mysql and dropdown menus

I'm working on a webpage that will display a list of names and locations held within a mysql db. Once the list is displayed, the names and locations are sortable Ascending and Descending by clicking on the column title. However, I'm trying to incorporate a drop down menu that will allow you to specify the location you want to view so that you don't have to look at the entire list, only those with the selected location. Within my dropdown menu the variable name is 'Select' which I then include in a mysql_query WHERE statement. For example mysql_query(SELECT * from data WHERE state = '$Select' $orderby $sortorder) the $orderby and $sortorder are strings which contain the statements for ordering and sorting. Very similar to Chap. 11 of PHP4 for Beginners (Wrox). I can get this to display correctly when originally done but if I want to the sort the smaller list, I cannot figure out how to get the $Select variable to continue to hold the correct state. What has been happening is when I click to sort either ascending or descending, that variable ends up with nothing in it and my results are way off. I'm using $PHP_SELF?show_names&state=$Select (show_names is a function for listing the names and locations) but the $Select variable seems to be emptying out when I do this. My dropdown list is not contained within the function. Is this a problem? Hope this made sense. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jeff Go Get It! Send FREE Valentine eCards with Lycos Greetings http://greetings.lycos.com