Select form with auto select

[Sonic_Rage]

I'm trying to make a form where you modify an acount. One of the selections is to choose an age from 4-7 using the <select> tag. What I want to do is when modifying account, it will automatically make that selected number show up matching what is in the database.

echo" <SELECT NAME=\"age\"> "; 

        if ($row[age] == 4)
         {
           echo "<OPTION VALUE=\"4\" SELECTED>4";
         }
        if ($row[age] == 5)
         {
           echo "<OPTION VALUE=\"5\" SELECTED>5";
         }

        if ($row[age] == 6)
         {
           echo "<OPTION VALUE=\"6\" SELECTED>6";
         }

        if ($row[age] == 7)
         {
           echo "<OPTION VALUE=\"7\" SELECTED>7";
         }
echo "<OPTION VALUE=\"4\">4";
echo "<OPTION VALUE=\"5\">5";
echo "<OPTION VALUE=\"6\">6";
echo "<OPTION VALUE=\"7\">7";
echo" </SELECT>";

I'm sure there is a much easier way then how I'm doing it.

[LordShryku]

try

echo "<OPTION VALUE=$row[age]>$row[age]";

[marque]

echo "<select name=\"age\">\n";
$i = 4;
while ($i <= 7) {
   echo "<option";
   if ($row[age] == $i) {
      echo " selected"
      }
   echo ">$i</option>\n";
   $i ++;
   }
echo "</select>";

[Sonic_Rage]

Marque, thank you. That is what I was trying to figure out. I greatly appreciate your help. Your's too LordShryku. :-)

If want to do it for a word instead of a number, would it be the same? If I wanted it to choose the sex, and show the default, either male or female, what would I change to make that work.

[marque]

No Probs,

unfortunately words are a little different unless your getting it from an array, which if it were from an array you would do this:

echo "<select name=\"list\">\n";

foreach($row as $key => $val) {
   echo "<option value=\"$key\"";
   if($key == $row[list]) {
      echo "selected";
      }
   echo ">$val</option>\n";
   }
echo "</select>\n";

using for gender:

i would make an array called $sex with the values 'male', 'female' and 'Sure Why Not' 😉

[Sonic_Rage]

So, would I do it like this?

$sex = array ('Male', 'Female', 'Unsure');

echo "<select name=\"sex\">\n";

foreach($row as $sex => $val) {
   echo "<option value=\"$sex\"";
   if($sex == $row[list]) {
      echo "selected";
      }
   echo ">$val</option>\n";
   }
echo "</select>\n";

[marque]

Not exactly

The variable $sex I am assuming you are storing in the database, etc. When the user returns to the page to decide upon what gender he/she/it is the variable should be set, eg $sex = "Unsure".

You have set the array correctly, but the foreach statement is incorrect and the array name would clash with the users origional choice, if you were to set the array as $sexOptions and the origional value is $sex that wont be a problem.

where you have wrote: foreach($row as $sex => $val) should read: foreach($sexOptions as $value)

With that you are sourcing each value of the array $sexOptions. The key of the array is irrelevent so you don't need the =>

the if($sex == $row

• ) should propbably read: if($value == $sex) where it is checking against the $value of the array $sexOptions to see if it is the same. The rest is fine.

  $sex = "Unsure"; // setting this so you can see the result, it really should be taken from a database if the form has been filled out by the user previously.
  
  $sexOptions = array ('Male', 'Female', 'Unsure');
  
  echo "<select name=\"sex\">\n";
  
  foreach($sexOptions as $value) {
     echo "<option";
     if($value == $sex) {
        echo "selected";
        }
     echo ">$value</option>\n";
     }
  echo "</select>\n";
  
  

  You will see that the select box has "Unsure" already selected.

  Hope this helps

[Sonic_Rage]

Oh ok, I think I understand that now. Thank you, that really does help alot. At least too it gives me an idea how to apply to other fields that may require the same logic. :-)

[marque]

No probs,

also if you want to allow multiple selections on a multiple select box or lots of check box's set the name of the field to $name[]

eg <select name=\"sex[]\"> that will allow your users to select two or more genders if necessary.

The info will be sent through as an array.

[Sonic_Rage]

Oh ok, great. Thanks. :-)

[EviL_CodE]

You could also use javascript.

function populateVals() {
yourForm.yourSelect.value='<?=$age?>';
...
}

and call the function onLoad in the body tag.