<select> dropdown problem

[vinpkl]

hi all

 

i have a registration form with <select> dropdown with value of 50 cities in it. These values are not coming from database. these are static values.

<select>
<option value="city1">city1</option>
<option value="city2">city2</option>
<option value="city3">city3</option>
<option value="city4">city4</option>
<option value="city5">city5</option>
upto
<option value="city50">city50</option>
</select>

 

when the user select the dropdown option value in it then the "selected value" gets added to database.

 

Then in the site i have given an option to modify this <select> dropdown option.

 

When the user goes to modify page then i want that the option value that he selected while registering should automatic get selected in the <select> dropdown options to show him that the "selected value" was his earlier choice that he had selected.

 

how can dropdown automatically select the value that is in the database.

 

vineet

[mrdamien]

Theres no easy way.

If you are not storing these cities in a database, at least make a variable to hold them all:

$cities = array(
   'city1',
   'city2',
   'city3' /// etc
);

 

Then you can loop through them all and decide to select one, or not.

 

$users_city = "city3";
$html = array();
foreach($cities as $city){
  if($users_city == $city){
     $html[] = "<option selected=\"selected\" value=\"$city\">$city</option>";
  }else{
     $html[] = "<option value=\"$city\">$city</option>";
  }
}

echo "<select>" . implode("\n", $html) . "</select>";

 

 

 

Edit:

Also forgot to mention another method, which I do not recommend.

 

Simply take your list, and add this bit of javascript. It works for most browsers.

 

<select id="theSelectID">
<option value="city1">city1</option>
<option value="city2">city2</option>
<option value="city3">city3</option>
<option value="city4">city4</option>
<option value="city5">city5</option>
upto
<option value="city50">city50</option>
</select>
<script>
document.getElementById('theSelectID').value = '<?php echo $theUsersCity; ?>';
</script>

[chronister]

Take your city list and make it an array. Once it is an array, you will use it to create your dropdown list.

 

In the loop that creates your dropdown list, you will have to compare the values to the current item in the loop.

 

mrdamien posted before I got through typing this out, but I feel mine is a little cleaner. (no offense mrdamien)

 

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');
$previouslySelected = 'city3';

echo '<select name="cities">';

foreach($cities as $city)
{
  if($previouslySelected == $city)
  {
       echo '<option value="'.$city.'" selected="selected">'.$city.'</option>';
  }
  else
  {
        echo '<option value="'.$city.'" >'.$city.'</option>';
  } 
echo '</select>';
  
  
}

?>

 

*edit

hahaha... mrdamien we both had similar ideas and both used city3 as the "previously selected" item.

[.josh]

chronister you put the closing select inside the foreach it needs to be outside the loop. Anyways, I win.

 

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');
$previouslySelected = 'city3';

echo "<select name='cities'>";
foreach($cities as $city) {
  $selected = ($previouslySelected == $city)? " selected='selected'" : "";
  echo "<option value='$city'$selected>$city</option>";
}
echo "</select>";

?>

[vinpkl]

chronister you put the closing select inside the foreach it needs to be outside the loop. Anyways, I win.

 

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');
$previouslySelected = 'city3';

echo "<select name='cities'>";
foreach($cities as $city) {
  $selected = ($previouslySelected == $city)? " selected='selected'" : "";
  echo "<option value='$city'$selected>$city</option>";
}
echo "</select>";

?>

 

hi all

 

at the time of registering i requested the customer_city with

$customer_city=$_REQUEST['customer_city'];

 

so in  your code i will have to change the city3 to $customer_city or anything else also. i dont have much knowledge of arrays. please clarify

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');
$previouslySelected = '$customer_city';

echo "<select name='cities'>";
foreach($cities as $city) {
  $selected = ($previouslySelected == $city)? " selected='selected'" : "";
  echo "<option value='$city'$selected>$customer_city</option>";
}
echo "</select>";

?>

 

vineet

[chronister]

chronister you put the closing select inside the foreach it needs to be outside the loop. Anyways, I win.

 

DOOOHHHH...I am catching up on HEROES and typing intermittently. Stupid error.

 

Oh well, I could never compete with you Craon Violent, not in your code or your wit. Was reading through your random quotes on your site. Freaking genius

[chronister]

The var $previouslySelected was just a placeholder for the var you use for the previously selected item. I have replaced it in the code...

 

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');


echo "<select name='cities'>";
foreach($cities as $city) {
  $selected = ($customer_city== $city)? " selected='selected'" : "";
  echo "<option value='$city'$selected>$customer_city</option>";
}
echo "</select>";

?>

 

[vinpkl]

The var $previouslySelected was just a placeholder for the var you use for the previously selected item. I have replaced it in the code...

 

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');

echo "<select name='cities'>";
foreach($cities as $city) {
  $selected = ($customer_city== $city)? " selected='selected'" : "";
  echo "<option value='$city'$selected>$customer_city</option>";
}
echo "</select>";

?>

 

 

hi

 

i have tried it and not able to understand why is it giving me a blank dropdown with no values

 

vineet

[chronister]

Try that, it works for me.

 

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');

echo "<select name='cities'>";
foreach($cities as $city) {
  $selected = ($customer_city== $city)? " selected='selected'" : "";
  echo '<option value="'.$city.'" '.$selected.'>'.$city.'</option>';
}
echo "</select>";

?>

[vinpkl]

Try that, it works for me.

 

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');

echo "<select name='cities'>";
foreach($cities as $city) {
  $selected = ($customer_city== $city)? " selected='selected'" : "";
  echo '<option value="'.$city.'" '.$selected.'>'.$city.'</option>';
}
echo "</select>";

?>

 

hi chronister

 

thanks. this one works for me also.

 

vineet

[.josh]

The var $previouslySelected was just a placeholder for the var you use for the previously selected item. I have replaced it in the code...

 

<?php

$cities = array('city1', 'city2', 'city3');

echo "<select name='cities'>";
foreach($cities as $city) {
  $selected = ($customer_city== $city)? " selected='selected'" : "";
  echo "<option value='$city'$selected>$customer_city</option>";
}
echo "</select>";

?>

 

 

hi

 

i have tried it and not able to understand why is it giving me a blank dropdown with no values

 

vineet

 

It didn't work because you used the wrong variable: $customer_city