search form select searched value

[bwakad]

On my search form I wanted to make the selected value return back as what was selected to search. But I'm really having trouble retrieving this value. I'm not sure what I do wrong...

My search_form.php (included in head.inc) code is this:

<form id="search_form" method="GET" action="<?php echo $config->urls->root?>search/">
<label for='search_provincie'>Provincie
   <select id='search_provincie' name='provincie'>
      <option value=''>Any</option>
       // generate the provincie options, checking the whitelist to see if any are already selected
               foreach($pages->get("/provincie/")->children() as $provincie) {
                   $selected = $provincie->name == $input->get($provincie) ? " selected='selected' " : '';     
                   echo "<option$selected value='{$provincie->name}'>{$provincie->title}</option>";
               }
   </select>
</label>
<button type="submit" class="button postfix" id="search_submit">Search</button>
</form>

and my search.php file is this:

$selector = '';
if($input->get->provincie) {
  // Get the criteria and sanitize them
  $provincie = $pages->get("/provincie/" . $sanitizer->pageName($input->get->provincie));
      if($provincie->id) {
          $selector .= ", provincie=$provincie";
          $input->whitelist('provincie', $provincie->name);
      }
}

When I use the following code I retrieve it's chosen value: $value = $input->get('provincie');  echo $value;

EDIT ---------------------

changed my search form to this dropdown code so now it works as expected:

<option value=''>Any</option><?php
foreach($pages->get("/provincie/")->children() as $provincie) {
// when my page parent is 'provincie' I know the children are select values, 
// then use (current) $page->name as $provincie->name.
     if ($page->parent->get("name") === "provincie") {
         $selected = $provincie->name == $page->name ? " selected='selected' " : '';
// when page parent is not 'provincie' I am on the search page, then use $provincie->name.
     } else {
         $selected = $provincie->name == $input->get('provincie') ? " selected='selected' " : '';
     }
         echo "<option$selected value='{$provincie->name}'>{$provincie->title} </option>";
     } ?>

Next thing is, I have only 1 template file to browse all parents and all children under it, and 1 search file.

But since my 1 template file is very dynamic I am thinking of making my search form redirect to this template as well.

Unfortunatly, that is not yet working because I get a 'page does not exist' . On a separate search file it is working though.