Hi All,

I am not too sure if this is going to have a php solution or something simple in html, but here goes:

I have a drop down (select) menu, and have some choices of course, now when I select one, the page loads (using onchange event handler no button)...What I would like to know how to do is keep the selected choice as the default value, so let's say I have a default value currently as Choose an option, and I click option 1, how can I have the default value say option 1 instead of Choose an option as it currently stands?

Update, I tried using the following php code which does work on this, but when I apply it to my select menu, it defaults to the original default choice so I am wondering if this code could be modified to my needs:

PHP Code:

<select name="categories">
<option value="">Choose a category...</option>
<option value="seo" <?php echo $result['categories'] == 'seo' ? 'selected' : ''?> >Search Engine Optimization</option>
<option value="auto" <?php echo $result['categories'] == 'auto' ? 'selected' : ''?>>Autos</option>
<option value="business" <?php echo $result['categories'] == 'business' ? 'selected' : ''?>>Business</option>
<option value="design" <?php echo $result['categories'] == 'design' ? 'selected' : ''?>>Design</option>

Hope that explains it!

Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Brian

Step through a foreach loop
something like

PHP Code:

<?php
$categories = array(
    'seo' => 'Search Engine Optimization',
    'auto' => 'Autos',
    'business' => 'Business',
    'design' => 'Design',
);
?>


<select name="categories">
<?php foreach( $categories as $var => $categories ): ?>
<option value="<?php echo $var ?>"<?php if( $var == $result['categories'] ): ?> selected="selected"<?php endif; ?>> <?php echo $categories?></option>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</select>

Hi Chris,

That appears to work for me, but...The only way I can tell for sure, is I am going to have to target the links into the same page frame, because when the links open in a new window, and I hit back in the browser, it's natural for the drop down to stay put, on the selected choice, so I now have to figure out whether to use a php switch or iframe, or something else maybe? This would be the actual intention in my case (to load the content into the same page). What do you think for this case? A php switch statement like:

<table width="200" border="1">
  <tr>
    <td>

PHP Code:

<?
switch ($_GET['page']) 
{
case "main": include '1.php'; break;
case "2": include '2.php'; break;
case "3": include '3.php'; break;


default: include '1.php'; break;

}
?>

</td>
    <td><a href="index.php?page=main">page1</a><br /><a href="index.php?page=2">page2</a><br /><a href="index.php?page=3">page3</a><br /></td>
  </tr>
</table>

or a basic iframe...What do you think? I am going to mess with the above code to see if I can manage getting the drop down links to use that code.

I think I jumped to far ahead of myself, what I need to do first, is determine whether to use the iframe or the above switch statement to target the links in the drop down, then use your code Chris, to make the drop down option 'stick'...

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Step through a foreach loop
something like

PHP Code:

<?php
$categories = array(
    'seo' => 'Search Engine Optimization',
    'auto' => 'Autos',
    'business' => 'Business',
    'design' => 'Design',
);
?>


<select name="categories">
<?php foreach( $categories as $var => $categories ): ?>
<option value="<?php echo $var ?>"<?php if( $var == $result['categories'] ): ?> selected="selected"<?php endif; ?>> <?php echo $categories?></option>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</select>

Chris,

I think I am on to something...But I need to know about something in the array you posted:

PHP Code:

<?php
$categories = array(
    'seo' => 'Search Engine Optimization',
    'auto' => 'Autos',
    'business' => 'Business',
    'design' => 'Design',
);
?>

Does 'seo' , 'auto' 'business' 'design' represent the option name and 'Search Engine Optimization', 'Autos', 'Business', 'Design' represent the option value or vice versa? I am a bit lost there.

Thanks
Brian

I tried using both the option name and option values.

Regardless of what I tried, I couldn't keep the selected option to stick...

Here's all the code I have:

To target the drop down links into the iframe:

<script type="text/Javascript">
function jumpMenu(targ,selObj,restore)
{
var url = selObj.options[selObj.selectedIndex].value;    
selObj.options[selObj.selectedIndex].value +"'");
var iframe = document.getElementById('test');
iframe.src = url;
if (restore) selObj.selectedIndex=0;
}

<select name="categories" id="categories" onchange="if(this.value!=''){document.location.href=this.value}" alt="Reunite My Site - Drop Down Navigation" title="Reunite My Site - Drop Down Navigation">

<!-- PHP Loop To Keep Current Select Option Selected -->

<?php foreach( $categories as $var => $categories ): ?>
<option value="<?php echo $var ?>"<?php if( $var == $result['categories'] ): ?> selected="selected"<?php endif; ?>> <?php echo $categories?></option>
<?php endforeach; ?>

<option value="Categories/Choice1" >Choice1</option>
<option value="Categories/Choice2">Choice2</option>
<option value="Categories/Choice3">Choice3</option>
<option value="Categories/Choice4">Choice4</option>
</select>

Then finally the iframe tag:

<iframe src="" id="test">

I have decided to use the php switch statement due to browser compatiblity issues / with the iframe tag...Anyway...I need to know how I can open a url in a different folder from that script:

ex: I need to use this type of url: <a href="index.php?page=path/to/index.php">page2</a>

And currently it only works if the file is in the current folder. How can I get it so I can view pages in other folders on the server using the above url?

Scratch this...I FORGOT I CAN USE PHP Includes for that! SORRY about that one!

Thanks again!
Brian

 <?php
$categories = array(
    'seo' => 'Search Engine Optimization',
    'auto' => 'Autos',
    'business' => 'Business',
    'design' => 'Design',
);?>

It is a associative array. A two dimensional array referenced by the key name rather than the index number, the first entry is the key ie 'seo' which is used for the option value attribute, the second entry is the key value used for the option text.