html - Need assistance with PHP and my HTML5 form -

i used anchor tag submit button think why i'm having trouble trying figure out.

i'm not sure if it's "href" messing up. assistance server side validation, not having lot of experience in php, able validate using javascript.

<form id="myform" method="post" name="contact_form" action="process.php">      <input id="cname" type="text" name="name" minlength="2" placeholder="full name" class="form-control" required>      <input id="cemail" type="email" name="email" placeholder="email address" class="form-control" required>      <textarea id="ccomment" rows="5" name="message" placeholder="message..." class="form-control" required></textarea>      <div id="send-btn">         <a href="process.php" onclick="$(this).closest('form').submit();" class="btn btn-lg btn-general btn-white" role="button" name="submit">send</a>         <asp:button runat="server" text="submit"/>     </div>  </form> 

this below php code. please assist validations , making work anchor tag. have messed form somewhere.

<?php ob_start();   if (isset($_post['submit'])) {      $to = "someoneelse@someone.com";     $name = $_post['name'];     $email = $_post['email'];     $txt = $_post['message'];     $headers = "from: .$email" . "\r\n" .      mail($to,$email,$txt,$headers);     header("location: index.html"); }   ?> 

ideally, modern javascript avoid having script in markup , attach click event using jquery , prevent default action anchor tag using preventdefault. (see https://api.jquery.com/click/ , https://api.jquery.com/event.preventdefault/ )

however, if going use onclick attribute, need return false. if onclick event returns false, browser cancel default action.

<a href="#" onclick="$('#myform').submit(); return false;" class="btn btn-lg btn-general btn-white" role="button" name="submit">send</a> 

when anchor link clicked, javascript submit form run, return false prevent link being followed. return false prevent browser jumping top when use # in href.

as server side validation in php, need use conditional statements check posted variables match pattern. see how validate email address in php .