What is the significance of the value attribute in the <option> tag when populating a dropdown list in PHP?

The value attribute in the <option> tag is significant when populating a dropdown list in PHP because it allows you to assign a specific value to each option that will be submitted when the form is submitted. This value can be different from the displayed text of the option, providing a way to send meaningful data to the server. This is useful for scenarios where you need to send a unique identifier or key associated with the option.

&lt;select name=&quot;dropdown&quot;&gt;
    &lt;option value=&quot;1&quot;&gt;Option 1&lt;/option&gt;
    &lt;option value=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Option 2&lt;/option&gt;
    &lt;option value=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Option 3&lt;/option&gt;
&lt;/select&gt;