problem using PHP to create select menu

[chump2877]

Alright, I;ve been staring at this forever and I can;t seem to find the problem.

I've got a GET variable called $_GET['mailbox']. this variable is either equal to 'Inbox', 'Sent_Items', 'Drafts', or 'Deleted_Items'.

I have this code for a select box:

PHP Code:

<select name="mailbox" class="mbox" onchange="listThem()">
    <option>--Select a Mailbox--</option>

    <?

    $get_var = trim($_GET['mailbox']);
    print selectMailbox('Inbox',$get_var);
    print selectMailbox('Sent_Items',$get_var);
    print selectMailbox('Drafts',$get_var);
    print selectMailbox('Deleted_Items',$get_var);

    ?>

    </select>

And this function that builds the <option> tag content:

// Select Mailbox function

PHP Code:

function selectMailbox($mailbox, $get_var)
{
    $output .= '<option value="' . $mailbox . '" ';

    if ($mailbox == 'Inbox')
    {
        if (empty($get_var) && empty($_SESSION['mailbox']))
        {
            $output .= 'selected="selected"';
        }
    }
    elseif ($get_var == $mailbox)
    {
        unset($_SESSION['mailbox']);
        $_SESSION['mailbox'] = $get_var;
        $output .= 'selected="selected"';
    }
    elseif ($_SESSION['mailbox'] == $mailbox)
    {
        $output .= 'selected="selected"';
    }

    $output .= '>' . str_replace("_"," ",$mailbox) . '</option>';

    return $output;
} 


The problem is, when $_GET['mailbox'] = 'Inbox' and $mailbox = 'Inbox', the code inside this conditional:

PHP Code:

    elseif ($get_var == $mailbox)
    {
        unset($_SESSION['mailbox']);
        $_SESSION['mailbox'] = $get_var;
        $output .= 'selected="selected"';
    } 


is NOT executed. Inbox is NOT made the selected option in the select menu for some reason.

Also, when $_GET['mailbox'] = 'Inbox', the relevant source code looks like this:

<select name="mailbox" class="mbox" onchange="listThem()">
	<option>--Select a Mailbox--</option>

	<option value="Inbox" >Inbox</option><option value="Sent_Items" >Sent Items</option><option value="Drafts" >Drafts</option><option value="Deleted_Items" >Deleted Items</option>
	</select>

You can see that the option with value 'Inbox' is not selected as it should be.

Also, I've echoed out the variables, and everything checks out OK.

Can anyone see the problem? thanks.

[mio]

hi,

The problem is, when $_GET['mailbox'] = 'Inbox' and $mailbox = 'Inbox', the code inside this conditional:

PHP Code:
elseif ($get_var == $mailbox)
{
unset($_SESSION['mailbox']);
$_SESSION['mailbox'] = $get_var;
$output .= 'selected="selected"';
}

is NOT executed. Inbox is NOT made the selected option in the select menu for some reason.

...for the reason that just before you do something that begin this way:

PHP Code:

if ($mailbox == 'Inbox') 


and then use the conditional instruction else if....How do you want it do go in this ?!!

need further explanation ?

[chump2877]

Doh, I think you called it....I shouldn;t be nesting my if statements...this fixed it:

PHP Code:

// Select Mailbox function

function selectMailbox($mailbox, $get_var)
{
    $output .= '<option value="' . $mailbox . '" ';

    if ($mailbox == 'Inbox' && empty($get_var) && empty($_SESSION['mailbox']))
    {
        $output .= 'selected="selected"';
    }
    elseif ($get_var == $mailbox)
    {
        unset($_SESSION['mailbox']);
        $_SESSION['mailbox'] = $get_var;
        $output .= 'selected="selected"';
    }
    elseif ($_SESSION['mailbox'] == $mailbox)
    {
        $output .= 'selected="selected"';
    }

    $output .= '>' . str_replace("_"," ",$mailbox) . '</option>';

    return $output;
} 


thanks mio

[mio]

happy you get it fixed

juste one little little little thing,

when you have a few "different" conditionnal statements using different var, isolate them as if you worked with a switch statement i.e the conditionnal statement is conditionned by the same var(s).
E.g.:
you first declare

PHP Code:

if ($mailbox == 'Inbox')... 


then

PHP Code:

elseif ($get_var == $mailbox) 


More "logically" you should have wrote:

PHP Code:

if ($mailbox == 'Inbox')... 


then

PHP Code:

elseif ($mailbox == $get_var) 


assuming that the structure of your conditionnal statement is the global unit suit of if and else if working around the same var here $mailbox.

or you should have declared a new conditionnal statement only declaring

PHP Code:

if ($get_var == $mailbox)... 


(and not else if)

that was just a little trick to make the code easier to understand

Mio