title: what does test_input mean in pregmatch when validating input data?
body: <p>i found this expression on a website explaining the use of pregmatch and this is part of their code:</p>
  
  <pre><code>$name = test_input($_POST["name"]);
  if (!preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z ]*$/",$name)) {
    $nameErr = "Only letters and white space allowed";
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>What does test_input mean. i've looked for it everywhere i can't find its meaning.</p>