Drop Down Menu, Need Suggestion/Help!

[DRTechie]

I currently have a registration page which has a drop down menu that is populated from a MySQL database. My problem is that now I have to add an additional 3 menus in the same manner. I think my SQL query would look something like this...is this correct?

"SELECT * FROM table1, table2, table3, table4";

Someone suggested that instead of connecting to the DB for the menus to just read from a text file. My question is, which is the most efficient way, DB or Text file? Second, I've never read from a text file, can someone give a sample script to populate a menu from text file or provide a link where I can find an example. Thanks.

[sarahk]

Hey DrTechie

check out some of the tutorials and articles at http://www.phpbuilder.com <-- here!

If you have a menu based on a table with columns such as
destination
displaytext

why not just add a column called
* menuname

then when querying you just ensure that menuname matches the menus you are trying to build (or process in php). Because you can sort by menuname you can keep them alltogether.

Maybe even add a column called
* sortorder

to ensure that the menuname's come out in the right order because maybe you don't want them alphabetically.

so

$sql = "select * from table1 order by sortorder, menuname";

would give you all your menu options sorted nicely.

good luck