mySQL Drop down list Query

eric1328

I have a MySQL database, and have a table named tutorials. I have a .php file displaying the Date and Title columns of the tutorials table, see it at http://www.wireless-nets.com/database/tutorials.php
I also have a Category column in the tutorials table, but isn't displayed.

I would like to able to do the following:

Display a drop down list/menu filled with the Category column from tutorials table
When user chooses a Category from the drop down list/menu, it would then display all the entries of that Category from the tutorials table

You can see my code for the tutorials.php file at http://www.wireless-nets.com/database/tutorials.htm

Please help!
Thanks
Eric

laserlight

Should be quite simple.

Loop though the Category data and write the required html.
When the user chooses an option, the form is sent.
You then use the form data to select data which matches the chosen category.

If you intend to do this dynamically clientside, then you might have to load all the data into a javascript that handles it.

eric1328

I am new to this and do not know the coding, is there anyway you help me more?

laserlight

Here are some examples:

//assume database connection open, database selected
//select the categories from the tutorials table
//use DISTINCT so only 1 instance of each category is shown
$query = mysql_query("SELECT DISTINCT `Category` FROM `tutorials`")
	OR die(mysql_error());
//write the html down down menu
echo '<select name="cat">' . "\n";
//loop through the result set
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
	//prepare the data for output
	$category = htmlspecialchars(stripslashes($row['Category']));
	//write out the current option
	echo '<option value="' . $Category . '">' . $Category . "</option>\n";
}
echo '</select>' . "\n"; //the drop down menu ends here

$query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `tutorials` WHERE `Category`='$cat'")
	OR die(mysql_error());
//lets display using an un-ordered list
echo "<ul>\n";
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
	echo '<li>' . htmlspecialchars(stripslashes($row['title']))
		. htmlspecialchars(stripslashes($row['date'])) . "</li>\n";
}
echo "</ul>\n";

eric1328

Thank you, I will try it out

eric1328

I inserted the code, but the drop down list contains blank entries. The blank entries are exactly as many Categories i have.

Also does this show or bring up all the entries of the category or does it just load the drop down list?

The new .php file is at:
http://www.wireless-nets.com/database/Copy%20of%20tutorials.php

And the new code is used is at:
http://www.wireless-nets.com/database/Copy%20of%20tutorials.htm

laserlight

Actually, that's because I made a typo error.
2, actually, though they are for the same thing.

Try to find it 😉

eric1328

I found one error:
$category = htmlspecialchars(stripslashes($row['Category']));

Changed to:
$Category = htmlspecialchars(stripslashes($row['Category']));

I didn't find another one. The Categories display correctly in the drop down list now, but doesn't show the results below it.

laserlight

well, if you look at it that way, then it is only 1 typo.

The Categories display correctly in the drop down list now, but doesn't show the results below it.

what do you mean

eric1328

I wanted it also to:

When user chooses a Category from the drop down list/menu, it would then display all the entries of that Category from the tutorials table

KrZDG

Here it is a good tutorial that might help you out:
http://www.zend.com/zend/tut/drop-down.php

eric1328

I figured out how to display a drop down list loaded with categories from my database. I tried to figure the rest out but am still really confused, I have never messed with any of this coding. Could you please help me out more?

Look at: http://www.wireless-nets.com/databa...20tutorials.php

Here is the code at: http://www.wireless-nets.com/databa...20tutorials.htm

What I would like to do is:

When a user picks a category from the dropdown list and hits a button it would display the entries from that Category. I would like the results shown just like the search results on the same page would be displayed and the have the ORDER BY Date DESC as like the search is.