode("-", $range);
$from        = date('Y-m-d', strtotime($reservation[0]));
$to          = date('Y-m-d', strtotime($reservation[1]));

The splitting of the date works, but whenever I put any character in the textbox and click submit, I get an undefined offset: 1 because I don't have any validation for the range dates.

Is there a way to validate ranged dates like for example if I put "10/29/2015 - 10/31/2015" in the textbox and click submit, I will get "success" and if I put any character like "asdasdasda", I will get "failed".

Any help would be much appreciated.

UPDATE

The validation if the input are in ranged date is now working, but the date validation is not. I'm using checkdate function

    $reservation = explode("-", $_POST['range']);

    if (isset($reservation[0]) && isset($reservation[1])) {
        $from = date('Y-m-d', strtotime($reservation[0]));
        $to   = date('Y-m-d', strtotime($reservation[1]));

        $checkFrom = explode('-', $from);
        $checkTo   = explode('-', $to);

        if (!checkdate($checkFrom[1], $checkFrom[2], $checkFrom[0]) || !checkdate($checkTo[1], $checkTo[2], $checkTo[0])) {
            die('invaild date');
        }
    } else {
        die('invaild date');
    }

@JitendraPurohit, this will only check for empty input right? — wobsoriano, Oct 29 '15 at 04:46
You need to do something like `if (!isset($reservation[1]))` to make sure the `explode` worked. Then check `if ($from === false || $to === false)` to make sure they contain valid dates. — Mike, Oct 29 '15 at 04:50
Refer http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19271381/correctly-determine-if-date-string-is-a-valid-date-in-that-format — ManiMuthuPandi, Oct 29 '15 at 04:52
or use regex `if(preg_match("/^[0-9]{1,2}\/[0-9]{1,2}\/[0-9]{4}\-[0-9]{1,2}\/[0-9]{1,2}\/[0-9]{4}/", $_POST["range"]) === 0) { echo 'error'; }` — jitendrapurohit, Oct 29 '15 at 04:54
Why use 1 text field for 2 dates anyway. Use 2 text fields, 1 for start date and 1 for end date, then use PHP checkdate() to validate. If you must use 1 text field you can still use checkdate() after you split the 2 dates. regex will validate the format but not the actual date. — CharlesEF, Oct 29 '15 at 05:03

jitendrapurohit · Answer 1 · 2015-10-29T04:56:12.000

1

Try this regex to validate the date range -

if (preg_match("/^[0-9]{1,2}\/[0-9]{1,2}\/[0-9]{4}\-[0-9]{1,2}\/[0-9]{1,2}\/[0-9‌]{4}/", $_POST["range"]) === 0) { 
  echo 'error';  //or just return;
}

edited Oct 29 '15 at 04:56

answered Oct 29 '15 at 04:47

jitendrapurohit

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score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

Your explode() should be based on delimiter used in form

$range = $_POST['range'];
$reservation = explode("-", $range);
if(count($reservation) == 2) {
    if(validateDate($reservation[0]) && validateDate($reservation[1])){
        $from        = date('Y-m-d', strtotime($reservation[0]));
        $to          = date('Y-m-d', strtotime($reservation[1]));
    } else {
        //error
    }

} else {
     //error
}

^{function was copied from this answer or php.net}

If you want you can even use date_parse()

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 29 '15 at 05:10

You can do one thing make the field is readonly and apply required validation on that field, so if the field is readonly then user can only able to select date range which is applied on this field and user can not able to do any input manually and if user will not choose this then your required validation will show the required message.

PHP Validate Range Dates

3 Answers3