how to use an optgroup in a foreach? - php

Question

In my select box I am trying to do this:
Maincategory name
subcat
subcat
subcat
anothermain category
subcat
subcat
This is the code I have at the moment:
<select name="categories" class="form-control col-sm-12">
<?php foreach(ProductModel::categories() as $category): ?>
<option value="<?=System::escape($category->sub_category); ?>"><?=System::escape($category->sub_category); ?></option>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</select>
I don't want to show the main cate name on all the sub cats like
maincate:subcat
maincate:subcat
maincate:subcat
This is my table:
How would I go about doing this? I cant do if there's 5 inside the foreach show cat name because I'll never have the same amount of subcats in each main cats

Answer 1

If I'm understanding correctly, before your for each loop, you could assign a variable to the current main category name (starting it as null), then check it every time you iterate to see if it matches the current entry's main category. If it doesn't, have it close the previous optgroup and open a new optgroup for the main category and then another for the current sub category. Then assign the variable to the current main category value and you should be good to go. You'd probably have it skip the close tag if the variable was undefined (i.e., the first time 'round).
Something like this:
So:
<select name="categories" class="form-control col-sm-12">
<?php
$i = 0;
$mainCatName = '';
foreach(ProductModel::categories() as $category):
if($category->main_category != $mainCatName {
$mainCatName = $category->main_category;
if($i = 0) { ?>
<optgroup label="<?php echo $category->main_category ?>">
<?php } else {
</optgroup>
<optgroup label="<?php echo $category->main_category ?>">
<?php }
}
?>
<option value="<?=System::escape($category->sub_category); ?>"><?=System::escape($category->sub_category); ?></option>
<?php if($i = count(count(ProductModel::categories()) { ?>
</optgroup>
<?php }
$i++;?>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</select>