Refilling a select box with POST data (php)

Question

Hi all,
I have a select box that shows 3 options: option1, option2, option3. When a user hits submit, then in $_POST I do have the value selected. Is there an easy way to redisplay the select box with the chosen option highlighted WITHOUT it being repeated in the options?

In other words, if option2 is selected and submit is clicked, the page should display again with option2 selected, and option1 and option 3 underneath.

Thanks.

Answer 1

When you generate the select box, use the POST data (if available) to pick the item that's selected (and/or to sort the items).

Kind of like:

if($_POST["optval"] == $opt) $sel = "selected='selected'"; else $sel = "";
print "<option value='$opt' " . $sel . ">$opt</option>";

Naturally you'd want to verify that the POST data is valid and that it exists (isset). Assuming of course that you generate your select box from data accessible by PHP, rather than statically define it.

Answer 2

Create your options like this.

$options = array("optionvalue" => "Option Name");

foreach($options as $value => $name)
{
    if(isset($_POST['select_box']))
    {
        if($_POST['select_box'] == $value)
        {
            echo '<option selected="selected" value="'.$value.'">'.$name.'</option>';
            continue;
        }
    }
    echo '<option value="'.$value.'">'.$name.'</option>';
}

Answer 3

<?php

    $arrValues = array(...);

    $selectedValue = (isset ($_POST['selectName']) ? $_POST['selectName'] : "");

?>
<select name="selectName">
<?php
    for ($i = 0; $i < count($arrValues); $i++)
    {
     $opts = ($arrValues[$i] == $selectedValue) ? ' selected="selected"': '';
     echo '<option value="' . $arrValues[$i] . '"' . $opts . '>' . $arrValues[$i] . '</option>';
    }
?>
</select>