IF Else nightmare!

[vicpal25]

Ive got a download section that someone else worked on previously and I am thinkig of ways how I can recreate the code behind it making it easier. I am seeing down the road and it loooks like its gonna be a mess if I continue coding it like the way it is. This is how it works:

- There is a form with some check boxes (right now 5). Based on the check box a user selects, they get to donwload that specific PDF file.
- Once selected, then on the code there is a bunch of if else statements that check for the combination of PDF file selections a user might have. Example:

if pdf = 1 then
<a href="/pdf1.pdf" target="_blank">
else if
if pdf = 2 then
<a href="/pdf3.pdf" target="_blank">

but where it gets tricky is when a user selects for example pdf files 1,3,5 then I have to start bulding more if else statements that will meet all different selections a user might select.

if pdf ="1, 3, 5" then
<a href="/pdf1.pdf" target="_blank">
<a href="/pdf3.pdf" target="_blank">
<a href="/pdf5.pdf" target="_blank">

currently there is about 220 lines of just if else statements that try go accomodate for a users different selection criteria they might want. They plan on adding more pdf files for downloads and I am seeing a nightmare!

I have some ideas like putting the PDF names on arrays and having a pointers extract the specified file. But ughg, I think there might a shorter way to do this. I would like some input from you guys to see if some ideas can be sparked. Thanks Community!

[ShrineDesigns]

name the checkboxes as pdf[] that forces the checkbox values into a sub array of $_POST, example

<?php
if($_POST)
{
    if(!empty($_POST['pdf']))
    {
        while(list(, $v) = each($_POST['pdf']))
        {
            $v = intval($v);

            if($v > 0)
            {
                echo "<a href=\"/pdf{$v}.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">PDF $v</a><br>\n";
            }
        }
    }
}
?>

[mojor]

I'd suggest:

<?php 
if($_REQUEST) 
{ 
    if(!empty($_REQUEST['pdf'])) 
    { 
        while(list(, $v) = each($_REQUEST['pdf'])) 
        {