Selected text into textarea?

zoobie

Is there an easy way to do this with php?
The user comes into a page and selects from a drop down 1 of several pre-written letters (like a snail-mail letter) containing several lines of text. The selection is then passed into a form's textarea on the same page for editing and sending.
Looking for a simple way (not active-x).
Thanks :p

dalecosp

Is there an easy way to do this with PHP?

Yes, as long as you allow the form to be submitted and the server to serve the page again with the select text included.

Otherwise, look at a client(browser)-side technology such as Javascript.

zoobie

I'm trying it with javascript now but it's not happening. How about an example in php? Maybe I could piece it together. Thanks

maxpup979

Here is a javascript solution:...

<html>
<head>
<title>Untitled</title>
<script type="text/javascript">
function pop_text(form){
if(form.thisfield.options[form.thisfield.selectedIndex].value=="option1"){
form.textfield.value="this is the text for the first choice";
}
if(form.thisfield.options[form.thisfield.selectedIndex].value=="option2"){
form.textfield.value="this is the text for the second choice";
}
}
</script>
</head>

<body>
<form name="testform">
<select name="thisfield" onChange="pop_text(testform);">
<option value="option0">Select One</option>
<option value="option1">first letter</option>
<option value="option2">second letter</option>
</select>
<br>
<textarea name=textfield>blank</textarea>
</form>

</body>
</html>

zoobie

Thanks...I'll keep that in mind.

In the meantime, I've started using an iframe.
First off, do I need to have select dropdowns on my parent within a form to work? That's the way it's set up now.
I also need to submit a form from the parent that's within the childs iframe but forget how.
I also need to call different pages into the iframe from the parent onchange.
Thanks

mainpage.html (parent)
<form name="bob" etc>
<select name="fred" onchange=?>
<option value="page22.html">Insert page22 in iframe</option>
</select>
<iframe name="betty" src="page.html"></iframe>
<input type="submit" onclick="submit form in page22 that's within the iframe" value="send">
</form>

page22.html (child within parent's iframe)
<form name="mary" etc>
<textarea name="sam"></textarea>
</form>