insert php values into textarea

[moondance]

I'm developing a simple site where user information is retrieved and displayed on the page.

For a description section, a large amount of text is retrieved, to be displayed in a textarea. But I can't figure out how to get the value from mysql to show up in the text area.

I've got:

<textarea value = htmlspecialchars($row[user_description]) rows = 10 cols = 50 wrap = virtual></textarea>

But it shows nothing.
Help!

[jacen6678]

<textarea rows = 10 cols = 50 wrap = virtual>
<?= htmlspecialchars($row[user_description]) ?>
</textarea>

and, you mihgt need quotes around user_description

[moondance]

that half works - the script is in the actual php file, so i might not need the <? ?> for the php line.

Getting there:
echo ("td width = 100px><textarea rows = 10 cols = 50 wrap = virtual> htmlspecialchars($row[user_description])></textarea></td>");

displays the user description, but also has at the top:

htmlspecialchars( user description text........)>

????

[jacen6678]

Heh... you should have said so...

echo "...<textarea rows = 10 cols = 50 wrap = virtual>". htmlspecialchars($row[user_description])."</textarea></td>";

or

echo "td width=100px><textarea rows=10 cols=50 wrap=virtual>";
echo htmlspecialchars($row[user_description]);
echo "</textarea></td>";

btw, you dont need to wrap the things to be echo'ed in ( ). Echo is not a function.

[Daot Lagorille]

I assume you have your mysql statment and the retrieved records in a set of variables, so it should be as easy as:

<textarea name="name"><?php echo $varTextContent; ?></textarea>

[moondance]

thanks for your replies.

;)