I’ve just recently started my own site and wanted to allow users to register but, I have no talent for php at all.
So I searched all over for templates and found a few but none of them seemed to work 
Can somebody please point out the problem with this code?
Upon opening the page nothing happens, its just blank the form does not get displayed.
The problem is the same with most of the templates I’ve tried.
Any help would really be appreciated! 
Thanks
<?php
require("db_connect.php");
function protect($value){
$value = mysql_real_escape_string(value);
$value = stripslashes($value);
$value = strip_tags($value);
return $value;
}
$action = $_REQUEST['act'];
protect($action);
if(!$action){
echo "<table border=0 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=3>\n
<form name=register method=post action=\"register.php?act=register\">\n
<tr><td>Username:</td><td><input type=text name=username maxlength=32>\n</td><tr>\n
<tr><td>Password:</td><td><input type=password name=password maxlength=64>\n</td></tr>\n
<tr><td>Confirm:</td><td><input type=password name=passconf maxlength=64>\n</td></tr>\n
<tr><td>Email:</td><td><input type=text name=email>\n</td></tr>\n
<tr><td>Confirm:</td><td><input type=text name=econf>\n</td></tr>\n
<tr><td>Gender</td><td><select name=gender>
<option value=gender>Male</option>\n
<option value=gender>Female</option>\n
<tr><td>Your Name</td><td><input type=text name=name maxlength=32>\n
<tr><td colspan=2 align=right><input type=submit value=\"Register\">\n";
}else{
echo 'Action = '.$action.'.<br />';
}
if($action=="register"){
$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
$passconf = $_POST['passconf'];
$email = $_POST['email'];
$day = $_POST['gender'];
$name = $_POST['name'];
$username = protect($username);
$password = protect($password); // was spelt passwrod
$passconf = protect($passconf);
$email = protect($email);
$gender = protect($gender);
$name = protect($name);
if (isset($username) && isset($password) && isset($passconf) && isset($email) && isset($gender) && isset($name)){
if(strlen($username) < 3 || strlen($username) > 32){
echo "Username is either too short or too long\n";
}else {
if(strlen($password) < 3 || strlen($password) > 64){
echo "Password is either too short ot too long\n";
}else {
if(strlen($email) < 3 || strlen($email) > 64){
echo "Email is either too short ot too long\n";
}else {
if(strlen($name) < 2 || strlen($name) > 64){
echo "Your name is either too short or too long\n";
}else {
if($password != $passconf){
echo "Your password do not match\n";
}else {
if($email != $echoconf){
echo "Your emails do not match\n";
}else {
$checkemail = "/*[a-z0-9]+([_\\.-][a-z0-9]+)*@([a-z0-9]+([\.-][a-z0-9]-)+\\.(a-z)(2;)$/";
if(!preg_match($checkemail,$email)){
echo "The email you entered is incorrect";
}else {
$sql = "SELECT * FROM 'users' WHERE 'username' ='$username'";
$res = mysql_query($sql) or die(mysql_error());
if(mysql_num_rows($res) > 0){
echo "This username already exists";
}else {
$sql = "SELECT * FROM 'users' WHERE 'email' ='$email'";
$res = mysql_query($sql) or die(mysql_error());
if(mysql_num_rows($res) > 0){
echo "The email you supplied is already in use";
}else {
$sql = "SELECT * FROM 'users' WHERE 'ip' ='$_SERVER[REMOTE_ADDR]'";
$res = mysql_query($sql) or die(mysql_error());
if(mysql_num_rows($res) > 0){
echo "The IP is already in use";
}else {
$password = mds($password);
$date = date('f j, Y @ g:i:s a');
$sql = "INSTER INTO 'users' ('username','password','email','ip','name,'gender','date') VALUES('$username','$password,'$email','$_SERVER[REMOTE_ADDR]',' $gender,' $date);";
$res = mysql_query($sql) or die(mysql_error());
echo "Thank you for registering, you may now log in\n";
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}else{
echo 'Action wasnt register';
}
?>