using data from html forms in php - php

Question

<form action='main.php' method='POST'>
<select name="Category" class='listbox'>
<?php $cat = mysql_query("select cName from category");
while($drop = mysql_fetch_array($cat))
{
echo '<option value="' . $drop['Category'] . '">' . $drop['cName'] . '</option>';
}
?>
<input type='text' name='search' class='namebox'>
<input type='submit' name='submit' value='Search' class='submitbox'></select>
</select>
i am trying to use this form to create a search engine from my database but just cant get the value from the drop down menu.
$submit = $_POST['submit'];
if($submit)
{
$search = $_POST['search'];
$catval = $_POST['Category'];
echo $catval ;
$searchval = mysql_query("select * from item where iname like '%$search%'and cId in (select cId from category where cName = '$catval')");
while($info = mysql_fetch_array($searchval))
{
echo "Item Name: " . $info['iName'];
}
}
so when i try to search using this method i get no results.

Answer 1

You have placed the selects closing tag wrong :) and I assume you remembered to close your form aswell?
<form action='main.php' method='POST'>
<select name="Category" class='listbox'>
<?php $cat = mysql_query("select cName, Category from category");
while($drop = mysql_fetch_array($cat))
{
echo '<option value="' . $drop['Category'] . '">' . $drop['cName'] .'</option>';
}
?>
</select>
<input type='text' name='search' class='namebox'>
<input type='submit' name='submit' value='Search' class='submitbox'>
</form>

Answer 2

<form action='main.php' method='POST'>
<select name="Category" class='listbox'>
<?php $cat = mysql_query("select cName from category");
while($drop = mysql_fetch_array($cat))
{
echo '<option value="' . $drop['Category'] . '">' . $drop['cName'] .
'</option>';
}
?>
</select>
<input type='text' name='search' class='namebox'>
<input type='submit' name='submit' value='Search' class='submitbox'>
</form>
That should do the trick. Your </select> was in the wrong place.
In the meantime, you might want to look into PDO and bound values instead of using mysql() as it's depreciated (I.E. don't use it anymore) and insecure.