dynamic dropdown returning to selected state

[gmoody]

I have a dropdown populated from an array in a form with about 20 fields. The error checking for required fields is done using PHP. If a required field is not filled out and error is displayed at the top of the page. I need to know how to have the dropdown box display the previously selected value when a required field is not filled out and the form is submitted. The code for the dropdown is:
<? echo "<select name='basis'>\n";
for ($n=1;$n<=57;$n++)
{
echo "<option value=$n\n";

						echo "> $basisinfo[$n]\n"; 
						echo "</option>\n";
						} 
						echo "</select>"; ?>

all help is appreciated. Thanks!

[Weedpacket]

In HTML, to specify which option in a select list is to be selected, one adds the "selected" attribute to it.

So,

 echo "<option value=$n\n";
if ($n==value of option to be shown selected) echo " selected";
echo "> $basisinfo[$n]\n"; 

[gmoody]

That allows be to specify the selected value of the dropdown, however, If someone changes is and submits the form, and there is an error, it defaults back to the original selected value, and they have to reselect their value. I want their value to remain, so they don't have to fill out the form fields again. In a normal dropdown where the cvalues are hard coded, I do this:
<option value="Yes"<? echo $money == "Yes" ? ' selected' : ''; ?>>Yes</option>
<option value="No"<? echo $money == "No" ? ' selected' : ''; ?>>No </option>

but I need to know how to to that when the values are pulled from an array.

[barand]

So, as you create your options from the array, check each against the previously selected value - just like Weedpacket told you