Dynamically loading data into the drop down box

Create a "combodata.xml" xml file, and write in it:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<combodata>
      <item label="First Label"      data="first" />
      <item label="Second Label"      data="second" />
      <item label="Third Label"      data="third" />
      <item label="Fourth Label"      data="fourth" />
      <item label="Fifth Label"      data="fifth" />
      <item label="Sixth Label"      data="sixth" />
</combodata>

then, in your movie, call your combobox, for example, "combo_cb", and drop this code on the same frame:

combo_cb.setEnabled(false);
data_xml = new XML();
data_xml.ignoreWhite = true;
data_xml.path = this;
data_xml.onLoad = function(ok)
{
      this.path.combo_cb.setEnabled(true);
      if(ok){
            var nodes = this.firstChild.childNodes;
            for(var i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++){
                  this.path.combo_cb.addItem(nodes[i].attributes.label, nodes[i].attributes.data);
            }
            this.path.combo_cb.setChangeHandler("changeData");
            this.path.changeData(combo_cb);
      } else {
            this.path.combo_cb.addItem("no data found");
            this.path.combo_cb.setEnabled(false);
      }
};
function changeData(_cb)
{
      this.yourVariable = _cb.getSelectedItem().data;
}
data_xml.load("combodata.xml");



with this code, when you change the selected item, the "yourVariable" variable is created in the same timeline where the combo lies, holding the selected item data.
If you want to create it in a loadVars instance, change the code to:

data_var = new LoadVars();

combo_cb.setEnabled(false);
data_xml = new XML();
data_xml.ignoreWhite = true;
data_xml.path = this;
data_xml.onLoad = function(ok)
{
      this.path.combo_cb.setEnabled(true);
      if(ok){
            var nodes = this.firstChild.childNodes;
            for(var i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++){
                  this.path.combo_cb.addItem(nodes[i].attributes.label, nodes[i].attributes.data);
            }
            this.path.combo_cb.setChangeHandler("changeData");
            this.path.changeData(combo_cb);
      } else {
            this.path.combo_cb.addItem("no data found");
            this.path.combo_cb.setEnabled(false);
      }
};
function changeData(_cb)
{
      data_var.yourVariable = _cb.getSelectedItem().data;
}
data_xml.load("combodata.xml");


Now, when you send you data to php (you know how, if you send data from textfields), you get that variable with:

$_POST['yourVariable']

Ok I've done that and its working fine.
I just have to more questions....

1) How can I adjust the width of the combo box?

2) I was intending on using LoadVars to send the data to my php page seeing the rest of my data is sent that way, but....
how to I get flash to get the variable the user has selected?  e.g. a text box uses      newVars.txt_1 = txt_1.text       so what would/should I use for the combo box?

Cheers

-OBCT

your combo box will automatically adjust to the max item size...  so you don't have to worry about that...

you can use loadvars if you want...

you would just send that information in the changeData function above....  like this:

function changeData(_cb)
{
    myData = new LoadVars();
    myData.yourVariable = _cb.getSelectedItem().data;
    myData.sendAndLoad("/yourpage.php", myData, "POST");
    myData.onLoad = function(success){
        if(success){
           trace("successful transaction");
        } else {
           trace("an error occured in the transaction");
        }
    };
}


I believe, that is all you need...  then you would collect the "yourVariable"  using the method posted above by Negatyve....


hope that helps to clarify...


rp

I tried adding the loadvars in my on release function, but now I'm having three problems.
1) The username and email are not being submited to my db anymore
2) The combo box didn't adjust its width automatically
3) In the database, in the column that contains my variable from the combo box, it says undefiend.

What did I do wrong??

Sorry about those errors, they were my own little errors which I have fixed up now.
However, in my database I am still getting "undefiend" in the column that is meant to hold the value from my text box.

it should be:

$_POST['textfield_associated_variable']

This is the code I am using, and it wont send anything into my database. The way I had it working before was using loadVariablesNum with the GET method...
any suggestions?

combo_cb.setEnabled(false);
data_xml = new XML();
data_xml.ignoreWhite = true;
data_xml.path = this;
data_xml.onLoad = function(ok)
{
     this.path.combo_cb.setEnabled(true);
     if(ok){
          var nodes = this.firstChild.childNodes;
          for(var i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++){
               this.path.combo_cb.addItem(nodes[i].attributes.label, nodes[i].attributes.data);
          }
          this.path.combo_cb.setChangeHandler("changeData");
          this.path.changeData(combo_cb);
     } else {
          this.path.combo_cb.addItem("no data found");
          this.path.combo_cb.setEnabled(false);
     }
};
function changeData(_cb)
{
     this.newUser = _cb.getSelectedItem().data;
}
data_xml.load("http://www.dfgsgsdfgsdfg.com/xml/combodata.xml");

submitBTN.onRelease = function() {
      if (!username.length) {
            status = "Please enter a username"
      } else {
            if (!email.length or email.indexOf("@") == -1 or email.indexOf(".") == -1 or email.indexOf("com") == -1) {
                  status = "Please enter a valid email"
            } else {
                  if (email.length < 7) {
                        status = "Please enter a valid email"
                  } else {
                        status = "Loading...Please wait..."
                        var newUser = new LoadVars()
                        newUser.username = _root.username
                        newUser.email = _root.email
                        newUser.timeZone = _root._cb.getSelectedItem().data
                        newUser.load("http://www.dfgsfgsdfg.com/scripts/register.php", 0, "POST")
                        newUser.onLoad = function(success) {
                              if (success) {
                                    status = "Complete"
                              } else {
                                    status = "Error"
                              }
                        }
                  }
            }
      }
}

Can someone please help!

I tried that, used $HTTP_POST_VARS on my php script and it didn't add anything into the database.

I know there isn't anything wrong with my php page because when I try something like this:
http://www.sdlfhs.com/scripts/register.php?username=Blah&email=i_live@themoon.com
it enters it into the db.

LOL sorry my bad. I forgot to save my php script after I changed everything to HTTP_POST_VARS.
Thanks for all your help, you really are an expert!

Cheers!

-OBCT

yeah!! :)

cheers