using javascript to validate form

[Wardan]

I don't know javascript well at all but I need to use it to validate inputs on forms i've made. I've looked at many examples and i really can't see why it won't work. When i click submit, nothing happens at all, it just goes to the next page, like there isnt even any javascript there. sorry if it's a completely obvious answer, i have no experience with javascript so i have no idea what i'm looking for. i'm writing all of the code on the same page. thanks for any help.javascript:\[code\]<script type="text/javascript">function validateform(theform) {var reason = "";reason += validateName(theform.name);reason += validateSurname(theform.surname);reason += validateEmail(theform.email);reason += validateHomephone(theform.homephone);reason += validateMobilephone(theform.mobilephone);reason += validateAddress(theform.address);reason += validateTown(theform.town);reason += validateCounty(theform.county);reason += validatePostcode(theform.postcode);reason += validateEmpty(theform.empty);if (reason != "") {alert("Some fields need correction:\n" + reason);return false;}alert("All fields are filled correctly");return true;}function validateEmpty(fld) {var error = "";if (fld.value.length == 0) { fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "The required field has not been filled in.\n"} else { fld.style.background = 'White';}return error; }function validateName(fld) {var error = "";var illegalChars = ^[a-z\s]*$; // allow letters, numbersif (fld.value =http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/="") { fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "You didn't enter a name.\n";} else if (illegalChars.test(fld.value)) { fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "The name contains illegal characters.\n";} else { fld.style.background = 'White';}return error;}function validatSurname(fld) {var error = "";var illegalChars = ^[a-z\s]*$; // allow letters, numbersif (fld.value =http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/="") { fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "You didn't enter a surname.\n";} else if (illegalChars.test(fld.value)) { fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "The surname contains illegal characters.\n";} else { fld.style.background = 'White';}return error;}function validateEmail(fld) {var error="";var tfld = trim(fld.value); // value of field with whitespace trimmed offvar emailFilter = /^[^@]+@[^@.]+\.[^@]*\w\w$/ ;var illegalChars= /[\(\)\<\>\,\;\:\\\"\[\]]/ ;if (fld.value =http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/="") { fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "You didn't enter an email address.\n";} else if (!emailFilter.test(tfld)) { //test email for illegal characters fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "Please enter a valid email address.\n";} else if (fld.value.match(illegalChars)) { fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "The email address contains illegal characters.\n";} else { fld.style.background = 'White';}return error;}function validateHomenumber(fld) {var error = "";var stripped = fld.value.replace(/[\(\)\.\-\ ]/g, ''); if (fld.value =http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/="") { error = "You didn't enter a phone number.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow';} else if (isNaN(parseInt(stripped))) { error = "The home phone number contains illegal characters.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow';} else if (!(stripped.length == 11)) { error = "The home phone number is the wrong length.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow';} else { fld.style.background = 'White';}return error;}function validateMobilenumber(fld) {var error = "";var stripped = fld.value.replace(/[\(\)\.\-\ ]/g, ''); if (isNaN(parseInt(stripped))) { error = "The mobile phone number contains illegal characters.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow';} else if (!(stripped.length == 11)) { error = "The mobile phone number is the wrong length.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow';} else { fld.style.background = 'White';}return error;}function validateAddress(fld) {var error = "";if (fld.value =http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/="") { error = "You didn't enter a home address.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; }else { fld.style.background = 'White';} return error;}function validateTown(fld) {var error = "";if (fld.value =http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/="") { error = "You didn't enter a town or city.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; }else { fld.style.background = 'White';} return error;}function validateCounty(fld) {var error = "";if (fld.value =http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/="") { error = "You didn't enter a county.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; }else { fld.style.background = 'White';} return error;}function validatePostcode(fld) {var error = ""; var illegalChars = ^[a-z\s]*$;var regPostcode = /^([a-zA-Z]){1}([0-9][0-9]|[0-9]|[a-zA-Z][0-9][a-zA-Z]|[a-zA-Z][0-9][0-9]|[a-zA-Z][0-9]){1}([ ])([0-9][a-zA-z][a-zA-z]){1}$/;if (fld.value =http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/="") { error = "You didn't enter a post code.\n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; } else if (illegalChars.test(fld.value)) { fld.style.background = 'Yellow'; error = "The post code contains illegal characters.\n"; else if ((fld.value.length < 7) || (fld.value.length > 8)) { error = "The post code is the wrong length. \n"; fld.style.background = 'Yellow';} else if (regpostcode.test(fld.value)) {fld.style.background = 'Yellow';error = "The post code isn't the correct format.\n";}} else { fld.style.background = 'White';}return error;}function trim(s){return s.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/, '');}\[/code\]and the html\[code\]</script></head><body> <table class="formy" border="o" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" bgcolor="#F4EC53" align="center"><th colspan="2" align="center">Booking Private Hire</th><form name="firstform" method="post" onsubmit="return validateform(this)" action="secondform.php"><table summary="first form"><tr><td><label for="Name">First name:</label></td><td><input name="Name" size="35" maxlength="50" type="text"></td></tr> <tr><td><label for="Surname">Surname:</label></td><td><input name="Surname" size="35" maxlength="25" type="password"></td></tr> <tr><td><label for="Email">E-mail address:</label></td><td><input name="Email" size="35" maxlength="30" type="text"></td></tr> <tr><td><label for="Homephone">Home phone number:</label></td><td><input name="Homephone" size="35" maxlength="25" type="text"></td></tr> <tr><td> <label for="Mobilephone">Mobile phone number:</label></td><td><input name="Mobilephone" size="35" maxlength="50" type="text"></td></tr> <tr><td> <label for="Address">Home address:</label></td><td><input name="Address" size="35" maxlength="50" type="text"></td></tr> <tr><td> <label for="Town">Town/city:</label></td><td><input name="Town" size="35" maxlength="50" type="text"></td></tr> <tr><td> <label for="County">County:</label></td><td><input name="County" size="35" maxlength="50" type="text"></td></tr> <tr><td> <label for="Postcode">Post code:</label></td><td><input name="Postcode" size="35" maxlength="50" type="text"></td></tr> <td> </td><td><input name="Submit" value="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14448205/Send" type="submit" ></td><td> </td></table></form> </body></html>\[/code\]