A function I dont understand !

[jcd]

Hi, please excuse me but I'm new to php and I have been trying to teach myself by reading lots and looking at other free scripts.

I found this function which looked like it might be handy some day but I dont know how to get the value out after it has been submitted.

(Please excuse any errors in my code that I added):

<?php

$_POST['current'];
$current = $_POST['current'];
$_POST['submit'];
$submit = $_POST['submit'];
if(!$submit)
{
?>
<form action="<?php echo ($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]); ?>" method="post">
<?php
function makeSelectArray($data, $name, $current = '')

{
$output = '<select name="'. $name .'">';

foreach ($data as $datum) {
$selected = ($current == $datum)?"selected " : "";
$output .= "\n<option $selected value=\"$datum\">$datum</option>";
}

$output .= "\n</select>";
return $output;
}

//usage:
$position = array('programmer', 'web developer', 'other');


echo makeSelectArray($position,'job',$job);

?>

<p>

<input type="submit" value="SUBMIT" name="submit">
</form>

<?php
}
?>

<?php
if($submit)
{
echo "$current was selected";
}
?>

Thanking you, Jamie.

[Phil.Roberts]

Are you referring to this function?:

function makeSelectArray($data, $name, $current = '')
{
    $output = '<select name="'. $name .'">';

    foreach ($data as $datum) 
    {
        $selected = ($current == $datum)?"selected " : "";
        $output .= "\n<option $selected value=\"$datum\">$datum</option>";
    }
    $output .= "\n</select>";
    return $output;
}

If so its pretty simple, you create an array contening the items you wish to place on your select menu like so:

$position = array('programmer', 'web developer', 'other');

Then to generate the output you simply do the following:

echo makeSelectArray($position,'job', 'web developer');

The second parameter is the form name. The third parameter passed to the script determines which menu element is selected by default, in this case 'web developer'.

[jcd]

Thank you for your time, but I have not made myself clear obviously.

I am looking to find how I get the information that was selected **AFTER** it has been submitted, return result.

The script works as it is, but I want it to print 'whatever' was selected.

Thanking you again, Jamie.

[Helge]

If we continue on phil's example, then after submitting the form the selected 'item' is contained in $_POST['job']. So just do

echo $_POST['job']; 

The entire code

<?php
function makeSelectArray($data, $name, $current = '')
{
    $output = '<select name="'. $name .'">';

    foreach ($data as $datum) {
        $selected = ($current == $datum)?"selected " : "";
        $output .= "\n<option $selected value=\"$datum\">$datum</option>";
       }

    $output .= "\n</select>";
    return $output;
}

if(!$_POST['submit'])
{
?>
    <form action="<?php echo ($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]); ?>" method="post">
    <?php
    $job = 'web developer';
    $position = array('programmer', 'web developer', 'other');
    echo makeSelectArray($position,'job',$job);
    ?>
    <p>
    <input type="submit" value="SUBMIT" name="submit">
    </form>

<?php
} else {
    echo "Selected job:" . $_POST['job'];
}
?>

HTH

-Helge

[jcd]

Thankyou very much for that.

I'm just finding these things a little bit harder than I thought they would be to understand.

Thanking you, Jamie.