Widget: Custom Post Type Post Listing Dropdown on Admin Side

Question

Widget: I'm making a custom widget with the following functionality on the admin side.

1. 3 text fields
2. 2 dropdown menus to select posts by title (both from a single custom post type)

Right now, instead of a drop down, the user must input the post ID# into a text field. The widget uses the post ID to grab the right data from the right posts and display it nicely on the front end. I need to be able to have the admin select a post title from the dropdown, then have the widget store the selected post's ID# in a variable and save the information.

My Code So Far This is just for the dropdown; what I've cobbled together from various examples I found around the web. I'd like to think I'm close, but I'm really stumped.

<?php
$selected = isset( $values['$bookid1'] ) ? esc_attr( $values['$bookid1'] ) : ''; 
global $post;
$args = array('post_type' => 'bookdetail','post_status' => 'publish');
$myposts = get_posts( $args );
echo '<select name="bookid1" id="bookid1">';
foreach( $myposts as $post ) :
    setup_postdata($post);
    $bookid1 = $post->ID;   
    $displaytitle = substr( get_the_title($post->ID), 0, 50);
    echo '<option value="' . $bookid1 . '"' .  selected( $selected, $bookid1 ) .'>' . $displaytitle . '</option>';
endforeach;
echo '</select>';
?>

So...
How do I store in $bookid1 the post ID# of the post the admin user selects from the dropdown?
How do I save that variable and selection in the "save data" section of the widget code?

I appreciate any help the community could provide.

Answer 1

Here is what I discovered and use, maybe it will help you:

function custom_posttype_dropdown($name, $selected)
{       
    $out = "";
    $posts = get_posts(
        array(
            'post_type'  => 'bctap_templates',
            'numberposts' => -1
        )
    );
    if($posts )
    {

        $out = '<select name="'.$name.'" ><option>Select a Template</option>';
        foreach( $posts as $p )
        {
            if ($p==$selected)
            {
                $selected = "selected = 'selected'";
            }
            else
            {
                $selected = "";
            }
            $out .= '<option value="' . $p->ID . '" '.$selected.'>' .$p->post_title  . '</option>';
        }
        $out .= '</select>';
    } 
    else
    {
        $out = '<select name="'.$name.'" value="x" ><option>Select a Option</option>';
        foreach( $posts as $p )
        {               
            $out .= '<option value="x" '.$selected.'>None Created Yet.</option>';
        }
        $out .= '</select>';
    }
    return $out;
}

//to call
echo custom_posttype_dropdown($name, $selected);