Forms and select boxes

ali_p

Hello,

I am trying to create a form that consists of 3 dynamic drop down boxes. By dynamic i mean that the options will be populated from a mysql database, and also the option are dependant on the option that was chosen before it.

So my site allows the user to input soccer matches. The first form field is group , which they select from a dropdown box. If they select Group A then for the next input fields (Team 1 , Team 2) i want only the teams from Group A to be in the dropdown list.

Does anyone know of a good tutorial that explains how one would do this in a neat and logical way.

Thanks in advance

devinemke

the basic idea (just guessing at your data structure):

<form action="" method="POST">

<?php
// connect to the db

if (!isset($_POST['submit']))
{
	$result = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM groups');

echo '
choose group:<br>
<select name="group">
';

while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
	echo '<option value="' . $row['group_id'] . '">' . $row['group_name'];
}

echo '</select>';
}
else
{
	$result = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM teams WHERE group_id = ' . $_POST['group_id']);

echo '
choose team from goup ' . $_POST['group_id'] . ':<br>
<select name="team">
';

while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
	echo '<option value="' . $row['team_id'] . '">' . $row['team_name'];
}

echo '</select>';
}
?>

<br>
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit">
</form>

alexu_

if you want to have all on one page you can do it using JavaScript. Check this link:

http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/triplecombo.shtml

ali_p

Thanks for the help guys.
Ideally what i require is a bit of both the suggestions. I want my form to look like the javascript selection, where you can see the previous option choice, and it all apears on the one page. But at the same time i need my options to come from the mysql database table, which i forgot to mention is the same table. So the table contains team_id, group, and team_name.
Ideally i would want to form to post to itself as there are other fields that i will including also.

ali_p

Heres the code that i am currently working with to achieve my dynamic select boxes. Its very rough 'n' ready at the moment. However it is erroring out and not retaining the value of the first select box, the one that call the groups.

For the purpose of just getting the thing to work i am only concerned with pulling out one set of team names.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

<?
include("app_global.php");

//open the connection
$conn = mysql_connect("$glob_host", "$glob_user", "$glob_pass");
//pick the database to use
mysql_select_db($db_name, $conn);

//create the sql statement
$sql = "SELECT *
FROM dcass_groups
GROUP BY 'group'";
//execute the sql statement
$result = mysql_query($sql, $conn)or die(mysql_error());
//will go through each row in the result set and display data
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
//give a name to the fields
$team_id = $row['team_id'];
$group = $row['group'];
$team_name=$row['team_name'];
$group_options .="
<option value=\"$group\">$group</option>\n";
}

//to get the teams relevant to the group
//
if (isset($POST['finalsubmit']))
{
// PROCEED TO NEXT FORM
}
else
{
if (isset($POST['group']))
{
$result=mysql_query("select * FROM dcass_groups WHERE group=$_POST[group] ");
$teams='<select name="team1">';
while($row=mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
// RETURN DETAILS OF THE COUNTRY CHOSEN
$teams.='<option value="'.$row[team_id].'">'.$row[team_name].'</option>';
}
$teams.='</select>';
}
}

?>
<html>
<head>
<title>test</title>
<SCRIPT language="JavaScript">
function submitform()
{
document.form1.submit();
}
</SCRIPT>
</head>

</body>
</html>