Basic Drop Down Menu!!

[dzwestwindsor]

Hello!

 

This is my first post here.

 

I'm usually do programming in Ruby (Rails) but for a special occasion I need PHP.

 

So hi PHP people! I come in peace 

 

My question is quite simple. How do you make a drop down menu? Most preferably with database populated fields in it.

 

In the Rails community, this really helped me make these menus in Rails: http://www.kahfei.com/?p=23

 

Could someone briefly write something like that too? (The place holders)

 

Orrr you guys can just explain how to do it. The ones I found on the internet were quite confusing and not explained enough.

 

Help anyone? Thank you

 

 

[TOA]

Something like this should work for you...

 

$sql 'SQL STATEMENT HERE TO GET MENU OPTIONS';
$result = mysql_query($sql, $db_connection) or die(mysql_error()); // Can omit the db_connection if you currently have one open
// start select
echo '<select name="whatever">';
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
	// inputs the value of $row['index_of_info_wanted'] into the option
echo '<option value="'.$row['index_of_info_wanted'].'>'.$row['index_of_info_wanted'].'</option>"';
}
// end select
echo '</select>';

 

Just replace the sql and $row[] calls. Hope that gets you started

 

 

**EDIT forgot the error handling

[xcoderx]

like this

<?php
//use php loop to print all county name in selectbox

if(! $conn=mysql_connect("localhost", "root", "demo"))
    {
        die("Could't connect to database server..");
    }
    mysql_select_db("online_application",$conn) or die(mysql_error());

echo "<select name='country'>";
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tbl_country");
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
   echo "<option value='{$row['id']}'>{$row['country_name']}</option>";
}

echo "</select>";
?>

[dzwestwindsor]

GREAT! It worked like a charm. Thank you, both of you!!

 

But one more thing- how would I save the option that the user chose as an instance variable?

 

I'm guessing I would need the form tag, but what are the params, and how can i assign the value selected as an instance variable?

 

Thank you for all the help so far!!!

 

(realizing that PHP wasn't as bad as I thought it was... in fact, it's pretty good )