Query String Filter from Drop-Down Menus

12 posts by 2 authors in: Forums > CMS Builder
Last Post: December 1, 2014   (RSS)

Hello, All

I don't know if this one has been discussed before but I think someone must have raised it...

I'm trying to put together a filter menu for a picture gallery using 3 drop-downs. The user selects the values of choice and then hits the submit button at which point the page reloads showing only the filtered results.

I want to do this by building a query string with the values from the 3 drop downs. I have an idea I may need to use jScript to do this but I'm not sure how to put it together.

My understanding tells me I can grab the values from the drop downs using something like this...

var ddval1 = $("#dropdown1").val();
var ddval2 = $("#dropdown2").val();
var ddval3 = $("#dropdown3").val();

Then I can compile the query string with code like this...

document.location.href = './index.php' + ddval1 + ddval2 + ddval3;

But where it all goes and how the submit button comes into things has me scratching my head!
 
 If anyone has some advice I'd be most grateful.
 
 :0)
 
 Perch

By claire - December 1, 2014

Hi Perch

You don't really need to use JS to compile the query string here. It's easier to implement this as a form with three select dropdowns and a submit button.

Something like this:

<form action="" method="get">
    <select name="select1">
        <option value="v1">Value 1</option>
        <option value="v2">Value 2</option>
        <option value="v3">Value 3</option>
    </select>
    <select name="select2">
        <option value="v4">Value 4</option>
        <option value="v5">Value 5</option>
        <option value="v6">Value 6</option>
    </select>
    <select name="select3">
        <option value="v7">Value 7</option>
        <option value="v8">Value 8</option>
        <option value="v9">Value 9</option>
    </select>
    <input type="submit" value="Search" />
</form>

This will submit the variables on the end of the URL like so:

http://www.yoursite.com/thispage.php?select1=v1&select2=v4&select3=v7

This is on the same page, so really all you need to do is check to see if these variables appear in the $_REQUEST array and incorporate them into your where parameter in getRecords.

Does that make sense?

--------------------

Claire Ryan
interactivetools.com

Save time by getting our experts to help with your project.
http://www.interactivetools.com/consulting/

Hi, Claire -

Thanks for this. Just one question, what happens if one of the values is left blank - i.e. nothing selected? Do I need to make provision for that in the code?

Perch

By claire - December 1, 2014

Hi Perch

Yes, you would. I'd do the check like this:

if(@$_REQUEST['select1'] != "") {
    ....
}

This checks if the select1 variable is present and actually filled in. Assuming it passes that, the if statement should contain the code to add select1 to the where parameter.

--------------------

Claire Ryan
interactivetools.com

Save time by getting our experts to help with your project.
http://www.interactivetools.com/consulting/

Assuming it passes that, the if statement should contain the code to add select1 to the where parameter.

But we're not passing the value to the where parameter!

:0/

Perch

Hang on. Scrub that. I know what you mean.

:0)

By claire - December 1, 2014

Hah, okay. If you're not sure what that should look like, copy your code in here and I can take a look.

--------------------

Claire Ryan
interactivetools.com

Save time by getting our experts to help with your project.
http://www.interactivetools.com/consulting/

By claire - December 1, 2014

Welcome to the wonderful world of PHP logic :) you can and will tie yourself into knots over this stuff.

Paste in the whole chunk of code here, I might know of a better way to handle it.

--------------------

Claire Ryan
interactivetools.com

Save time by getting our experts to help with your project.
http://www.interactivetools.com/consulting/

Hi, Claire -

Here's an example - based on the query string above:

/gallery.php?user=&category=4

It only uses 2 parameters. I want to use 3...!

if (@$_REQUEST['user'] && @$_REQUEST['category']) {
$userNum = @$_REQUEST['user'];
$catNum = @$_REQUEST['category'];
$where = " tableName = 'pages' &&  fieldName = 'gallery' && info4 = $catNum && info5 = $userNum ";
}
elseif (@$_REQUEST['user'] && @!$_REQUEST['category']) {
$userNum = @$_REQUEST['user'];
$where = " tableName = 'pages' &&  fieldName = 'gallery' && info5 = $userNum ";
}
elseif (@!$_REQUEST['user'] && @$_REQUEST['category']) {
$catNum = @$_REQUEST['category'];
$where = " tableName = 'pages' &&  fieldName = 'gallery' && info4 = $catNum ";
}
else
{
$where = " tableName = 'pages' &&  fieldName = 'gallery' ";    
}


There must be a simpler, cleaner way?!

:0/

Perch