url is not identifying the id passed in form action - php

Question

i have a search form whose action attribute contains an id to be passed in the URL and form is submitted from get method for user to get the search results to be shared or bookmarked.
Now the problem i am facing is, that id i have passed in action is not displaying in the URL but all other input field's values are appearing fine.
This is my form:
<form action="trails.php?pname=<?php echo $getName;?>" id="filter" method="GET" name="filter">
<select class="multiselect form-control" multiple="multiple" name='activity[]' id="activity">
<?php
$toaSql = mysql_query("select * from type_of_activity where cat_id='1'");
while ($toaRow = mysql_fetch_array($toaSql)) {
echo "<option value='" . $toaRow['typeOfActivity'] . "'><img style='width: 21px; margin-left: 5px;' src='home/images/" . $toaRow['catImg'] . "'> " . $toaRow['typeOfActivity'] . "</option>";
}
?>
</select>
<select class="multiselect form-control" multiple="multiple" name='activity[]' id="activity">
<?php
$toaSql = mysql_query("select * from type_of_activity where cat_id='2'");
while ($toaRow = mysql_fetch_array($toaSql)) {
echo "<option value='" . $toaRow['typeOfActivity'] . "'><img style='width: 21px; margin-left: 5px;' src='home/images/" . $toaRow['catImg'] . "'> " . $toaRow['typeOfActivity'] . "</option>";
}
?>
</select>
<select class="multiselect form-control" multiple="multiple" name='activity[]' id="activity">
<?php
$toaSql = mysql_query("select * from type_of_activity where cat_id='3'");
while ($toaRow = mysql_fetch_array($toaSql)) {
echo "<option value='" . $toaRow['typeOfActivity'] . "'><img style='width: 21px; margin-left: 5px;' src='home/images/" . $toaRow['catImg'] . "'> " . $toaRow['typeOfActivity'] . "</option>";
}
?>
</select>
</form>
trail.php page:
if(isset($_GET['pname'])){
$getName = $_GET['pname'];
// print_R($getName);
if($getName=='video'){
$queryVideo = "SELECT * FROM `contributevideo` WHERE status='active' " ;
//echo $queryVideo;
}elseif($getName=='album'){
$queryAlbum = "SELECT * FROM `contributeimage` WHERE status='active' AND category='album'" ;
}
}
Trails.php page run the sql queries according to the page name it gets from the url, but in url its not finding any pname variable so the queries are not executing.
Where i am doing wrong please guide.
Thanks

Answer 1

Why are you describing parameter as URL-encoded?
<form action="trails.php?pname=<?php echo $getName;?>" id="filter" method="GET" name="filter">
// Existing form
Since your form's method is 'GET', you can just describe a hidden input.
<form action="trails.php">
<input type="hidden" name="pname" value="<?php echo $getName; ?>"/>
// Existing form
It should work.

Answer 2

The issue with your code is that you set the form to submit the values using the GET method. This means that the values from the form fields will be passed in the URL, overwriting (removing) your pname value.
To fix it just change the method of the form to POST and the PHP code to access activities through $_POST['activities'], it should work then.