popup_menu default that isn't

spork has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I am trying to create a popup menu in a CGI script with a default but I'm having difficulty with setting the default value. Here is my code:

        @values = sort numerically keys %ProgramAreas;
        $default = $ProgramAreas{$ComponentAreas{$ComponentID}};
        print   '<TD ALIGN="right"><B>Program Area:</B></TD><TD ALIGN=
+"left">',
                popup_menu(     -name=> 'ComponentProgramArea',
                                -values=> \@values,
                                -defaults=> \$default,
                                -labels=> \%ProgramAreas),
                                         "</TD><BR><BR><BR>\n";
[download]

ProgramAreas is a hash that is used in a few other places and I know that it contains useful and legal data.

$default gets assigned a real, legal value based on a print statement I threw in as a diagnostic. However, when the menu is displayed the default value is the first item in @values and not $default.

What obvious piece am I missing?

Comment on popup_menu default that isn't Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: popup_menu default that isn't by Zaxo (Archbishop) on May 07, 2002 at 20:53 UTC
The attribute is 'default', not 'defaults', and its value shourd be a string, not a reference to scalar. ~~I suspect that you want the values from %ProgramAreas as labels~~: `-default => $default, # -labels => [@ProgramAreas{@values}] ),` [download] In your sort, do you mean `@values = sort {$a <=> $b} keys %ProgramAreas;` ? What you have looks like pseudocode, or possibly Perl6 ;-) Update: Was wrong about labels. After Compline, Zaxo	[reply] [d/l]
Re: popup_menu default that isn't by DigitalKitty (Parson) on May 07, 2002 at 20:53 UTC
Hi Spork. Could you post some more of the source code? If not, you can set a default value with CGI.pm like this: `print popup_menu(-name=>'food', -values=>['pasta','fish','chicken', 'vegetables','fruit','bread','dessert'], -default=>'dessert');` [download] I once had a problem with a cgi program I writing where the script wouldn't work until I changed the word 'values' to 'value' ( without the quotes ). If this reply doesn't provide a solution, just post again o.k? You can find some more perl/CGI tutorials at: perl.about.com and... devshed.com I would try a supersearch here first though. Hope this helps, -Caitlin	[reply] [d/l]