selected value in drop down menu

[chicabella]

I want the first option ("selected" option) in a drop down menu to be based on the URL a user clicks on.

 

For example, if the user clicks on the link:

 

layouts.php?submit=true&category=abstract

 

The first and selected value in the drop down menu should be abstract

Then the rest of the menu will pull from the database.

 

The code I am using now (below) lists all my categories from my database, but it is not putting the selected value first. How can I get this to work??

 

<select name="category">
<option value="all">All</option>
<?
$query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `categories`");
while ($result = mysql_fetch_assoc($query)) {
if ($row["category"] == $_POST['category']) {
  echo '<option value="'.$result["id"].'" SELECTED>'.$result["name"].'</option>';
}
else
{
  echo '<option value="'.$result["id"].'">'.$result["name"].'</option>';
}
}
?>
</select>

[chocopi]

Use GET

 

<?php

$cat = $_GET['category'];

echo "<select name=\"category\">";
echo "<option value=\"".$cat."\" selected=\"selected\">".$cat."</option>";
echo "<option value=\"all\">All</option>";
echo "<option value=\"all\">All</option>";
$query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `categories`");
while ($result = mysql_fetch_assoc($query)) {
if ($row["category"] == $_POST['category']) {
  echo '<option value="'.$result["id"].'">'.$result["name"].'</option>';
}
else
{
  echo '<option value="'.$result["id"].'">'.$result["name"].'</option>';
}
}
</select>
?>

 

I hope it helps,

 

~ Chocopi