Multiple option values

chinni_77

Hello everybody,

Theres a table called articles and there are article names for each category type.I've a field called categories of data type varchar.Right now, I'm inserting the records thrgh PhpMyAdmin in order to check if my search script is working.
So far it works fine with one category type.

Now, I want to make the category type to hold multiple options

Ex:

Article name1 belongs to category type (Media, communications)

Article name 2 belongs to Category type ( Communications, coding)

Article name 3 belongs to category type (Coding, design, media)

well, how can i make a field to hold multiple values.

Could somebody help me out.

Many thanks

Pig

create a seperate table with a column for the article id, and the category id. Then have a listing for reach category for each item.

eg: if article 1 belongs to categories 2, 3, 5 and article 2 belongs to 1, 3 then the table would be:

articleid | categoryid
1 | 2
1 | 3
1 | 5
2 | 1
2 | 3

Just do a join, and you're set.

chinni_77

hello,

well, if i wanna insert them thrg a form, how shld i do it???Is that possible with a drop down box.

Any ideas??

Thanks in advance

Pig

I'm not sure what you are asking. The drop down box can have anything you want in it. You just need to have a sql statement that updates it.

Are you asking how you would assign multiple categories to the article? The simplest route would be to enter the values seperated by commas, then explode() the data and insert it.

You could also create several drop down boxes, and run a query for each of them. Just have the default <option> have no value. Then in your process page, do a test for each <select> to see if it is empty. IF it is, do nothing. If it is not empty, do an insert.