Setting a variable to the value of a SELECT list item?

[matd]

Hi,

I'm trying to set and pass a variable called $type = to the selected items value in a select list.

Here's my code :-

<FORM method="POST" action="listequipment.php?forsaleorwanted=s&type=<?echo $type];?>">

<P>Select a category :<br>

<SELECT name="selecttype">

<? echo "$option_block"; ?>

</SELECT>

<P><INPUT name="forsale" type="submit" id="forsale" value="List"></p>

<?$type = $_POST['selecttype'];?>

</FORM>

Any ideas why $type isn't being set to the same value as the SELECT list value?

Thanks in advance :-)

[cgraz]

I'm a little confused here. Are you trying to get

<?$type = $_POST['selecttype'];?>

passed in the url when the form is submitted? If so, there are a few problems. You're trying to access a post variable before the form has even been submitted. And even if that was possible, you'd have to have that line of code above your form tag where you try to call it.

Maybe i'm just a little confused as to what you're trying to do.

Cgraz

[Mordecai]

Because it hasn't been submitted yet, as cgraz said.

I also see another little error:
...type=<?echo $type];?>">
There is a stray ] after $type.

[matd]

Sorry for the confusion.

Here's the whole section of code :-

<p>Browse through some of the equipment for sale:

<?

include("config/config_sql.php");

// create connection
$dbcnx = mysql_connect("$server","$user","$password")
or die("Couldn't make connection.");

// select database
$db = mysql_select_db("$database", $dbcnx)
or die("Couldn't select database.");

// create SQL statement
$sql = "SELECT * FROM types
ORDER BY type ASC";

// execute SQL query and get result
$sql_result = mysql_query($sql,$dbcnx)
or die("Couldn't execute query.");

// put data into drop-down list box
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql_result)) {

$type = $row["type"];
$typedesc =$row["typedesc"];

$option_block .= "<OPTION value=\"$type\">$typedesc</OPTION>";
}

$type = $_POST['selecttype'];

?>

<FORM method="POST" name="selectform" action="listequipment.php?forsaleorwanted=s&type=<?echo $type;?>">

<P>Select a category :<br>

<SELECT name="selecttype">

<? echo "$option_block"; ?>

</SELECT>

<P><INPUT name="forsale" type="submit" id="forsale" value="List"></p>

</FORM>

I want to pass the value of the SELECT 'selectype' to a new page as a variable called $type. I thought i did this by using $type = $_POST['selecttype']; but when i check the url being passed to the new page, type is emtpy.

Also tried changing the line :

<FORM method="POST" name="selectform" action="listequipment.php?forsaleorwanted=s&type=<?echo $type;?>">

to :

<FORM method="POST" name="selectform" action="listequipment.php?forsaleorwanted=s&type=<?echo $selecttype;?>">

But type is still empty. i have checked $option_block and that is getting populated with all the correct values.

[matd]

Thanks for your help, but i've got it working now.

$type was being passed after i posted the output to phpinfo to test it.

All i needed to do was re-assign the variable on the page i was posting to, ie :-

$type = $_POST['selecttype'];

Oh well, i'm learning all the time! ;-)

Thanks for your help.