Can a Link be attached to a select list option?

Question

Here is some code for a select list that pulls its data from a database:
<select name = "sid" height = "1"class="dropit" >
<?PHP while ($row = $result ->fetch_assoc())  {   ;
    echo '<option value='. ($row['id']);
    if (!(strcmp($row['id'], $row['id']))) {echo "selected=\"selected\" ";}
     ?>><?php echo $row['type']?>
<?PHP } ?>   
</select>
This works fine with a form. It is fast, and you can jump to an option just by typing its first letter.
I would like to code it so that the options have a link to another page attached to them without the need for a form.
It would show the selected item, and next to it would be a link attached to the word "Update"
The link would be similar to this: <a href="update.php?id=<?php echo $row['id']; ?>">Update</a>
It is quite easy to do in a table, with the <a ref in one td and the name field in another like so:
<table>
<?php while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) { ?>
  <tr>
    <td><?php echo $row['id']; ?></td>
    <td><?php echo $row['type']; ?></td>
    <td><a href="update.php?id=<?php echo $row['id']; ?>">EDIT</a></td>
   </tr>
  <?php } ?>
</table>
but it does not allow key navigation, and as I have a growing list of over 6000 items,it is becoming painfully slow to use.
Is it possible to include a URL within the option,
Or allow the option to be selected with the URL alongside it within the select list?
Its part of a management system that I am updating.
For searches on the live web I am able to filter the results in a better way, using a word search system..
All help appreciated.
Howard Walker

Answer 1

Thanks Bregent. I never studied Jump Menus before today.
A jump menu works to a degree, but unless I have made a coding error, it is not possible to jump to an item in the list by hitting a letter key while the list is active.
Here is my code using a database table with an id and a single field:
<script type="text/javascript">
function MM_jumpMenuGo(objId,targ,restore){ //v9.0
  var selObj = null;  with (document) {
  if (getElementById) selObj = getElementById(objId);
  if (selObj) eval(targ+".location='"+selObj.options[selObj.selectedIndex].value+"'");
  if (restore) selObj.selectedIndex=0; }
</script>
<form name="form" id="form">
  <select name="jumpMenu" id="jumpMenu">
             <?PHP while ($row = $result ->fetch_assoc())  { ;?>
              <option value=<?PHP echo"update2.php?id=".$row['id'] ?> ><?PHP echo $row["id"]." - ";?><?PHP echo $row["field_value"];?></option>
           <?PHP }   ?>
  </select>
  <input type="button" name="go_button" id= "go_button" value="Go" onClick="MM_jumpMenuGo('jumpMenu','parent',1)">
   </form>
Unless every option has a different link, I can see little use for it.
Seems little different to a standard form with a drop down menu and a GO button, and that does not need any javascript!
It does give a workable example of how to populate a jump menu from a database, which I was unable to find on the web.
Comments welcome.
Howard