Problem with <SELECT post > and $_POST()

I am cross posting to comp.lang.php and alt.comp.lang.php.

I am having a problem with getting a post from a dropdownlist off a html
form. While debugging, by instruction steps, for some reason I am never
get passed the isset($_POST['author_pk']) after selecting an item in the
dropdownlist.

I have coded a simple script to duplicate what I am trying to do, just
to make sure i understand it, and that works. This is the code and has
to be something simple..

<?php
//
// Debugging
$debug = false;

//
// Open DB
include 'library/opendb.php';

// This form uses the POST method, so process any post selections here
if( isset($_POST['author_pk']) ) {
echo 'Ok I have an author Primary Key';
// do whatever you need to do with the author_pk
// $sqlcmd = $author_detail_select . {$_POST['author_pk']};
// $author_detail = mysql_query($sqlcmd);
}
//
// main form query
if ($debug){
$sqlcmd = $author_dropdown_select . ' ' . limit();
echo $sqlcmd;
} else {
$sqlcmd = $author_dropdown_select;
}
$result = mysql_query($sqlcmd);
if (!$result) {
die('Database Error: ' . mysql_error());
exit;
}
//
// Close DB
include 'library/closedb.php';
?>
/*
Can't use 'PHP_SELF' under PHP Designer. Works running off server.
<FORM NAME="author" method="post" action="<?php echo
$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>">
*/
<FORM NAME="author" method="post" action="PeopleQuotes.php">
<SELECT NAME="author_pk" SIZE="20" COLS="20">

<?php
// a loop to populate the select options
while( $row = mysql_fetch_object($result) ) {
printf("<option value=\"%d\">%s %s, %s %s %s</option>\n",
$row->id, $row->TITLE, $row->lastname,
$row->firstname, $row->middlename, $row->SUFFIX);
}

mysql_free_result($result);

// display any author details based on the user's selection
if( isset($author_detail) ) {
// while( $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($author_detail) ) {
// printf("Title: %s<br>\n", $row['title']);
}
}
?>
</SELECT>
</FORM>

Thanks in Advance...
IchBin, Pocono Lake, Pa, USA http://weconsultants.phpnet.us
__________________________________________________ ________________________

'If there is one, Knowledge is the "Fountain of Youth"'
-William E. Taylor, Regular Guy (1952-)

> I have coded a simple script to duplicate what I am trying to do, just
> to make sure i understand it, and that works. This is the code and has
> to be something simple..

Maybe a stupid question, but how do you submit your choice? I don't see
a submit button in your form and neither a javascript call to submit the
form automatically after selecting an item from the picklist.

Peter.
--
http://www.phpforums.nl

IchBin wrote:
> I am cross posting to comp.lang.php and alt.comp.lang.php.
>
> I am having a problem with getting a post from a dropdownlist off a
> html form. While debugging, by instruction steps, for some reason I
> am never get passed the isset($_POST['author_pk']) after selecting an
> item in the dropdownlist.

.... and after a submit I assume, Peter made a good point ...

print_r($_POST) and see what it containts.

Grtz,
--
Rik Wasmus

Rik wrote:
> IchBin wrote:
>> I am cross posting to comp.lang.php and alt.comp.lang.php.
>>
>> I am having a problem with getting a post from a dropdownlist off a
>> html form. While debugging, by instruction steps, for some reason I
>> am never get passed the isset($_POST['author_pk']) after selecting an
>> item in the dropdownlist.
>
> ... and after a submit I assume, Peter made a good point ...
>
> print_r($_POST) and see what it containts.
>
> Grtz,

You guys are right.. Originally I was tying to do this with javascript
and wanted to, onClick= event, post the selected field. I am use to java
Objects and their events and thought I could add the logic to post the
info from from the Dropdownlist and not need and submit button.
I am new to php\html objects and javascript. I am a java programmer and
learning your area. Some one in another thread mentioned that I could do
what I wanted with just PHP. He helped me out tremendously. I am
learning hour by hour.

I added the submit and all is well.

Thanks Guys.

IchBin, Pocono Lake, Pa, USA http://weconsultants.phpnet.us
__________________________________________________ ________________________

'If there is one, Knowledge is the "Fountain of Youth"'
-William E. Taylor, Regular Guy (1952-)

IchBin wrote:
> Rik wrote:
>> IchBin wrote:
>>> I am cross posting to comp.lang.php and alt.comp.lang.php.
>>>
>>> I am having a problem with getting a post from a dropdownlist off a
>>> html form. While debugging, by instruction steps, for some reason I
>>> am never get passed the isset($_POST['author_pk']) after selecting an
>>> item in the dropdownlist.
>>
>> ... and after a submit I assume, Peter made a good point ...
>>
>> print_r($_POST) and see what it containts.
>>
>> Grtz,
>
> You guys are right.. Originally I was tying to do this with javascript
> and wanted to, onClick= event, post the selected field. I am use to java
> Objects and their events and thought I could add the logic to post the
> info from from the Dropdownlist and not need and submit button.
> I am new to php\html objects and javascript. I am a java programmer and
> learning your area. Some one in another thread mentioned that I could do
> what I wanted with just PHP. He helped me out tremendously. I am
> learning hour by hour.
>
> I added the submit and all is well.
>
> Thanks Guys.
>
> IchBin, Pocono Lake, Pa, USA http://weconsultants.phpnet.us
> __________________________________________________ ________________________
>
> 'If there is one, Knowledge is the "Fountain of Youth"'
> -William E. Taylor, Regular Guy (1952-)

IchBin:
You don't *have* to have a submit button. You can set the select to
submit for you. i.e. <select ... onclick="submit()">

Maybe you already knew that but if you didn't it could help in your
design.

-david-

David Haynes wrote:
> IchBin wrote:
>> Rik wrote:
>>> IchBin wrote:
>>>> I am cross posting to comp.lang.php and alt.comp.lang.php.
>>>>
>>>> I am having a problem with getting a post from a dropdownlist off a
>>>> html form. While debugging, by instruction steps, for some reason I
>>>> am never get passed the isset($_POST['author_pk']) after selecting an
>>>> item in the dropdownlist.
>>>
>>> ... and after a submit I assume, Peter made a good point ...
>>>
>>> print_r($_POST) and see what it containts.
>>>
>>> Grtz,
>>
>> You guys are right.. Originally I was tying to do this with javascript
>> and wanted to, onClick= event, post the selected field. I am use to
>> java Objects and their events and thought I could add the logic to
>> post the info from from the Dropdownlist and not need and submit button.
>> I am new to php\html objects and javascript. I am a java programmer
>> and learning your area. Some one in another thread mentioned that I
>> could do what I wanted with just PHP. He helped me out tremendously. I
>> am learning hour by hour.
>>
>> I added the submit and all is well.
>>
>> Thanks Guys.
>>
>> IchBin, Pocono Lake, Pa, USA http://weconsultants.phpnet.us
>> __________________________________________________ ________________________
>>
>>
>> 'If there is one, Knowledge is the "Fountain of Youth"'
>> -William E. Taylor, Regular Guy (1952-)
>
> IchBin:
> You don't *have* to have a submit button. You can set the select to
> submit for you. i.e. <select ... onclick="submit()">
>
> Maybe you already knew that but if you didn't it could help in your
> design.
>
> -david-
>

It is my own confusion between html and javascript. When I looked at
tutorials for html the onClick was not documented. When I look at some
Javascript 1.3 docs I saw a detail spec. So my assumption, before you
replied to my first thread message, as that the onClick was a javascript
attribute. Which now does not make sense.

And yes that makes a world of difference in design.

Thanks David

IchBin, Pocono Lake, Pa, USA http://weconsultants.phpnet.us
__________________________________________________ ________________________

'If there is one, Knowledge is the "Fountain of Youth"'
-William E. Taylor, Regular Guy (1952-)