Keeping pre-existing form values

[tickled_pink]

I've got a form consisting of several different elements. When data is entered it stores it into a database. I can update the values in the text fields and drop down boxes okay, so that if a user amends the details, the existing details are already in place - so that they don't have to retype the whole lot again (let's face it, we've all had to do that at some point with our PHP scripts).

What I still haven't figured out is how to set up the following from previously entered data:

checkboxes
filename boxes (or whatever they're called)
those large text entry boxes

At the moment, these three types of boxes have to be entered again. Not good.

I'd appreciate a leg-up on this one.🙂

[lazzerous]

ok... checkboxes
you can go about this a few different ways, but I'll go through the basic using only two checkboxes

let's say the two are named $receive_newsletter and $email _alert

before you retrieve the data from the db, set both of these to be empty

$receive_newsletter = "";
$email_alert = "";

if a value is present from the db pull, change the value
$email_alert = " checked";

make sure that first space is in there.

now, when displaying the checkboxes, add in the variable:

echo "<input type='checkbox' name='email_alert' value='1'$email_alert>\n";
echo "<input type='checkbox' name='receive_newsletter' value='1'$receive_newsletter>\n";

make sense?

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now, 'those large text entry boxes', or textarea...

echo "<textarea name='description' cols=40 rows=10>$value_to_be_inserted</textarea>\n";

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as for file selection, your best bet would be to list the current file being used aling with a thumbnail next to/underneath the selection box

-=Lazzerous=-