Setting selected option in drop-down box - php

Question

My SELECT looks like the following:
<?php
$query = "SELECT * FROM Rec_SW2_Rel AS a JOIN SW2 b ON a.Sbj_ID = b.IDsbj GROUP BY a.Sbj_ID ORDER BY b.Descriptor";
$result = mysql_query($query);
?>
<select name="country" onchange="getState(this.value)">
<?php
while ($line = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC))
{
?>
<option value="<?php echo $line['Sbj_ID']; ?>">
<?php echo $line['Descriptor']; ?>
</option>
<?php
}
mysql_close();
?>
</select>
Querying the DB and setting up the drop-down works. The problem is that the value listed first isn't automatically selected. If a user wants to use it, for further navigation, they must first select a different one and then select the first once again.
I couldn't alter the values in the DB. If I insert selected='selected' it returns the last value of the result set, but always without being selected.

Answer 1

You maybe want this? First selected option when the form is loaded is blank.
<select name="country" onchange="getState(this.value)">
<option value=""></option>
<?php
while ($line = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC))
{
or select the selected data from the database? selected column with selected value.
<select name="country" onchange="getState(this.value)">
<?php
$first = true;
while ($line = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC))
{
?>
<option value="<?php echo $line['Sbj_ID']; ?>" <?php echo ($line['selected']=='selected') ? 'selected="selected"' : '' ; ?>>

Answer 2

you can test with respect to $line['Sbj_ID'] if this is = to the value you want by default
<?php
$query = "SELECT * FROM Rec_SW2_Rel AS a JOIN SW2 b ON a.Sbj_ID = b.IDsbj GROUP BY a.Sbj_ID ORDER BY b.Descriptor";
$result = mysql_query($query);
?>
<select name="country" onchange="getState(this.value)">
<?php
while ($line = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC))
{
?>
<option value="<?php echo $line['Sbj_ID']; ?>" <?php if($line['Sbj_ID']==value_you_want_selected){?>selected<?php } ?>>
<?php echo $line['Descriptor']; ?>
</option>
<?php
$i++; }
mysql_close();
?>