Dynamic Drop-down Menu

[Nate_23]

Hey,

 

I am wanting to make a script that will create a dropdown menu with different types of items (Shoes, Socks, Pants, ...) and how many items there are of that type (125, 44, 56, ...). I'm wondering if there is a way to check a mysql field for different several entries. Currently, I am using many queries like:

 

$sql1 = "SELECT * FROM items WHERE clothing='Shoes'";

$result1 = mysql_query($sql1) or die ("Couldn't get results.");

$num1 = mysql_num_rows($result1);

 

$sql2 = "SELECT * FROM items WHERE clothing='Socks'";

$result2 = mysql_query($sql2) or die ("Couldn't get results.");

$num2 = mysql_num_rows($result2);

 

$sql3 = "SELECT * FROM items WHERE clothing='Pants'";

$result3 = mysql_query($sql3) or die ("Couldn't get results.");

$num3 = mysql_num_rows($result3);

 

Is there a way to get all that done with one query? Is there a way to tell when the mysql field changes and then use a function? Thanks.

[fenway]

Sure.

"SELECT * FROM items WHERE clothing IN ('Pants','Socks','Shoes')"

 

[Nate_23]

Oops, I perhaps made that look simpler that I had meant to.

 

After getting the items from the database, I need to separate them as well. Which is why I had had them queried individually.

 

What I'm hoping to have is something similar to this:

 

<?php

 

$sql = "SELECT * FROM items";

$result = mysql_query($sql) or die ("Couldn't get results.");

$num = mysql_num_rows($result);

 

while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)){

      $clothingtype = $row['clothingtype'];

      /// separate clothingtype into alike types (all pants, all socks, etc. together).

      /// should be 125 items with the value "shoes", 44 "Socks", 56 "Pants

}

 

echo "<form name='myform'>

<select name='option1' size='1'>

      <option value='$clothingtype1'>$clothingtype1 $numberofclothingtype1 items</option>

      <option value='$clothingtype2'>$clothingtype2 $numberofclothingtype2 items</option>

      <option value='$clothingtype3'>$clothingtype3 $numberofclothingtype3 items</option>

      .... etc";

 

[PFMaBiSmAd]

You would 'remember' what the last value was using a variable ($last_type) and when you detect a change in the value, close any previous section and start a new section -

 

<?php

$sql = "SELECT * FROM items ORDER BY clothingtype"; // get the data you want in the order that you want it
$result = mysql_query($sql) or die ("Couldn't get results.");
$num = mysql_num_rows($result);

$last_type = NULL; // initialize to a value that will never exists as data
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)){

// detect if there is a change in the type
if($last_type != $row['clothingtype']){

	// detect if not the first section
	if($last_type != NULL){
		// this is not the first section, code to close out the previous section goes here...
	}

	// code to start a new section goes here...

	$last_type = $row['clothingtype']; // remember the new type
}

// code to output the data within the section goes here...
}

// detectif there were any sections at all and close out the last one if needed
if($last_type != NULL){
// code to close out the last section goes here...
}
?>