Populating roll down menu faster

Anon

I have a list of 9000 user names I want to put into a roll down menu. Is there a faster way to populate them on the page than:

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$acct_id = $row['acct_id'];
$acct_uname = $row['acct_uname'];

$option_block .= "<option value=\"$acct_id\">$acct_uname</option>";

}

$display_block = "

<P><strong>Customer:</strong>
<select name=\"acct_id\">
$option_block
</select>

";
Thanks.

desenhistas

i use a simple function I created, for that purpose. I just include a file in the biginig of my pages with all the little functions I may need. I kinda use this one a lot....
<?php
Function Select_menu($d_base,$from,$order_by,$value,$text,$selec_name){

	echo "<form><select name='".$selec_name."'>";
            echo "<option value=''>    </option>";
    mysql_pconnect("localhost","visitor","visa") or die("Unable to connect to SQL server");
	mysql_select_db($d_base) or die("Unable to select database");
	$query = "SELECT * FROM $from order by $order_by";
	$guests = mysql_query($query) or die("Select Failed!");
	while ($guest = mysql_fetch_array($guests)) {
   		   echo "<option value='".$guest[$value]."'>".$guest[$text]."</option>";
  		 ;};
   		 echo"</select></form>";
    ;};

I hope this is of any help....

Fernando Michelotti

mekka

Hi R Sapers 🙂

I don't know why you're making an option list with 9000 people, but here's what I see.

The recordset you're returning is 9000 rows. You're creating a variable option_block that is created with 18000 array reads (2 columns * 9000 rows) 9000 string interpolations, 54000 (5 concatenations from interpolating and one concatenation to the option_block string) and 18000 resets of temporary variables (2 acct_id nad acct_uname).

In addition, there is no need to create the large variable option_block variable, just to spit it out later. In fact, you throw the whole 9000 options into another slightly larger variable display_block.

I would lose the display_block variable.
I would replace the $option_block variable in the form with a php code block that:
1] echoes output directly to client
2] doesn't use temporary vars
3] doesn't use option_block var.
4] uses single quote strings.

an example (you'll have to check for errors but you get the idea). I think you'll find the solution below is much faster than the other way.

Take care.

Mekka

<?
//database code to get recordset
?>

<P><strong>Customer:</strong>
<select name=\"acct_id\">

<?
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
echo ('<option value="'
.$row['acct_id']
.'"'
.$row['acct_uname']
.'</option>');
}
?>
</select>