Newbie question

[Anon]

Hi,

I'm using PHP in conjunction with a Mysql database to produce HTML menu dropdowns. I have six to produce, which will only differ by their name and so thought to do the whole thing via a for loop thus:

// ----------------------- CREATE SKILLS DROPDOWNS ---------------------------------
for ($x=1; $x <= 6; $x++){
$skilldropdown$x = "<select name='skill$x'><option value='Select skill number $x'>Select skill number $x></option>";
$sql = "SELECT * FROM skills";
$result = mysql_query($sql, $db);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)){
$skill = $row["skill"];
$skilldropdown$x .= "<option value='$skill'>$skill</option>";
}
$skilldropdown$x .= "</select>";
}
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHP complains when I try to create a variable name in this manner. Is there any way to do this please?

regards, Graham

[Anon]

since the data is all the same for each dropdown, you should not poll the db each time, just poll it once and reuse the same result set for each one.

<?
$result = mysql_query ("SELECT * FROM skills);

for ($x=1; $x <= 6; $x++) {
echo '
<select name="skill"' . $x . '">
<option>Select skill number ' . $x . '>
';
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array ($result)) {
extract ($row);
echo '
<option>' . $skill;
}
echo '</select>';
}
?>

[Anon]

whoops, i think you might have to call mysql_data_seek(). here;s the updated code:

<?
$result = mysql_query ("SELECT * FROM skills);

for ($x=1; $x <= 6; $x++) {
echo '
<select name="skill"' . $x . '">
<option>Select skill number ' . $x .
';
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array ($result)) {
extract ($row);
echo '
<option>' . $skill;
}
echo '</select>';
mysql_data_seek ($result, 0);
}
?>

[Anon]

Good points Devin. Many thanks for your help.

kind regards, Graham