[RESOLVED] Select option text rather than option value

[kimmcms]

Hello everyone.

I am a real newbie to php, and this is my first attempt at writing anything.

I have created a Contact Form in html with a drop down selection box, which sends the completed form content to a different recipient depending on which option is selected in the drop down box.

All is working fine (much to my amazement and with a little help from others) EXCEPT, I am stuck with one part. When the form content is sent to the recipient, it shows the option value rather than the option text, and I cannot work my head around how to get it to show the text.

The relevant part of the Contact Form HTML code is:

<select name="Nature" size="1" id="Nature">
            <option>Please Select</option>
<option value="recipient_1">General Enquiries</option>          
<option value="recipient_2">Hall Hire</option>
<option value="recipient_3">Marquee Hire</option>
<option value="recipient_4">Parish Church</option>
<option value="recipient_5">Parish Council</option>
<option value="recipient_6">Recreation Area</option>
<option value="recipient_7">Other</option>
</select>

and the PHP code is:

 /* Email Variables */
$emailSubject = 'website_enquiry'; 
$recipients = array(
 
'recipient_1' => '[e-mail]', 
'recipient_2' => '[e-mail]', 
'recipient_3' => '[e-mail]',
'recipient_4' => '[e-mail]',
'recipient_5' => '[e-mail]',
'recipient_6' => '[e-mail]',
'recipient_7' => '[e-mail]'
);
 
$my_email = $recipients[$_POST['Nature']];
 
 
/* Data Variables */
$Name = $_POST['Name'];
$Telephone = $_POST['Telephone'];
$Email = $_POST['Email'];
$Nature = $_POST['Nature'];
$Questions = $_POST['Questions'];
 
 
$body = <<<EOD
<br><hr><br>
Name: $Name <br>
Telephone: $Telephone <br>
Email: $Email <br>
Nature: $Nature <br>
Questions: $Questions <br>
EOD;
$headers = "From: $Email\r\n";
$headers .= "Content-type: text/html\r\n";
$success = mail($my_email, $emailSubject, $body,
$headers);

So, basically, in the php above, within the 'body' i.e. the information being emailed, I have "Nature: $Nature", which returns the option value. I am trying to get it to return the option text itself to clarify the nature of the enquiry ( there are a couple of recipients who will receive emails for more than 1 type of enquiry and I need to show them which one it covers)Example: Assuming a user selects Hall Hire, it will currently send "recipient 2". I want it to send "Hall Hire" i.e the option text itself rather than the option value.

Is there a simple way of doing this ? Can anyone guide me please ?

[Dormilich]

When the form content is sent to the recipient, it shows the option value rather than the option text, and I cannot work my head around how to get it to show the text.

that’s simple: you can’t. the form will only transmit the assigned value (name-value pair), nothing else.

what you can do is putting the value of interest in the value attribute, i.e. if you need "Hall Hire" but not "recipient_ 2" just make "Hall Hire" the value.

another way were to use a data mapper (in this case a simple array would suffice) where you have the option’s value as array key and the option’s text as array value.

[kimmcms]

Doh !

Thanks Dormilich - couldn't see the wood for the trees when trying to protect the email addresses.

Have simply changed i.e. 'recipient_2' to 'Hall_Hire' in both html & php and it works perfectly.

Thanks so much.

Regards