Setting up different options and getting their values - php

Question

I'm using the following code to add various select elements to my page. However, as I'm doing this in a while loop, the value for all the elements is the same
function options($pos, $count) {
for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
$options = '';
$STH = //code to get data from db
$STH->execute();
while($row2 = $STH->fetch()) {
$options .="<option>" . $row2['name'] . "</option>";
}
$menu= "<select name='filter' id='filter'>
" . $options . "
</select>";
echo $menu;
}
}
I then need to get the value of each of the select element after the user presses a button. But as the name for each select element is the same I don't know how to do this. Is there any way around this problem?
For eg, If the count is 5, five separate drop down lists will be created (even though the options in each of them are identical). The user then selects the options relevant to him and presses the submit button. I then need to get the values that he chose from the dropdown menus but I can't figure out how to do this as the name for all the dropdown menus is the same

Answer 1

Assuming you have many select tags with dynamic options
Solution is to make your name of select tag different(dynamic)
<form method="POST">
<?php
cust_options(5);
function cust_options($count) {
for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
$options = '';
$j = 1;
while($j < 4) {
$options .="<option>" . 'option'.$j . "</option>";
$j++;
}
$ind = $i+1;
$temp = 'filter_'.$ind;
$menu= "<select name='$temp'>
" . $options . "
</select>";
echo $menu;
}
}
?>
<input type="submit">
<?php print_r($_POST); ?>
</form>

Answer 2

You should do something like this :
<select name='filter' id='filter'>
<?php
while($row2 = $STH->fetch()) {
$options .="<option>" . $row2['name'] . "</option>";
} ?>
</select>";