[Resolved] displaying information from database

Hoangsta

i don't understand why i can retreive information from a simply
<input type="text">

but not from

via my database. I made the <option> to have a default value such as "select a category".

I tried so many different ways to retreive information that I had to put another <input type="text" name="whatever the option value is"> just to display out my fields.

I know that there is a way to go about this, plz help. kind regards and thank you.

erikwebb

Are you trying to retrieve data from the <select> element? If you are, you need to specify a NAME attribute.

Hoangsta

i'm actually trying to retrieve data from a database. how the database was populated was from an <option></option> or a drop down box... when i want to view what was stored in the database, i want it to retrieve the field from the database and show it in my drop down box. as of now, it just show me the the default value that i given to the drop down box...

<select name="businessacct_state_country" VALUE="$businessacct_state_country">
<option value="" selected>Select One
<option value=Alabama>Alabama
</option>
</select>

if u still don't understand, say u choose Alambama, that value will be inserted into the database. now u want to view what you inserted, i want to know how to. i just want the value be shown. so far, i only know how to show the value that is stored via an <input type="text">

erikwebb

If all you want to do is output the text, why not print it like normal text? I'm sorry if I am confused.

LordShryku

Ok, I think I understand. There's a couple ways you can do this.
To use the existing selection box without adding any more options, you'll need to add a check to each option to see if it should be selected

<?
$sql = "SELECT state FROM table";
$res = mysql_query($sql);
$row = mysql_fetch_row($res);
?>
<select name="businessacct_state_country">
<option value="">Select One</option>
<option value="Alabama"<?=($row[0]=="Alabama")?" selected":""?>>Alabama</option>
<option value="Arizona"<?=($row[0]=="Arizona")?" selected":""?>>Arizona</option>

This way is pretty tedious. The easiest way would be to just add another row above the "Select One" option

<?
$sql = "SELECT state FROM table";
$res = mysql_query($sql);
?>
<select name="businessacct_state_country">
<?
if(mysql_num_rows($res) > 0) {
   $row = mysql_fetch_row($res);
   echo "<option value=\"".$row[0]."\">".$row[0]."</option>";
}
?>
<option value="">Select One</option>
<option value="Alabama">Alabama</option>
<option value="Arizona">Arizona</option>

Hoangsta


$query = "SELECT business_type
            FROM BusinessName

$result = mysql_query($query) or die("<BR>Invalid query: " . mysql_error());
  // Shall we have an error message if no data comes back?
  $user_array = mysql_fetch_array($result);

$business_type = "<option value=\"".$user_array['business_type']."\"</option>";
}


<FORM ACTION="$php_self" METHOD="POST">
<b>Business Account Information</b><br>     

<p class="bold">Business Type<br>              

<select name="business_type" VALUE="$business_type"></p>
                <option value="" selected>Select One 
                <option value=Arts & humanities>Arts & Humanities 
                <option value=Auto>Auto 
                 </option>
              </select>
<p><INPUT TYPE="submit" NAME="submit" value="save"><INPUT TYPE="reset" NAME="reset" value="reset"></p> 
</form>

I do not know how to explain this to u guys. all i wanted to do was to see the result from my database via an <option> scheme that I set up. but when i do see my result, i want to be able to choose the whatever it is that is in the <option> if i do not like my choice. i hope u guys understand. if not, can u plz create an <option> scheme and see if yo can retrieve data from it? I don't want to echo anything out, because I still want to have the ability to choose.

do not create a scheme using an <input type> I know how to retrieve data from it. I just can't retreive data with the option.

Weedpacket

Sorry, I'm confused now. I thought LordShryku got what you meant, but now you say that's not it, and I don't get what u [sic] mean by an "<option> scheme". Do you mean the option values themselves are stored in the database as well?

P.S. You should be quoting your options' values: "<option value=Art & Humanities>" is broken.

Hoangsta

try to create a combo box and store that value into the database. once you do that, try to retrieve that value that you stored in the database.

Weedpacket

LordShryku's code does that.

When you're getting data out of a database why should you need to care how the data got in there in the first place?!

Hoangsta

i don't care how the data are store, i just want to retreive data with the <option>.

say you go and fill out an application. in the application it has a text box for you to type in your name and an option box that default to "select one" to let you choose a city of where you live.

u submit in the application and it shows you a preview of your application.

Name: John Doe
City: select one

that is what my code is doing for me above. I can't seem to show the city that John Doe selected.

I try to use the code that our friend posted, but it doesn't work for me.

Hoangsta

guys, i finally found a way to retrieve data from the database with the <option> anyways, here is the code.


if ($_POST['submit'] == 'submit') { 
    // It will keep the values of entries if you left one out. 
    $cust_address = $_POST['cust_address']; 
    $gen_city = $_POST['gen_city']; 
    $generalacct_state_country = $_POST['generalacct_state_country']; 
    $generalacct_state_country = "<option selected value=$generalacct_state_country>$generalacct_state_country</option>";  

<FORM ACTION="$php_self" METHOD="POST"> 
<b>General Account Information</b><br> 
<p class="bold">Home Address<br> 
<INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="cust_address" VALUE="$cust_address" size="50" maxlength="50"></p> 
<p class="bold">City<br> 
<INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="gen_city" VALUE="$gen_city" size="30" maxlength="30"></p> 
<p class="bold">State/Country<br> 
<select name="generalacct_state_country"></p> 
                <$generalacct_state_country>  

                <option value=Alabama>Alabama</option>  

                <option value=Alaska>Alaska</option>

Earler from above the page, i couldn't retrieve anything from the database with the <option> until i used


$generalacct_state_country = $_POST['generalacct_state_country']; 
    $generalacct_state_country = "<option selected value=$generalacct_state_country>$generalacct_state_country</option>";  


Where the $generalacct_state_country is the value that is stored as the option's value itself