limiting quantity in shopping cart HELP!!!!!

[bronze stone]

Hi,
Im having trouble with limiting the quantity that a customer can add to the shopping cart. I have a drop down box that will limit the number that they can add with each click of the add to cart button.
However I need to make the quantity in the drop down box subtract the amount that was added to a cart to reflect the new on hand amount. If I have 10 monkey's and someone buy's 2 I want the drop down to reflect that. How can I do this??? I need help in a bad way.
This is what I have..... Thanks


<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method=post>


<tr valign="top">
<td><A HREF="000018.jpg">
<IMG HEIGHT=100 WIDTH=100 SRC="000018.jpg"></A></td>
<td> <b>
<input type="hidden" name="prod4" value='000018'>
<input type="hidden" name="price4" value='80.00'>





Heart shaped Ruby & Diamond necklace <br> </b>
BS#:000018 <br>
Stone: Rubys & Diamonds <br>
Size: <br>
Metal: 10kt Yellow Gold


<p></p>
<br>
</td>
<td>$80.00</td>
<td>






<select name="quantity">
<option value='0' selected>0</option>
<option value=1>1</option>
<option value=2>2</option>



<form target="paypal" action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
<input type="image" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/x-click-but22.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!">

<name="quantity" value="0"></td></tr>

<input type="hidden" name="add" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_cart">
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="bronzestone@comcast.net">
<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="000018">
<input type="hidden" name="amount" value="80.00">
<input type="hidden" name="no_note" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="USD">
</form>

</select>

</td></tr>

[phpnovice]

Do you mean that the visitor buys 2 of the 10 and you wish to prevent the same visitor in the same transaction from next buying 10 of the 8 remaining? (requires JavaScript)

...or...

Do you mean one visitor buys 2 of the 10 and you wish to prevent any visitor in a new transaction from buying 10 of the 8 remaining? (server-side code will work)

[bronze stone]

Yes I meen if one person buys 2 of 10 items I need to stop someone else from buying 10 of the remaining 8 I have on hand. you say server side code will work. Could you explain it a little further. Im kinda new at this. willing to pay for any help.

[phpnovice]

Well, the first question is... Do you have a database where you can keep track of your inventory levels? Such a database will probably be either Access or MySQL. The second question is... What server-side languages does your site hosting provider have available for your use? Such languages will probably be either ASP or PHP, respectively (to the database type). Once you figure these things out (by asking your site hosting provider), then you will be in a position to contract some help to develop the code.

[bronze stone]

Hey Thanks alot. No I do not yet have a data base but I will work on one. Now I at least have a place to start.

[phpnovice]

Cheers.