split option with delimiter | into n-options in php - php

Question

I have a dropdown menu that gets populated by data retrieved from the db. it looks like this:
How can I split the options like GPOS RETAIL|INVENTORY STANDARD into separate options GPOS RETAIL and INVENTORY STANDARD. Also, how can I remove the repetitive options? I already have DISTINCT in my query but I guess the pipeline | affects this.
I've been tried the ff but I couldn't seem to get the logic I need to do what I need it to do
PHP:
$qry = "SELECT DISTINCT c.c_id, c.client_name, a.product
FROM client_list c
INNER JOIN activities a
ON c.client_name = a.client
WHERE c.c_id = '".$_POST['client']."' AND a.product IS NOT NULL
ORDER BY c.c_id";
$res = mysql_query($qry);
if(mysql_num_rows($res) > 0) {
echo '<option value="">SELECT SOFTWARE / HARDWARE</option>';
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($res)) {
echo '<option value="'.$row[2].'">'.$row[2].'</option>';
}
}
else {
echo '<option value="">No Record</option>';
}
One of what I've tried:
if (isset($_POST['client'])) {
$qry = "SELECT DISTINCT c.c_id, c.client_name, a.software_hardware
FROM client_list c
INNER JOIN activities a
ON c.client_name = a.client
WHERE a.software_hardware IS NOT NULL AND c.c_id = '".$_POST['client']."'
ORDER BY a.`software_hardware`";
$res = mysql_query($qry);
if(mysql_num_rows($res) > 0) {
echo '<option value="">SELECT SOFTWARE / HARDWARE</option>';
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($res)) {
$list = "";
$arr = explode("|", $row[2]);
if (!empty($arr)){
for($i = 0; $i<=$ctr; $i++) {
$list .= "<option value='$arr[$i]'>$arr[$i]</option>";
}
}
echo $list;
// echo '<option value="'.$row[2].'">'.$row[2].'</option>';
}
}
else {
echo '<option value="">No Record</option>';
}
}
I don't know where to go from here

Answer 1

You can use explode and foreach in PHP. You need some additional check, so you don't get empty lines. It's something similar like this:
if(mysql_num_rows($res) > 0) {
echo '<option value="">SELECT SOFTWARE / HARDWARE</option>';
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($res)) {
$names = explode("|",$row[2]);
foreach ( $names as $name ) {
if ( $name != "" ) {
echo '<option value="'.$name.'">'.$name.'</option>';
}
}
}
}
I've added the explode, which makes an array from the name string with the "|" dividers. After it you go through each element of the array, and if it's not empty, you add it as an option. Please not I've changed the reference of the rows to "$name".

Answer 2

for($i = 0; $i<=$ctr; $i++) {
...
}
should be
for($i = 0, $length = count($arr); $i < $length; $i++) {
that's all

Answer 3

You can use the following solution:
$items = [];
//get all items from database and explode the concat values.
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($res)) {
$items = array_merge($items, explode('|', $row[2]));
}
//get only the distinct items.
$items = array_unique($items);
//remove the emtpy items.
$items = array_filter($items);
//initialize the list.
$list = '<option value="">SELECT SOFTWARE / HARDWARE</option>';
//create the list of unique items.
foreach ($items as $item) {
$list .= '<option value="'.$item.'">'.$item.'</option>';
}
Explanation:
You can remove all duplicates by using array_unique. The pipes (|) are removed by using the explode function on the while loop.
You can remove all empty items by using array_filter (without callback).
demo: https://ideone.com/YWdKFU

Answer 4

First of all a little hint, that you shouldn 't use the mysql_* functions anymore. I know, that you said, that your company is using an outdated php version. But ... u know, that you 're working twice and they will pay a lot more money for development and so on.
Your for loop is the problem. You can solve unique values there and the $ctr variable you are using in your for loop was never defined.
$arr = $arr = explode("|", $row[2]);
$arr = array_unique($arr);
for ($i = 0, $length = count($arr); $i < $length; $i++) {
...
}
The array_unique function will sort out duplicate values in your array. After that the for loop iterates through the unique values of your array.
After all you should think about normalizing your database structure. It is not recommended saving values like "value1|value2|value3". Think about an one to many or a many to many structure. This will make life much more easier.