What Is The Best Way To Create A Dynamic Dropdown

[RalphLeMouf]

Hello -

I am building an edit your profile module on my site right now. When a user signs into their account for the first time after creating it, it takes them to a edit profile page. When a user is already filled out their additional profile information and goes to edit that page, I want to post their already saved info in the pertinent fields and keep them defaulted if untouched.

I understand the php logic needed to complete this task, however I was hoping for recommendations or examples on the cleanest way to do this.

 

I will have all the fields per user stored like so:

$user['id'], $user['email']

etc...

 

Here is my birthday drop down from my form helper:

 

 

function month_dropdown($month="month", $top_months=array()) {
$months = array(
"choose"=>"Month",
"----------",
"Jan"=>"Jan",
"Feb"=>"Feb",
"Mar"=>"Mar",
"Apr"=>"Apr",
"May"=>"May",
"Jun"=>"Jun",
"Jul"=>"Jul",
"Aug"=>"Aug",
"Sep"=>"Sep",
"Oct"=>"Oct",
"Nov"=>"Nov",
"Dec"=>"Dec"
);

$html = "<select name='{$months}'>";
if(!empty($top_months)){
foreach($top_months as $value){
if(array_key_exists($value, $months)){
$html .="<option value='{$value}'>{$months[$value]}</option>";
}
}
$html .="<option>----------</option>";
}
foreach($months as $key => $month){
$html .="<option value='{$key}'>{$month}</option>";
}
$html .="</select>";
return $html;

}

function day_dropdown($day="day", $top_days=array()) {
$days = array(
"choose"=>"Day",
"----------",
"1"=>"1",
"2"=>"2",
"3"=>"3",
"4"=>"4",
"5"=>"5",
"6"=>"6",
"7"=>"7",
"8"=>"8",
"9"=>"9",
"10"=>"10",
"11"=>"11",
"12"=>"12",
"13"=>"13",
"14"=>"14",
"15"=>"15",
"16"=>"16",
"17"=>"17",
"18"=>"18",
"19"=>"19",
"20"=>"20",
"21"=>"21",
"22"=>"22",
"23"=>"23",
"24"=>"24",
"25"=>"25",
"26"=>"26",
"27"=>"27",
"28"=>"28",
"29"=>"29",
"30"=>"30",
"31"=>"31"
);

$html = "<select name='{$days}'>";
if(!empty($top_days)){
foreach($top_days as $value){
if(array_key_exists($value, $days)){
$html .="<option value='{$value}'>{$days[$value]}</option>";
}
}
$html .="<option>----------</option>";
}
foreach($days as $key => $day){
$html .="<option value='{$key}'>{$day}</option>";
}
$html .="</select>";
return $html;

}

function year_dropdown($year="year", $top_years=array()) {
$years = array(
"choose"=>"Year",
"----------",
"1997"=>"1997",
"1996"=>"1996",
"1995"=>"1995",
"1994"=>"1994",
"1993"=>"1993",
"1992"=>"1992",
"1991"=>"1991",
"1990"=>"1990",
"1989"=>"1989",
"1988"=>"1988",
"1987"=>"1987",
"1986"=>"1986",
"1985"=>"1985",
"1984"=>"1984",
"1983"=>"1983",
"1982"=>"1982",
"1981"=>"1981",
"1980"=>"1980",
"1979"=>"1979",
"1978"=>"1978",
"1977"=>"1977",
"1976"=>"1976",
"1975"=>"1975",
"1974"=>"1974",
"1973"=>"1973",
"1972"=>"1972",
"1971"=>"1971",
"1970"=>"1970",
"1969"=>"1969",
"1968"=>"1968",
"1967"=>"1967",
"1966"=>"1966",
"1965"=>"1965",
"1964"=>"1964",
"1963"=>"1963",
"1962"=>"1962",
"1961"=>"1961",
"1960"=>"1960",
"1959"=>"1959",
"1959"=>"1959",
"1958"=>"1958",
"1957"=>"1957",
"1956"=>"1956",
"1955"=>"1955",
"1954"=>"1954",
"1953"=>"1953",
"1953"=>"1953",
"1952"=>"1952",
"1951"=>"1951",
"1950"=>"1950",
"1949"=>"1949",
"1948"=>"1948",
"1947"=>"1947",
"1946"=>"1946",
"1945"=>"1945",
"1944"=>"1944",
"1943"=>"1943",
"1942"=>"1942",
"1941"=>"1941",
"1940"=>"1940",
"1939"=>"1939",
"1938"=>"1938",
"1937"=>"1937",
"1936"=>"1936",
"1935"=>"1935",
"1934"=>"1934",
"1933"=>"1933",
"1932"=>"1932",
"1931"=>"1931",
"1930"=>"1930"

);

$html = "<select name='{$years}'>";
if(!empty($top_years)){
foreach($top_years as $value){
if(array_key_exists($value, $years)){
$html .="<option value='{$value}'>{$years[$value]}</option>";
}
}
$html .="<option>----------</option>";
}
foreach($years as $key => $year){
$html .="<option value='{$key}'>{$year}</option>";
}
$html .="</select>";
return $html;

}

 

Here is the portion of it in my model in the update query:

 

'birthday' => $this->input->post('birthday'),

 

Finally, here it is in my view:

 

 

echo month_dropdown($month)." ".day_dropdown($day). " ".year_dropdown($year);

 

So now what value to do I put in the view portion and model portion to get them to insert properly?

Also the original question - How do I add the php to see if something is there or not, and if not there, how do I get the values of existing data to echo?

thanks so much in advance

[NomadicJosh]

Following this example here will help cut down on your code: http://rijamedia.com/blog/2011/02/dynamic-date-dropdown-select-menu-in-php/

[RalphLeMouf]

that's awesome! thanks.

[RalphLeMouf]

How do I make this ( and my other selectable and text values ) dynamic?

 

Meaning how do I echo the users saved info if filled out or the default values ( even if empty ) if nothing?

 

I have all of my users info ready to go via $user['']