Using database to populate drop down menu.

[mgworek]

I have it working cept for when there is a error in the form and it repopulates the fields in the form, I am having trouble getting the drop down to work.

just for testing, i used this code...

print "<option value='$row[state_name]'>$row[state_name]</option>";
print "<option value='$state' selected='selected'>$state</option>";

which lists all the states in the database but then lists the selected state after each state in the database.

any suggestions on where to look?

This is my code for the lookup...

<?
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `states`") or die(mysql_error());
echo "<select name='state'>";
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
echo "<option value='$row[state_name]'>$row[state_name]";
}
echo "</select>";
?>

[coopster]

You just need to break up your options a bit and append when the selection has been made ...

<? 
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `states`") or die(mysql_error()); 
echo "<select name='state'>"; 
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) { 
 echo "<option value='$row[state_name]'"; 
 if (previously selected option == $row['state_name']) { 
 echo " selected='selected'"; 
 } 
 echo ">$row[state_name]"; 
} 
echo "</select>"; 
?>

[mgworek]

thanx!

I was thinking there must be a way to use if selected value = something in the database but i was having trouble piecing it together!

[coopster]

You are welcome. I'm guessing the previously selected option is going to be that of your select box, 'state'. So, the code logic there is likely something such as

if (isset($_POST['state']) && $_POST['state'] == $row['state_name']) {  
 echo " selected='selected'";  
}