--- James Keeline <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- "Carl J. Hixon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Carl, I couldnt even get that site to come up at all so, Im > going to > > > make some guesses here. > > > > So sorry, I had a typo in the url: > > > http://www.cgi-interactive-uk.com/populate_combo_box_function_php.html > > > > > 1. You want to populate a combo box. > > > You know how to do that now. > > > > Lets pause here. I can populate the combobox from the database > (just > > like on the example site) but I don't know how to do the next > step. > > Use the data from the combo box? I don't even know what variable > is > > being set when I pick something in the combobox so I don't know > what > > would go into the submit button. I realize I need a submit > button, I > > can probably figure it out from the books that I have but I can't > > identify the variable... I know that's pretty sad... > > OK. Here are some basics. The HTML tag is a <select> element with > nested > <option> elements. A basic example looks like this: > > <form method='post' action='script.php'> > <select name='var'> > <option value='v1'>Value 1</option> > <option value='v2'>Value 2</option> > <option value='v3'>Value 3</option> > <option value='v4'>Value 4</option> > </select> > <input type='submit' value='Button Label'> > </form> > > In the example above, v1-v4 are the values sent to the PHP variable > $_POST['var'] based on the user's selection. Value 1-Value 4 are > the labels > seen on the select list. > > The submit button gathers the data collected in the form (the > select list in > this case) and packages it via the POST method (or GET if you > prefer to have > variables go in the URL) and sends it to the PHP script identified > in the > action property of the <form> element. > > To get this list to be populated by a database query, you would > send the query > and output the lines for the <option> element for each row in the > result set. > > > > 2. You want to allow someone to make an addition to that box. > And when > > > that is accepted, you want to do what? Put that new value into > the db? > > > > I will probably just add a button for adding a new item to the > list. > > Better to figure out the basics before running off and trying to > get > > too fancy. > > There are a number of ways this could be achieved. If your form > was simple and > you didn't mind a page reload you could put the new value in an > <input > type='text'> element and when the value is received by the script, > it would be > inserted into the DB table for use the next time the select button > is > displayed. > > If you want a very dynamic change, you will need to use Javascript > to notice > when a value is in the text box and the "add" button clicked. You > would then > need to append an <option> element among the existing list of > elements. You'd > also have to add this to the DB table, probably when the form data > is submitted > so it would be available. This is tricky and probably more > difficult than it's > worth. One thing to look at is "remote scripting" which can achive > this sort > of result but is tricky to program and harder to debug. > > This kind of question usually comes from someone who has programmed > or used > programs created for the desktop. The web, because of its > client-server nature > and the fact that PHP runs on the server and is executed completely > before the > page shows up in the web browser. As such, it can't respond to > user events in > the browser. Javascript runs in the browser and can respond to > these events. > It is not easy to get Javascript to call a PHP script. It can be > done with the > remote scripting that I mentioned above along with the little-used > and > little-known Javascript XMLHttpRequest object. > > James
I've been thinking about this. At first I thought it was not possible. But there is another option. If you go completely with Javascript and , you can have a text box, and as you type, the script can check an existing array of values. Something like google suggest (http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en). This might be along the lines of what James is talking about - I don't know exactly what I'm talking about - just that I've seen it before. Mark Weinstock [EMAIL PROTECTED] *************************************** You can't demand something as a "right" unless you are willing to fight to death to defend everyone else's right to the same thing. *************************************** __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com Community email addresses: Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Shortcut URL to this page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/php-list Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/php-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
