Dynamically filled select form

[blueuniverse]

I have a piece of code

PHP Code:

    $result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM category") 
    or die(mysql_error());  
    
    echo "<select name='catid' id='catid'>";
    // keeps getting the next row until there are no more to get
    while($row = mysql_fetch_array( $result )) {
    // Print out the contents of each row into a table
    echo "<option value='".$row['id']."'>"; 
    echo $row['category'];
    echo "</option>"; 
    echo "\n"; 


This is fine for an upload form (where I've got it from) but not for an edit form. I need it to haev selected=selected by the option that matches my category id.

Just for reference the outputted html of the above is

<select name='catid' id='catid'><option value='1'>Cat1</option>
<option value='2'>Cat2</option>
<option value='3'>Cat3</option>
<option value='4'>Cat4</option>
</select>

My script is getting the recordid and calling it $id

It's then doing a sql select

PHP Code:

$sql = "SELECT * FROM library WHERE id=$id"; 


I want it to grab the catid from this (catid being a field in the table) and then add selected=selected in the initial code I posted.

Thanks in advance,
Ed

[Fumigator]

Do you have the correct value in $id at the time you build your <select> tag? If so, simply add "if" statements to each iteration of your loop to check $id against what's just been selected from your category table and if it matches, echo the selected="selected" text.

A popular way to do this is to use the ternary form of an "if" statement:

PHP Code:

 echo "<option value='".$row['id']."' " .($row['id'] == $id ? "selected='selected'" : "") . ">"; 


http://us.php.net/ternary (page down a bit)

[scoop_987]

erm... do you have the cat id in the url as the query string?

otherwise it would be as simple as:

PHP Code:

    $result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM category")  
    or die(mysql_error());   
     
    echo "<select name='catid' id='catid'>"; 
    // keeps getting the next row until there are no more to get 
    while($row = mysql_fetch_array( $result )) { 
    // Print out the contents of each row into a table 
if($_GET['cat_id'] == $row['id']){
echo "<option value=\"".$row['id']."\" selected=\"selected\">";  
}else{
echo "<option value=\"".$row['id']."\">";  
}
    echo "<option value='".$row['id']."'>";  
    echo $row['category']; 
    echo "</option>";  
    echo "\n"; 
} 


[oesxyl]

if you want the result as $row['xxxxxx'] you must use mysql_fetch_assoc instead of mysql_fetch_array

regards

[Iszak]

oesxyl no you don't have to use mysql_fetch_assoc compared to mysql_fetch_array... you can add a parameter to use number or association or both and by default array is both If I recall. So he doesn't need to use mysql_fetch_assoc compared to mysql_fetch_array.

http://www.php.net/mysql_fetch_array - Should check it out oesxyl.

Edit: I might add that it is faster but by no means MUST he use it.