Textareas and Dropdowns

echo form_textarea('description');

<textarea name="description"></textarea>

$default_text = 'Enter your message here...';
echo form_textarea('message', $default_text);

$attributes = [
    'rows' => '8',
    'placeholder' => 'Enter detailed description...',
    'maxlength' => '500'
];
echo form_textarea('description', '', $attributes);

echo form_textarea('description', $description);

// Fetch submitted data or use default
$data['description'] = post('description', true);
$this->view('create', $data);

form_dropdown($name, $options, $selected, $attributes);

$options = [
    '1' => 'Option One',
    '2' => 'Option Two',
    '3' => 'Option Three'
];
echo form_dropdown('choice', $options);

<select name="choice">
    <option value="1">Option One</option>
    <option value="2">Option Two</option>
    <option value="3">Option Three</option>
</select>

$options = [
    'small' => 'Small',
    'medium' => 'Medium',
    'large' => 'Large'
];
echo form_dropdown('size', $options, $size);

// In controller
$data['size'] = post('size', true) ?? 'medium'; // Default to 'medium'
$this->view('create', $data);

$options = [
    '1' => 'Priority 1 - Critical',
    '2' => 'Priority 2 - High',
    '3' => 'Priority 3 - Normal'
];
$attributes = ['id' => 'priority-selector', 'required' => 'required'];
echo form_dropdown('priority', $options, $priority, $attributes);

// In controller
$status_options = [
    'pending' => 'Pending',
    'in_progress' => 'In Progress',
    'completed' => 'Completed',
    'canceled' => 'Canceled'
];

$data['status_options'] = $status_options;
$data['status'] = post('status', true); // Gets submitted value or empty string
$this->view('create', $data);

// In view
echo form_label('Status');
echo form_dropdown('status', $status_options, $status);

// In controller
$categories = $this->db->get('id', 'categories');
$category_options = [];

foreach ($categories as $category) {
    $category_options[$category->id] = $category->name;
}

// Pass both variables to view
$data['category_options'] = $category_options;
$data['selected_category'] = post('category_id', true);
$this->view('create', $data);

// In view - $category_options and $selected_category come from controller
echo form_label('Category');
echo form_dropdown('category_id', $category_options, $selected_category);

$options = [
    '' => '-- Please Select --',
    '1' => 'Option One',
    '2' => 'Option Two',
    '3' => 'Option Three'
];
echo form_dropdown('choice', $options, $selected_choice);

// In controller
public function create(): void {
    $update_id = segment(3, 'int');
    
    // Fetch categories for dropdown
    $categories = $this->db->get('id', 'categories');
    $data['category_options'] = [];
    foreach ($categories as $category) {
        $data['category_options'][$category->id] = $category->name;
    }
    
    // Get selected value (from DB or POST)
    if ($update_id > 0 && REQUEST_TYPE === 'GET') {
        $record = $this->db->get_where($update_id, 'products');
        $data['selected_category'] = $record->category_id;
    } else {
        $data['selected_category'] = post('category_id', true);
    }
    
    $this->view('create', $data);
}

// In view - $category_options and $selected_category come from controller
echo form_dropdown('category_id', $category_options, $selected_category);

// In controller
$data['color_options'] = [
    'red' => 'Red',
    'blue' => 'Blue',
    'green' => 'Green',
    'yellow' => 'Yellow'
];

// For multiple selections, post() returns an array
$data['selected_colors'] = post('colors', true) ?: [];
$this->view('create', $data);

// In view
$attributes = ['multiple' => 'multiple'];
echo form_dropdown('colors[]', $color_options, $selected_colors, $attributes);

$selected_colors = ['red', 'blue']; // Array of values
echo form_dropdown('colors[]', $options, $selected_colors, ['multiple' => 'multiple']);