Multiple Select Combo Box

Nate

Say I have the following html code:

<select size="7" name="Item_Type[]" multiple>
    <option value=Rings>Rings</option>
    <option value=Earrings>Earrings</option>
    <option value=Pendants>Pendants</option>
    <option value=Necklaces>Necklaces</option>
    <option value=Bracelets>Bracelets</option>
    <option value=Gemstones>Gemstones</option>
</select>

A user chooses Rings, Earrings, and Gemstones. They hit submit. It goes into a mysql database as one record.

NAME EMAIL ITEM_TYPES
Joe Blow | joeblow@joe.com | Rings,Earrings,Gemstones

Now we have 1 record for Joe Blow.

Thats easy to do.

The problem i'm having is, when Mr. Blow comes back and wants to update that information. This time my html would have to be changed to look like:

<select size="7" name="Item_Type[]" multiple>
    <option value=Rings SELECTED>Rings</option>
    <option value=Earrings SELECTED>Earrings</option>
    <option value=Pendants>Pendants</option>
    <option value=Necklaces>Necklaces</option>
    <option value=Bracelets>Bracelets</option>
    <option value=Gemstones SELECTED>Gemstones</option>
</select>

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Yegg

Well, as I think U can e.g. creat table with one column but better make with 2 columns with ID of record and VALUE, and in your main table then U have to make some changes, instead of name U will write ID's. With help of new table U will be able to generate your option list like this way (sry. if there will be some syntax errors I have no place to try, near):

Nate

Thanks, I was thinking of doing something similiar to that but I was hoping there may be a way to do it without setting up another table for the item_types...

<select size="7" name="Item_Type[]" multiple>
    <option value=Rings>Rings</option>
    <option value=Earrings>Earrings</option>
    <option value=Pendants>Pendants</option>
    <option value=Necklaces>Necklaces</option>
    <option value=Bracelets>Bracelets</option>
    <option value=Gemstones>Gemstones</option>
</select>

Is static.. It isn't built from any db. I'd rather not have to pull the values out of a table just to match them against another table, but if thats the only option, I guess it'll work.

Thanks again.

tatara

You can use only one field and separate all entries with comma (or whatever). When you save to DB you implode, when reading you explode that field. This is of course if you don't have to many available options. I've done something like that and it works reasonable good.

Yegg

well, if it static than it's harder 😉 But U can make selection with help of JavaScript, at the end of page, U need to select all records from your main table, and group them, and after make script like this(schematic I have no much time):

I don't shure about Javscript, U need just to check how to access selected option, but I hope that Idea U understood.

Nate

Originally posted by tatara
You can use only one field and separate all entries with comma (or whatever). When you save to DB you implode, when reading you explode that field. This is of course if you don't have to many available options. I've done something like that and it works reasonable good.

Yep thats what I'm doing... I'm seperating by commas and exploding... Problem is telling my combo list which ones are selected based on the values I get from exploding the array from the field.

Nate

Originally posted by Yegg
well, if it static than it's harder 😉 But U can make selection with help of JavaScript, at the end of page, U need to select all records from your main table, and group them, and after make script like this(schematic I have no much time):

<script>
<?
while(row=mysql_fetch_assoc($result)){
echo "formName.ItemTyp[].".$row['name'].".selected=true";
}
?>
</script>

I don't shure about Javscript, U need just to check how to access selected option, but I hope that Idea U understood.

Yegg! I think thats what im looking for! I'm not to effecient in javascript, but it occured to me, that may be my only option.

So using <SCRIPT> with <? inside works just fine? Thanks so much i'll have to give that a try.

Yegg

So using <SCRIPT> with <? inside works just fine? Thanks so much i'll have to give that a try. - ofcourse it will works FINE, if there will be NO records in HTML code U'll be get just empty script tag like <script></script> if there will be some records, then JS strings will be generated, U need just to specify how to get access to selected option.

Nate

Okay that works great.

One problem though.

<form action=$PHP_SELF name=notifications_form method=post>
    <select size="7" name="ItemType" multiple>
    <option value=Ring>Rings</option>
    <option value=Earrings>Earrings</option>
    <option value=Pendant>Pendants</option>
    <option value=Necklace>Necklaces</option>
    <option value=Bracelet>Bracelets</option>
    <option value=Gemstone>Gemstones</option>
    <option value=Other>Other</option>
    <SCRIPT LANGUAGE=Javascript>
    <?php

include("../config.inc");

$server=mysql_connect($host,$dbuser,$dbpass);
mysql_select_db($db,$server);

$notify_query=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `notifications` WHERE email='nate@ramseygems.com'");

//Loop through all records
while($notify_array=mysql_fetch_array($notify_query))
{
//Loop through types and determine if form type eq account type
$type_array=explode(",",$notify_array["type"]);
for($t=0; $t<count($type_array); $t++)
{
echo "\ndocument.notifications_form.ItemType.options[$t].selected=true;\n";
}
}
?>
</SCRIPT>
</select>
</form>

That works 100% fine, but if I change <select size="7" name="ItemType[]" multiple>
and
echo "\ndocument.notifications_form.ItemType[].options[$t].selected=true;\n";

it give javascript errors. I NEED the [] to pass them as an array.. any ideas?

Yegg

richardruiter

In these situation you wish you where using PHPLib all the time.

Then all you do is some like this:
$f->add_element(array("type"=>"select", "name"=>"doelregio", "options"=>$o));

Where $o is an array with elements.

🆒 🆒

Yegg

and

document.notifications_form.ItemType.options[$t].selected=true;

JS will work, just see if data will be submitted as array

Nate

Originally posted by Yegg
<select size="7" id="ItemType" name="ItemType[]" multiple>

Yegg your awesome. That worked like a charm. Thanks

Nate

Too bad you have to access the options by

.options[$t].selected=true...

I store the options as names, not id's. Any idea, if you can access them by values instead of as you would an array?

Yegg

cannot 2 try, but it must work

<? 
$c=0;
while($row=@mysql_fetch_row($result)){
	$jsArray[$c]="'".$row['name']."'";
	$c++;
}
$jsArray=implode(",", $jsArray);
echo "selectIt=new Array(".$jsArray.");";
?>

listing=document.notifications_form.ItemType;
for (var i=0; i<listing.options.length; i++) {
for (var c=0; c<selectIt.length; c++) {
if(listing.options.value==selectIt[c]){listing.options.selected='true';}
}
}
</SCRIPT>

Nate

Wow! That looks a little complicated. Maybe i'll try it out, but for now I just decided to store my values like Rings.1,Earrings.2,Pendants.4 etc and then exploding them where the . is and using the number as an ID.

Yegg

well I don't know Y it's complicated, but it's WORKS!!!!!! U just need to give as result records from your table, which include Option names AND ALL!!!!!!!! All these options will be selected!!