PHP - Help With Dependent Select Lists

I have a table in a database that I need to filter upon using dependent select boxes.  The database was poorly designed and would be difficult to break into separate tables without affecting code written in other places.  I have found some good code and understanding of how to implement the dependent select boxes if you have two tables with one column functioning as a lookup value between the two.

I have provided a short bit of sql of what the table looks like with some column names changed.  I would need to first sort by lastname and have firstname dependent on the selection of lastname.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Code: [Select]
create table `user` (
`id` int(3) Not Null Auto_increment,
`firstname` varchar (60),
`lastname` varchar (24),
`age` double ,
`hometown` varchar (75),
`job` varchar (75),
`birthdate` date
);
insert into `user` (`id`, `firstname`, `lastname`, `age`, `hometown`, `job`, `birthdate`) values
('1','Peter','Griffin','41','Quahog','Brewery','1960-01-01'),
('2','Lois','Griffin','40','Newport','Piano Teacher','1961-08-11'),
('3','Joseph','Swanson','39','Quahog','Police Officer','1962-07-23'),
('4','Glenn','Quagmire','41','Quahog','Pilot','1960-02-28'),
('5','Megan','Griffin','16','Quahog','Student','1984-04-24'),
('6','Stewie','Griffin','2','Quahog','Dictator','2008-03-03');

This topic has been moved to JavaScript Help.

http://www.phpfreaks.com/forums/index.php?topic=347324.0

Brand new to the forum, and have only been working with HTML, PHP, & MySQL for about 3 months.

I've run into an issue I can't seem to figure out how to work around. I want to have two select boxes, that are dependent on one another.

For Example:

First box lists types of games:

RPG
LARP
Board Game
Miniatures
CCG

The second box displays game names of the type selected above.

I have a MySQL table setup for the second box. To be honest I kinda already have it working... with one small but MAJOR glitch.

I select the first box and the page submits using onchange='this.form.submit()'. When the page reloads the first select box reverts back to it's default setting, but the second box does correctly filter & show the content based on the selection that was made in the first box.

My Question:

How do I set this up so that the first box displays the user selected setting while also passing the $_POST information to the second box?

My Code:

<table>
<tr>
<td width=50%>
Game Type:
</td>
<td width=50%>
<form name='game_type' action='event_submit.php' method='post'>
<select name='game_type' align=center onchange='this.form.submit()' style="width:150px;margin:5px 0 5px 0;">
<option value=''>Chose a Game Type</option>
<option value='RPG'>RPG</option>
<option value='LARP'>LARP</option>
<option value='Board Game'>Board Game</option>
<option value='CCG'>Collectable Cards & Games</option>
<option value='Miniatures'>Miniatures</option>
</select>
</form>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=50%>
Game System:
</td>
<td width=50%>

   <?php
   
   
   $game_type = $_POST['game_type'];
   
   echo "$game_type";

      if (!$con)
        {
        die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
        }

      mysql_select_db("DrowCon", $con);

      $result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM Games WHERE Type='$game_type' ORDER BY System ASC");

   
      
       echo "<form name='game_system' action='event_submit_form.php' method='post'>";
      echo "<select name='game_system' align=center style='width:150px;margin:5px 0 5px 0;'>";
      echo "<option value=''>Chose a Game System</option>";
      while($row_game = mysql_fetch_array($result))
        {
        echo "<option value=''>".$row_game['System']."</option>";
        }
      echo "</form>";


      mysql_close($con);   
   ?>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

Dear Support,

Here is my code:

<?php 
    if ( strtolower($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD']) === 'post' ) {
        $name = isset($_POST['name]) ? htmlspecialchars($_POST['name']) : "";
$area = isset($_POST['area']) ? htmlspecialchars($_POST['area']) : "";
                $choice = isset($_POST['choice ']) ? htmlspecialchars($_POST['choice ']) : "";

          //Do Others  
          }
?> 

<form class="customersForm" method="post">
        <div class="">
  <p>Name<br />
       <select style="width:120px;" name="name">
          <?php
                               $sql = "select * from `name_info` order by `name`";
                               $query = mysql_query($sql);
                       $dd = '<option>Name</option>';  
                               while($row = mysql_fetch_object($query)) {
                                    $dd .= '<option>'.$row->name.'</option>';
                               }
               echo $dd;              
          ?>
      </select>
     </p>
  </div>

             <div class="">
  <p>Area<br />
       <select style="width:120px;" area="area">
          <?php
                               $sql = "select * from `area_info` order by `area`";
                               $query = mysql_query($sql);
                       $dd = '<option>Area</option>';  
                               while($row = mysql_fetch_object($query)) {
                                    $dd .= '<option>'.$row->area.'</option>';
                               }
               echo $dd;              
          ?>
      </select>
     </p>
  </div>


            <div class="">
  <p>Choice<br />
       <select style="width:120px;" choice="choice">
          <?php
                               $sql = "select * from `choice_info` where `name`='".$name."' and `area`='".$area."' order by `choice`";
                               $query = mysql_query($sql);
                       $dd = '<option>Choice</option>';  
                               while($row = mysql_fetch_object($query)) {
                                    $dd .= '<option>'.$row->choice.'</option>';
                               }
               echo $dd;              
          ?>
      </select>
     </p>
  </div>

......//Others input fields ...some text fields ...

</ form>


I have the above code, where I would like to show the choice Drop-down box, depends on $name and $area match of the choice_info table. $name field and $area field needs to have any dependency and straight from the MySQL table. But, choice needs to depend on $name & $area. How can I do it without much using Javacript? I do not mind to use JavaScript, but prefer to minimal.

By the way, I will have some other input fields too. It's an input form but, one drop-down box will be depends on two others choice.

Thanks for your help.

Hi I have tried the mysql forum but have had no joy with an answer to my problem so wondered if php would be better.

I want my users to be able to select from 5 different drop down lists where they can chose any combination from 1 up to all 5,  I have attached the front end.  These lists are being populated from mysql tables.

Code for the drop down lists is as follows
Code: [Select]
  <form action="horse-events-devon.php?url_countyid=<?php echo  urlencode ($url_countyid ['url_countyid'])  ; ?>&go" method="POST">
    <table id="searchtable">
      <tr>
        <th>Find By Discipline</th>
        <th>Find By Venue</th>
        <th>Find By Championship</th>
        <th>Find By Organiser</th>
        <th>Equine Association</th>
        <th>Submit Your Selections</th>
        </tr>
      <tr>
        <td><select name="dis_id">
                                    <?php 
                                        $upcomingdis = upcomingdis($url_countyid);
                                        $upcoming_dis_bycounty = mysql_fetch_assoc ($upcomingdis);
                                    ?>
                                    <?php 
                                    do { 
       ?>   <option value="<?php echo $upcoming_dis_bycounty ['dis_id']; ?>" >
<?php echo $upcoming_dis_bycounty ['dis_description']; ?></option>
<?php 
                                    } while ($upcoming_dis_bycounty = mysql_fetch_assoc ($upcomingdis)); 
                                    ?></select></td>
        <td><select name="ven_id">
                                    <?php 
                                        $upvenbycounty_set = upcoming_venevents_bycounty($url_countyid);
                                        $upcoming_ven_bycounty = mysql_fetch_assoc ($upvenbycounty_set);
                                    ?>
                                    <?php 
                                    do { 
       ?>   <option value="<?php echo $upcoming_ven_bycounty ['ven_id']; ?>" >
<?php echo $upcoming_ven_bycounty ['ven_name']; ?></option>
<?php 
                                    } while ($upcoming_ven_bycounty = mysql_fetch_assoc ($upvenbycounty_set)); 
                                    ?></select></td>
        <td><select name="champ_id">
                                    <?php 
                                        $championship_set = findchampionships();
                                        $champlist = mysql_fetch_assoc ($championship_set);
                                    ?>
                                    <?php 
do { 
?>   <option value="<?php echo $champlist ['champ_id']; ?>" >
<?php echo $champlist ['champ_description']; ?></option>
<?php 
} while ($champlist = mysql_fetch_assoc ($championship_set)); 
?></select></td>
        <td>
        <select name="org_id">
                        <?php 
                            $uporgbycounty_set = upcoming_organevents_bycounty($url_countyid);
                            $upcoming_org_bycounty = mysql_fetch_assoc ($uporgbycounty_set);
                        ?>
                        <?php 
                        do { 
                        ?>   <option value="<?php echo $upcoming_org_bycounty ['org_id']; ?>" ><?php echo $upcoming_org_bycounty ['org_name']; ?></option>
                        <?php 
                        } while ($upcoming_org_bycounty = mysql_fetch_assoc ($uporgbycounty_set)); 
                        ?></select>
       
        </td>
        <td><select name="ass_id">
                                    <?php
                                        $upassbycounty_set = upcoming_assevents_bycounty($url_countyid);
                                        $upcoming_assbycounty = mysql_fetch_assoc ($upassbycounty_set);
                                    ?>
                                    <?php 
                                    do { 
                                    ?>   <option value="<?php echo $upcoming_assbycounty ['ass_id']; ?>" >
<?php echo $upcoming_assbycounty ['ass_description']; ?></option>
                                    <?php 
                                    } while ($upcoming_assbycounty = mysql_fetch_assoc ($upassbycounty_set)); 
                                    ?></select></td>
      <td><input name="submit" type="submit" /><input name="countyid" type="hidden" value="<?php echo $url_countyid ['url_countyid']; ?>" /></td>
        </tr>
      </table>
  </form>
My search processing is as follows

Code: [Select]
  <?php
if (isset($_POST['submit'])){
if (isset($_GET['go'])){
$countyid = $_POST['countyid'];
$ven_id = $_POST['ven_id'];
$dis_id = $_POST['dis_id'];
$champ_id = $_POST['champ_id'];
$org_id = $_POST['org_id'];
$event_id = $row['event_id'];

$sql = "SELECT DATE_FORMAT (events.startdate, '%a, %d, %b') 
   AS stdate, events.event_id, events.title, events.ven_id, events.org_id,
   venue.county_id, venue.ven_id, eventdisciplines.event_id, eventdisciplines.dis_id, county.county_id, discipline.dis_id \n"
. "FROM events \n"
. "LEFT OUTER JOIN eventdisciplines \n"
. "ON events.event_id = eventdisciplines.event_id \n"
. "LEFT OUTER JOIN discipline \n"
. "ON eventdisciplines.dis_id = discipline.dis_id \n"
. "LEFT OUTER JOIN venue \n"
. "ON events.ven_id = venue.ven_id \n"
. "LEFT OUTER JOIN county \n"
. "ON venue.county_id = county.county_id \n"
. "WHERE events.ven_id = ({$ven_id} OR events.org_id = {$org_id})\n"
. "AND events.startdate > NOW()\n"
. "AND venue.county_id = {$countyid}  \n"
. "ORDER BY startdate ASC";

$result = mysql_query ($sql, $connection);
?>
How am I best to do this please?  my OR within the mysql does not work, should I not be doing this with php in the search processing?  someones help would really be appreciated, just to point me in the right direction.

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