You do it with reading the values back from your database and using "Value" for input boxes, "Selected" for drop down boxes, and "Checked" for check boxes and radio boxes.
Here is a sample of my code I am using on a web site I have designed using PHP. It will be similar in other web design languages.
<select name="Salutation" class="required" id="Salutation" tabindex="1" size="1" style="font-size: 1.6em" /><span id="errmsg"></span>
<option value=""></option>
<option value="Mrs." <?php if ($Salutation == 'Mrs.') echo ' selected="selected"'; ?>>Mrs.</option>
<option value="Miss" <?php if ($Salutation == 'Miss') echo ' selected="selected"'; ?>>Miss</option>
<option value="Ms." <?php if ($Salutation == 'Ms.') echo ' selected="selected"'; ?>>Ms.</option>
<option value="Mr." <?php if ($Salutation == 'Mr.') echo ' selected="selected"'; ?>>Mr.</option>
</select>
<label for="FName">First Name:<span class="red">*</span></label>
<input type="text" id="FName" class="required" name="FName" size="30" maxlength="30" tabindex="2" value="<? echo $FName; ?>" />
<label for="State" id="State">State:<span class="red">*</span></label>
<select name="State" size="1" tabindex="6" style="font-size: 1.6em">
<option value="AR"<?php if ($State == 'AR') echo ' selected="selected"'; ?>>Arkansas</option>
<option value="AL"<?php if ($State == 'AL') echo ' selected="selected"'; ?>>Alabama</option>
<option value="AK"<?php if ($State == 'AK') echo ' selected="selected"'; ?>>Alaska</option>
</select>
<span id="label_credit">Are you taking this course to receive credit?<span class="red">*</span></span>
<p></p>
<label for="no">No <input type="radio" name="Credit" id="no" VALUE="N" class="required" onclick="enable_submit()" <?php if (strtoupper($Credit) == 'N') echo ' checked="checked"'; ?> /></label>
<label for="yes">Yes <input type="radio" name="Credit" id="yes" VALUE="Y" onclick="enable_submit()" <?php if (strtoupper($Credit) == 'Y') echo ' checked="checked"'; ?>/></label>
<span id="label_cancel">I will not be able to attend. Please cancel my registration. <input type="checkbox" name="Cancel" onclick="enable_submit()" value="Y" <?php if (strtoupper($Cancel) == 'Y') echo 'checked="checked"'; ?>/></span><p></p> 
Unsolved 
