Set a form dropdown list 'selected' item to the value in a database

[fj1200]

Hi - I am building a form to update records in a database but struggling a bit with one secondary but vitally important area.  I wrote the data entry for using drop-down lists where the value is not the same as the list entry - for example, I have material widths where they are represented in the database as: 1/2 = 0, 3/4 = 1 and full width = 2.  There's 10 of these.  I have a machine number where A = 101, B=102, D=103, E=104 - this is how they are represented in the manufacturers DB and I'm following their naming for continuity and reporting. 

 

I want to update these on the fly, so if, for example machine D is entered in the database, how do I set the "selected = ..." value in the drop-down on the form to reflect the database entry?

 

eg.

<Select>
<option  Value = \"101\">A</option>
<option Value = \"201\">B</option>
<option selected = \"selected\" Value = \"301\">D</option>  <--- like this...
<option  Value = \"401\">E</option>
</select>

 

I only need to update maybe a few items - maybe we change the scheduled time, or put a job on a different machine, or the order changes - that kind of thing.  I don't want them to have to re-enter the whole job so there's a fair number of these to do on the update page.

 

Been tearing my hair out and could do with some advice.

[fj1200]

OK - I've found a way to do it using arrays from another site (lost the link now) but it's a bit long-winded:

 

 

  $MACHINE= $pbupdate[4];
		$MODE = $pbupdate[5];

		$_machine = array(
		101=> "A",
		102=> "B",
		103=> "D",
		104=> "E",
		);

		If ($MACHINE == "101")  $PRESS = ("A");				
		If ($MACHINE == "201")  $PRESS = ("B");
		If ($MACHINE == "301")  $PRESS = ("D");
		If ($MACHINE == "401")  $PRESS = ("E");

	echo "<tr><td>Machine :</td><td>$PRESS</td><td>";

		echo "<SELECT name=fldr>";
		foreach ($_machine as $key => $value)
		{
		$SELECTED = "";		
		If ($value == $PRESS)  $SELECTED = ("SELECTED");
		echo '<OPTION '.$SELECTED.' value="'.$key.'">'.$value.'</option>';
		}
	echo "</select></td></tr>";

 

It's a bit laborious for one field but it works, the only problem I have with it is I have 18 fields to update from drop-down boxes and 4 text fields.  Going to be a long file.

 

If anyone has a simpler or more elegant solution I'd be glad to hear it.

[Allan-]

$types = array('A' => 101, 'B' => 102, 'D' => 103, 'E' => 104);
foreach ($types as $type => $code) {
   echo '<option value="$code"';
   if ($MACHINE == $code) {
      echo ' selected="selected"';
   }
   echo '>'.$type.'</option>';
}