php - page flow issue...

hi.

got a situation for a potential page that i'm playing with. i'm trying
to figure out how to implement it, and the best/good approach to this.
i'm actually considering integrating this kind of process within a cms
(joomla/mambo/cmsms/etc..) but right now, this is in the initia
thought stage...

if you have a thought/page that i can lok at that's actually
implementing this kind of flow.. i'd really like to see it..

so, here goes...

===============================================

--need to figure out a way to have the user invoke an action on the
top section of
 a page, and have that action, trigger an action on a separate part of the page


example:

i have a page that looks something like this:

 +---------------------------------------------------------------+

     initial navbar stuff (always shown on the page)

     <form name="foo">
       stateList (select/option)
     </form>


     +----------------------------------+
       <form name="cat"> based on the user
         selected state                             {
          <tbl name="dog"> based on the user        {  <<<<< based on
the selected state
           user state                               {
                                                    {
          "cancelBTN"  "submitBTN"
       </form>

     +----------------------------------+

                                                        (page1)
 +---------------------------------------------------------------+

i need to have a way to have the user select a "state" from the
 statelist, and to then have the tbl/section of the site under
 the "cat" form, generated, based on the selected state.

at the same time, i need a way to have the user select an item
 from the "dog" tbl, and to have the user select the
 cancelBTN/submitBTN, with the app then generating the
 subsequent action/logic. the page below, is a kind of
 example of what i'm thinking of...

 +---------------------------------------------------------------+

     initial navbar stuff (always shown on the page)

     <form name="foo">
       stateList (select/option)
     </form>


     +----------------------------------+
       <form name="cat2"> based on the user
         selected state, and the cat1.submitBTN

          confirmation section
                                                              {
           based on the user selection from page1/cat1        { <<<
based on the previous
           cancel/submitBTN                                   {
cancel/submitBTN

          "cancelBTN"  "submitBTN"
       </form>

     +----------------------------------+

                                                        (page2)
 +---------------------------------------------------------------+


i can see a couple of ways of accomplishing this...

1) i can have a page of logic, that is composed of a bunch of
 logic, that is basically an "if block", that generates/displays
 the different parts of the page, based on the user actions of
 the preceding pages/sections (the cancel/submitBTNs). this approach
 would essentially require the entire page to be regenerated with
 each BTN selection.

 the logic would generate/invoke the correct page elements based
 on the user selection/action of the previous page/section.

2) i could possibly utilize div/frames, to allow the content in
 the targeted div/frame to be updated/redrawn/regenerated based
 on the user action/selection of the previous page/section...

 this might be able to be done (not familiar with the
 underlying processes to know if this is doable/suitable)
 or even a goof approach..

 would this apaproach still require the entire page to be
 redrawn? or just the portion that's in the targeted
 div/frame...

3) somehow invoke javascript/ajax function/features/logic,
 to allow the actions/interaction to occur, such that the
 content in the targeted div/frame is modified, without
 requiring the rest of the page to be modified...

 i have no idea if this is doable, or what this would mean,
 or involve, or how to apprach this..


or, there might be a different way of accomplishing this
 that i haven't even thought of...

any example sites/docs/code would be greatly appreciated...
heck, i'd even be glad to see an actual site/code that
demonstrates how this can/might/should be implemented!!!


thoughts/comments...

thanks