PHP Validation. Multiple types - 1 variable

Question

Ok so I have a php variable called $contact_id which is inputted from the POST method.

$contact_id = $_POST['contact_id']; 

I want this variable to either store a phone number or an email address. I know this isn't the best way to do things but I have to work with what I have been given.

I was thinking of having something like

if($output = checkEmailValidation($contact_id) == 1 || $output = checkPhoneValidation($contact_id) == 1)
{
//input into database
}
else
{
//display error message
}

checkEmailValidation($input)
{
//do something

return $whatever
}

checkPhoneValidation($input)
{
//do something

return $whatever
}

First of all would this work. Second of all what would I put in the functions to make this work.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Yes that will work, but you'll need extra parenthesis in your if statement:

if(($output = checkEmailValidation($contact_id)) == 1 || 
   ($output = checkPhoneValidation($contact_id)) == 1)

Answer 2

For email and phone, I'd go here:

Phone: http://regexlib.com/DisplayPatterns.aspx?categoryId=7&cattabindex=6&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Email: http://regexlib.com/(A(llgnVic_ey1CZ-ARhYWF5QuIIWLB_e6dL5XiIJIyg6XJi02tVUo6G-L3wnj86Y6iAAoHxFNohNJupckHv1t4NZOxUY2-7EPAF80Lp5q96SMN10FzqKsTUj58iAOwyeNYbpecP25_crQt663bemwnIVb4EJijt_raaBeWYVnQiw7c1nSrQQ3W3PNoyopPWB6K0))/DisplayPatterns.aspx?cattabindex=0&categoryId=1

You can use PHP's preg_match function to check them: http://php.net/manual/en/function.preg-match.php