How To Get Multiple Selected Values Of Select Box In PHP

What Is PHP ?

PHP is a popular server-side scripting language primarily used for web development. It stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, and it is known for its simplicity, versatility, and wide community support. PHP allows developers to embed code within HTML files, enabling dynamic content generation and interaction with databases. With its extensive set of built-in functions and libraries, PHP offers a range of capabilities, such as handling forms, managing sessions, processing files, and interacting with various protocols. It is compatible with multiple operating systems and web servers, making it a versatile choice for creating dynamic and interactive websites and web applications. Despite its age, PHP continues to evolve, with regular updates and improvements, ensuring its relevance and usability in modern web development.

How To Get Multiple Selected Values Of Select Box In PHP

Method 1

Using Name Attribute Of The <Select> Element Is Set As An Array

Setting the name attribute of the <select> element as an array allows you to handle multiple selected options as an array when the form is submitted. It provides a convenient way to process and access the selected options in PHP

Syntax

<select name="mySelect[]" multiple>
  <!-- Options here -->
</select>

• name="mySelect[]": This parameter sets the name attribute of the <select> element as "mySelect[]", indicating that the selected values will be treated as an array when the form is submitted.

• multiple: This parameter enables multiple selections, allowing users to choose more than one option from the <select> element.

• <!-- Options here -->: This is a placeholder where you would include the individual <option> elements within the <select> element. Each <option> element represents a selectable choice in the dropdown list.

Example

Here is an example how you can get multiple values of a select box in php using Name attribute.

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
  $selectedOptions = $_POST['mySelect'];

  if (!empty($selectedOptions)) {
   foreach ($selectedOptions as $option) {
     echo $option . '<br>';
   }
  } else {
   echo 'No options selected.';
  }
}

Output

Option 1
Option 2

Explanation of Code

The code snippet is a PHP script that handles form submissions. It first checks if the current request method is POST. If it is, it retrieves the selected values from a <select> element named "mySelect" using $_POST['mySelect'] and stores them in the $selectedOptions variable. Then, it checks if there are any selected options by verifying if $selectedOptions is not empty. If there are selected options, it iterates through them using a foreach loop and echoes each option value followed by a line break. In case no options are selected, it displays the message "No options selected." The code ensures that the selected values from the form submission are processed correctly.

Method 2

Using The $_REQUEST Superglobal Array:

In PHP, the $_REQUEST superglobal array is a combination of the $_GET, $_POST, and $_COOKIE superglobal arrays. It contains the values of both GET and POST parameters, as well as the values of cookies, making it a convenient way to access user input and submitted data regardless of the HTTP request method.

Syntax

<select name="mySelect[]" multiple>
  <!-- Options here -->
</select>

• <select>: This is the opening tag for the select element. It represents a control that provides a dropdown list of options.

• name="mySelect[]": The name attribute specifies the name of the select element. In this case, the name is set to "mySelect[]". The square brackets "[]" indicate that the mySelect parameter will be treated as an array when the form is submitted.

• multiple: The multiple attribute allows the user to select multiple options from the dropdown list.

Example

Here is an example to demonstrate the usage of superglobal array.

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
  $selectedOptions = $_REQUEST['mySelect'];

  if (!empty($selectedOptions)) {
   foreach ($selectedOptions as $option) {
     echo $option . '<br>';
   }
  } else {
   echo 'No options selected.';
  }
}

Output

Option 1
Option 2
Option 3

Explanation of Code

This snippet checks if the current request method is POST. If it is a POST request, it retrieves the selected values from a form field named "mySelect" using $_REQUEST['mySelect'] and assigns them to the $selectedOptions variable. It then checks if the `$selectedOptions` array is not empty. If it contains selected options, it iterates over each option using a foreach loop and echoes each option value followed by a line break. In case no options are selected, it displays the message "No options selected." The code efficiently handles form submissions by capturing and processing the selected values from the form, ensuring that the appropriate output is displayed based on the presence or absence of selected options.

Conclusion

In conclusion, to get multiple selected values from a <select> box in PHP, you can set the name attribute of the `<select>` element as an array by appending square brackets [] to the name. When the form is submitted, the selected values will be available in PHP as an array using the $_POST or $_GET superglobal arrays, depending on the form's submission method (POST or GET). By accessing the array using $_POST['mySelect'] or $_GET['mySelect'], you can easily retrieve and process the selected values without the need for manual parsing or separate names for each option. This approach simplifies handling multiple selections from a <select> box in PHP.