multiple select box question

[noname76]

I got the following function that builds a select box from an array:

function buildDropDownSelectBox($default,$items_array,$select_name) {

		$html.='<select name="'.$select_name.'"'.$multiple.' class="form">';

	while (list($offset, $zone) = @each($items_array)) {

		$selected = ($offset == $default) ? ' selected' : '';
		$html.='<option value="'.$offset.'"'.$selected.'>'.$zone.'</option>';
	}
		$html.='</select>';

		reset($items_array);

	return $html;
	}

If user selects an item and posts the form with wrong data this function marks the item selected, so user doesn't have to select it again. ($default equals $_POST[name_of_the_box]).
Well, it works fine, but I want to do the same with a multiple select box. Can anyone tell me how to modify the code above in order to work with multiple boxes also?

Thanks in advance.

[tsinka]

You need to change the name of a multiple select to e.g.

name="thename[]"

You can then access the submitted values as an array:

$arrValues = $_POST['thename'];

Use e.g. foreach on $arrValues to get the submitted values.

use $_GET['thename'] if the method of the form is get.

Thomas

[noname76]

Originally posted by tsinka
You need to change the name of a multiple select to e.g.

name="thename[]"

You can then access the submitted values as an array:

$arrValues = $_POST['thename'];

Use e.g. foreach on $arrValues to get the submitted values.

use $_GET['thename'] if the method of the form is get.

Thomas

Yeah I guess I should do something with foreach but no idea how. Would you be more exact amd tell me the code?
Thanks.

[tsinka]

To get and print the submitted values (simple example):

if (isset($_POST['thename']) && is_array($_POST['thename'])) {
  foreach ($_POST['thename'] as $value) {
     echo "value: $value<br>\n";
  }
} else {
  // no value selected
  echo "nothing selected<br>\n";
}

Thomas

[noname76]

Thanks, it prints the values, that's ok, but how can i tell php to insert "selected" to item(s) that were selected before?

When the boy is not multiple, my code above (first post) works fine, but in case multiple it doesn't...

Can you modify my function to multiple boxes?

[noname76]

	function buildDropDownSelectBox($default,$items_array,$select_name) {

		$html.='<select name="'.$select_name.'" multiple class="form">';

	while (list($offset, $zone) = @each($items_array)) {

	if (isset($default) && is_array($default)) { 
	foreach ($default as $value) { 

		$selected = ($value == $offset) ? ' selected' : '';
			}
	}
		//$selected = ($value == $default) ? ' selected' : '';
		$html.='<option value="'.$offset.'"'.$selected.'>'.$zone.'</option>';
	}
		$html.='</select>';

		reset($items_array);

	return $html;
	}

I have tried this one, but it only selects the last selected item.

[tsinka]

Try something like this:

function  buildDropDownSelectBox($default,$items_array,$select_name) {
  $html.='<select name="'.$select_name.'[]" multiple class="form">';
  while (list($offset, $zone) = @each($items_array)) {
    $selected = '';
    if (isset($default) && is_array($default) && in_array($offset,$default)) { 
        $selected = ' selected';
    }
    //$selected = ($value == $default) ? ' selected' : '';
    $html.='<option value="'.$offset.'"'.$selected.'>'.$zone.'</option>';
  }
  $html.='</select>';
  reset($items_array);
  return $html;
}

Thomas

[noname76]

Thanks Thomas, it works fine now!

I have merged my original code with yours and now it can handle simple and multiple boxes also.

Here is the eventual working function (if anyone is interested):

		function buildDropDownSelectBox($selected_items_array,$available_items_array,$select_box_name,$multiple) {

			$html.='<select name="'.$select_box_name.'"'.$multiple.' class="form">';
	while (list($offset, $zone) = @each($available_items_array)) {
			$selected = '';

	if (empty($multiple)) {
			$selected = ($offset == $selected_items_array) ? ' selected' : '';
	}
	if (isset($selected_items_array) && is_array($selected_items_array) && in_array($offset,$selected_items_array)) {
			$selected = ' selected';
	}
			$html.='<option value="'.$offset.'"'.$selected.'>'.$zone.'</option>';
	}
			$html.='</select>';

		reset($available_items_array);

	return $html;
}

Thank you again for your time and effort.