Prefilling Multiline Text Fields

Prefilling Multiline Text Fields

<textarea cols="40" rows="5" name="areafieldname"><?php echo (isset($_POST['areafieldname'])) ? htmlspecialchars($_POST['areafieldname']) : ''; ?></textarea>

With multiline text fields, almost the same approach as with single-line text fields and password fields can be used. The only difference is the location where to put the prefill value: It belongs between <textarea> and </textarea>, as shown in the code.

Prefilling Multiline Text Fields (textarea.php; excerpt)

<?php
  require_once 'stripFormSlashes.inc.php';
?>
...
<textarea cols="40" rows="5"
name="areafieldname"><?php
  echo (isset($_POST['areafieldname'])) ?
htmlspecialchars($_POST['areafieldname']) : '';
  ?></textarea>

NOTE If you want to provide a default value in the multiline text field (for example, "Enter your data here ..."), provide this instead of the empty string in the PHP code. Remember that line feeds are possible, as well: <?php echo (isset($_POST['areafieldname'])) ? htmlspecialchars($_POST['areafieldname']) : "default\nvalue"; ?>

Using the combined cookie/GET or cookie/POST approach, the code simplifies a bit.

Prefilling Multiline Text Fields (textarea-cookie.php; excerpt)

<?php
  require_once 'stripFormSlashes.inc.php';
  require_once 'getFormData.inc.php';
?>
...
<textarea cols="40" rows="5"
name="areafieldname"><?php
  echo htmlspecialchars(getFormDataPOST
    ('areafieldname'));
  ?></textarea>