Validating Insert Query

[dmorand]

I've got an enter/edit screen created for people to enter new systems. Before the new system gets submitted I have the submit page query the database to make sure that a record doesn't already exist with that name. If it does, I set the url back to the enter/edit screen. Is there a way I can have the coldfusion popup a message stating that the user entered an entry that already exists?

Here is a snipped from the submit page:

<cfif isDefined("Form.Add")>
    <cfquery name="validateName" datasource="Security_Access" dbtype="ODBC">
        select sysID from tblSystem
        where name='#Form.name#'
    </cfquery>
    <cfif "validateName.RecordCount" eq 1>
        <cflocation URL="system.cfm">
    <cfelse>
        .................
 

[acoder]

You can popup a message using JavaScript. You could pass a variable in the url to show that validation failed and check that to show the popup in the original page.

Alternatively, just show an error message on screen.

[dmorand]

Excellent thanks!!

Will CF create the javascript for me? I don't really know javascript all that well, so I've been relying on the javascript that CF creates.

[acoder]

Excellent thanks!!

Will CF create the javascript for me? I don't really know javascript all that well, so I've been relying on the javascript that CF creates.

If you just want a simple alert, the Javascript is very easy, e.g.

alert("You entered an entry that already exists!");

Of course, you would use Coldfusion to check first and then put the Javascript within <script> tags, e.g.

<cfif isDefined("url.error")>
<script>...</script>
</cfif>

[acoder]

One other alternative is to post to the same page, i.e. your form and action pages are the same. In this way, if there is an error, you can display the alert and then display the form again, instead of using cflocation.

[dmorand]

One other alternative is to post to the same page, i.e. your form and action pages are the same. In this way, if there is an error, you can display the alert and then display the form again, instead of using cflocation.

That's a good idea, I should look into implementing that.