php - How to check whether dropbox item is selected? -

i have mysql database 2 tables:

table1 (id, name, emailid) table2 (id, email) 

• emailid relationship table2.id

i'm trying make html form lists contents of table1 dropdown box user select email field. email field populated <options> table2.

my question is: how check value selected emailid , make selected item in dropbox when form loads selected="selected"?

i've gotten 1 solution work don't think proper way , looking best practices method.

the way doing work 1 item pulled table1 not if there more 1.

here code far:

this data make form:

<?php $sql = "select table1.id table1id, table1.name, table2.id table2id         table1         inner join table2 on table1.emailid = table2.id         table1.id = {$id}";  $result = mysqli_query($link, $sql);  $row = mysqli_fetch_array($result);  $items1 = array('table1id' => $row['table1id']                  'name' => $row['table1.name']                  'table2id' => $row['table2id']);   $sql = "select id, email table2";  $result = mysqli_query($link, $sql);  $row = mysqli_fetch_array($result);  while ($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result)) {      $items2[] = array('id' => $row['id'],                   'email' => $row['email'],                   'selected' => ($row['id'] == $items1['table2id']) ? ' selected="selected" ' : '');  } ?> 

this html:

<tr>      <td><?php echo $items1['name']; ?></td>     <td><input type="hidden" name="table1id" value="<?php echo $items1['table1id']; ?>" />         <?php echo $items1['table1id']; ?></td>     <td>         <select name="email">          <?php foreach ($items2 $item2): ?>              <option value="<?php echo $item2['id']; ?>"<?php echo $item2['selected']; ?>>             <?php echo $item2['email']; ?></option>          <?php endforeach; ?>         </select>     </td>  </tr> 

this how form updated:

<?php $id = mysql_real_escape_string($_post['table1id']);  $email = mysql_real_escape_string($_post['email']);   $sql = "update table1 set emailid = {$email} id = {$id}";  ?> 

edit killed other stuff have code up.

// lets make our table2 primary can organize our values in $items array. $sql = "select table1.id table1id, table1.name, table2.id table2id, table2.email      table2     left join table1 on table2.emailid = table1.id";     // need where?  i'm thinking not.     // table1.id = {$id}";   $items = array(); while($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result)) {   // set every time through loop, ok.   // can check see if set , set or not set.   $items[$row['table1id']]['name'] = $row['name'];   // keep appending email values here table1id array.   $items[$row['table1id']]['emails'][] = $row['email']; } 

lets html markup have items in nice array us.

<?php foreach($items $id => $item): ?>     <tr>    <td><?php echo $item['name']; ?></td>   // need hidden field?   <td><input type="hidden" name="table1id" value="<?php echo $id; ?>" /><?php echo $id; ?></td>   <td>     // updated unique each id iteration.     <select name="email_<?php echo $id; ?>">     // might want consider is_array() check on value.     <?php foreach ($item['email'] $email): ?>         <?php $selected = $email == $_post['email_'. $id] ? ' selected="selected"' : ''; ?>         <option value="<?php echo $email; ?>"<?php echo $selected; ?>>         <?php echo $email; ?></option>      <?php endforeach; ?>     </select>   </td>  </tr> <?php endforeach; ?> 

i have not tested may not work copy , paste. think can going correctly now.