How to preSelect an html dropdown list with php? [duplicate]

Answer 1

I suppose that you are using an array to create your select form input. In that case, use an array:

<?php
    $selected = array( $_REQUEST['yesnofine'] => 'selected="selected"' );
    $fields = array(1 => 'Yes', 2 => 'No', 3 => 'Fine');
 ?>
  <select name=‘yesnofine'>
 <?php foreach ($fields as $k => $v): ?>
  <option value="<?php echo $k;?>" <?php @print($selected[$k]);?>><?php echo $v;?></options>
 <?php endforeach; ?>
 </select>

If not, you may just unroll the above loop, and still use an array.

 <option value="1" <?php @print($selected[$k]);?>>Yes</options>
 <option value="2" <?php @print($selected[$k]);?>>No</options>
 <option value="3" <?php @print($selected[$k]);?>>Fine</options>

Notes that I don't know:

• how you are naming your input, so I made up a name for it.
• which way you are handling your form input on server side, I used $_REQUEST,

You will have to adapt the code to match requirements of the framework you are using, if any.

Also, it is customary in many frameworks to use the alternative syntax in view dedicated scripts.

Answer 2

This is the solution that I've came up with:

<form name = "form1" id = "form1" action = "#" method = "post">
  <select name = "DropDownList1" id = "DropDownList1">
<?php
$arr = array('Yes', 'No', 'Fine' ); // create array so looping is easier
for( $i = 1; $i <= 3; $i++ ) // loop starts at first value and ends at last value
{
  $selected = ''; // keep selected at nothing
  if( isset( $_POST['go'] ) ) // check if form was submitted
  {
    if( $_POST['DropDownList1'] == $i ) // if the value of the dropdownlist is equal to the looped variable
    {
      $selected = 'selected = "selected"'; // if is equal, set selected = "selected"
    }
  }
  // note: if value is not equal, selected stays defaulted to nothing as explained earlier
  echo '<option value = "' . $i . '"' . $selected . '>' . $arr[$i] . '</option>'; // echo the option element to the page using the $selected variable
}
?>
  </select> <!-- finish the form in html -->
  <input type="text" value="" name="name">
  <input type="submit" value="go" name="go">
</form>

The code I have works as long as the values are integers in some numeric order ( ascending or descending ). What it does is starts the dropdownlist in html, and adds each option element in php code. It will not work if you have random values though, i.e: 1, 4, 2, 7, 6. Each value must be unique.

Answer 3

First of all give a name to your select. Then do:

<select name="my_select">
<option value="1" <?= ($_POST['my_select'] == "1")? "selected":"";?>>Yes</options>
<option value="2" <?= ($_POST['my_select'] == "2")? "selected":"";?>>No</options>
<option value="3" <?= ($_POST['my_select'] == "3")? "selected":"";?>>Fine</options>
</select>

What that does is check if what was selected is the same for each and when its found echo "selected".