How to change content depending on a <select>? - php

Question

I need help on 2 things since I'm not savy in PHP:
Content that changes depending on the:
<select>
<option>Option 1</option>
<option>Option 2</option>
</select>
I think this can be done using PHP, by giving names to the options, having PHP get the names, creating variables depending on those names and putting an "include" that shows the changing content.
Here's the model for the script:
READ Select
IF User selects "variable1, varialbe2,etc"
THEN Display "page1,page2,page3"
*The page changes within the page so that if the user wants to change it again they dont have to go back...Maybe this can be done by using:
<?php include 'page1.php'; ?>
That content will include a button, and depending on that button, I want a text box to be filled with certain text.
<input type="button" value="">
Then Depending on the value of that button the PHP will put text into a textbox.
From what I've read this will be using $request and $post ...
(This of course is separate PHP)

Answer 1

There may be a couple of different ways to accomplish your goal. If we stick to using PHP as you've requested then something like this is probably best. I've used a case/switch here for security purposes and a POST instead of a GET to prevent URL manipulation although with the case/switch you have addressed a lot of URL manipulation anyway so it becomes a matter of preference for you.
<?php
$page = null;
if(isset($_POST['page'])){
$page = $_POST['page'];
}
switch($page){
case 'page3': include_once('/path/to/page3content.php'); break;
case 'page2': include_once('/path/to/page2content.php'); break;
case 'page1': include_once('/path/to/page1content.php'); break;
default: include_once('/path/to/defaultcontent.php'); break;
}
?>
<form name="myform" action="" method="post">
<select name="page" onchange="this.form.submit()">
<option value="page1"<?php if($page == "page1"){ echo " selected"; }?>>Page 1</option>
<option value="page2"<?php if($page == "page2"){ echo " selected"; }?>>Page 2</option>
<option value="page3"<?php if($page == "page3"){ echo " selected"; }?>>Page 3</option>
</select>
</form>
However, depending on your file structure, you can accomplish something similar even easer with just a little basic Javascript and HTML.
<select name="page" onchange="window.location=this.value">
<option value="/path/to/page1.php">Page 1</option>
<option value="/path/to/page2.php">Page 2</option>
<option value="/path/to/page3.php">Page 3</option>
</select>

Answer 2

You need to have a name field in your select tag, and value fields in your option tags:
<form name='myform' action='myform.php' method='POST'>
<select name='myselect'>
<option value='1'>Option 1</option>
<option value='2'>Option 2</option>
<option value='3'>Option 3</option>
</select>
<input type='submit'>
</form>
Then the PHP page will receive the selection via $_POST['myselect'].

Answer 3

You can submit the form onChange event of the select option.
Then you can run a $_GET and display the appropriate content for that particular page by comparing the value of $_GET['page']
<form action="page.php" method="get">
<select name="page" onchange="this.form.submit()">
<option value="page1">Page 1</option>
<option value="page2">page 2</option>
</select>
</form>
<?php
if(isset($_GET['page'])){
if($_GET['page']=="page1"{
//content for page 1
}elseif($_GET['page']=="page2"{
//content for page 2
}
}
?>
In this way you wont be needing the submit button as well. You can also redirect it to certain page by comparing the values of $_GET['page'] however you will need to include this form in every page with appropriate method to get your work done.

Answer 4

You could also bypass the submit button and use the following:
<form action="index.php" name="myForm" method="post">
<select onchange="window.location.href = this.value" name="select">
<option value="index.php?page=yourpage">yourpage</option>
<option value="index.php?page=yourpage2">yourpage2</option>
</select>
</form>
Then where your content would go you could:
<?php
if (isset($_GET['page'])) {
if ($_GET['page'] == "yourpage") {include("pages/page1.php");}
else ($_GET['page'] == "yourpage2") {include("pages/page2.php");}
} else {include("pages/default.php");}
?>