Pre-selecting List/Menu field

Jon12345

I have a field on a webpage that is used to edit an existing record. The page draws in data from the MySQL backend.

Each text field will display the data from the database, except for the List box. How do I get the List box to be preselected using PHP?

Here is my List box code:

<select name="CategoryID" id="CategoryID">
          <option value="1">Business</option>
          <option value="2">Financial</option>
          <option value="3">Health</option>
          <option value="4">Home</option>
          <option value="5">Legal</option>
          <option value="6">Shopping</option>
          <option value="7">Travel</option>
        </select>

On the text fields, I have been using:

<? echo $row['MetaTitle']; ?>

So what do I use to set the List Box to show the existing records correct data?

leatherback

Use:

$selected[$row['CatId']] = "selected";

when retrieving the data.

Then you can in the list place:


<select name="CategoryID" id="CategoryID"> 
          <option <? echo $selected[1] ?>value="1">Business</option> 
          <option<? echo $selected[2] ?> value="2">Financial</option> 
          <option <? echo $selected[3] ?>value="3">Health</option> 
          <option value="4">Home</option> 
          <option value="5">Legal</option> 
          <option value="6">Shopping</option> 
          <option value="7">Travel</option> 
        </select>

Jon12345

You have lost me a little. I have done the following but it doesn't seem to work:

      <td valign="top">CategoryID</td>
      <td><select name="CategoryID" id="CategoryID">

  <? $selected[$row['CategoryID']] = "selected"; ?>
      <option <? echo $selected[1] ?>value="1">Business</option>
      <option <? echo $selected[2] ?>value="2">Financial</option>
      <option <? echo $selected[3] ?>value="3">Health</option>
      <option value="4">Home</option>
      <option value="5">Legal</option>
      <option value="6">Shopping</option>
      <option value="7">Travel</option>
    </select></td>
  </tr>

I have probably completely missed the point here!

twoeyes

IMO the best way to do it is to put the one currently selected at the top eaither as a duplicate or if you want to do things nicer remove it from the rest of the list. Would look something like:

<select name="whatever">
<option value="$currently_selected_value">$currently_selected</option>
<option value="$currently_selected_value">-----------------</option>
...rest of options
</select>

Please note the second option is for ascetic purposes only..:p

leatherback

Hi Jon,

the snippet I poste was a shorthand idea. I am at work. .And wanted to answer your question..

you need to do the echo stuff at each option.
What it does: It creates an array with one value (selected) which has a key, a position number so to speak, which is the same as the selected item

(that is this code:

$selected[$row['CatId']] = "selected";
)

Subsequently you echo out the value linked to each key in the array. If the key does not exist, it will just not produce anything. SInce only the key at $row['CategoryID'] has a value (selected) that will be placed in the list.