Reputation: 433
Javascript multiple select boxes
I tried searching for an answer to this for a while, but to no avail.
I'm trying to do a simple online calculator (that calculates some photovoltaic panels energy), but I'm stuck in something simple (I'm new to Javascript although I worked with Flash's ActionScript 3.0 for a while).
What I need done is a html select that defines which other select group appears in the page. Something like this (obviously this doesn't work, just setting an example):
HTML
<html>
<body>
<select id="test1" onclick="checkField()">
<option>Selected A Group</option>
<option>Selected B Group</option>
</select>
<script>//insert second group here</script>
</body>
</html>
Javascript
function checkField(){
var temp = document.getElementById('test1').value;
if(temp === "Selected A Group"){
//insert code to "echo" the first optional select group
} else {
//insert code to "echo" the second optional select group
}
}
Sorry if its a bit confusing, but I cant really explain all that well. Here is an example of what I would want, where selecting a option makes the other fields change accordingly: http://www.toshiba.eu/innovation/download_drivers_bios.jsp
Upvotes: 0
Views: 1179
Answers (3)
Reputation: 4834
you are almost there, actually javascript doesn't "echo" values directly, it does log values using console.log(your value); to a debug console, similar to AS2 trace() if my memory isn't failing.
To "output" information to the document you should have a look into document.write When you use document.write it will directly write to the documents end.
The "correct" way would be to create a DOM element, with the elements you want inside it, and then append it to the desired element. Have a look at the comments
<!-- Be Aware to use the onchange trigger on select boxes, if you use onclick the function will run, even
if you didn't really chose any option -->
<select id="test1" onchange="checkField()">
<!-- Is good to have a first non-value option, better to trigger the onchange event, if you have
Select A Group as first option and you click on it, it didn't really "Change", you would have to
pick B Group and then A Group again to trigger the onchange event correctly. -->
<option value="">-- select an option --</option>
<!-- You can have a value attribute on the options, so it's easy to process when programming
while displaying a more detailed description to the users -->
<option value="A">Selected A Group</option>
<option value="B">Selected B Group</option>
</select>
<!-- We create an empty element where we are gonna place the new Select -->
<div id="newSelect"></div>
<!-- By Placing the Javascript on the end of <body>, we ensure that all the DOM elements loaded before running the script -->
<script>
function checkField(){
var newSelect = document.getElementById('newSelect'); //targeting container;
var temp = document.getElementById('test1').value;
//Some tasks we do always the option chose is not the first custom one, so we don't have to repeat it
//on the two If's below
if(temp !== ""){
// We remove the select if we placed one already before, so we can add the new one,
// For example if we chose B Group but changed our mind and Chose A Group later.
if(oldChild = newSelect.getElementsByTagName('select')[0]){
oldChild.remove();
}
var select = document.createElement("select");
select.setAttribute('id', 'newSelect');
}
if(temp === "A"){
//you could do JUST:
//body.innerHTML = "all the html you want in here" instead of all the code following;
//but all those code is supposed to be the "correct way" of adding elements to the HTML,
//Google a bit about that for detailed explanations
var option1 = document.createElement("option");
option1.value = 1;
option1.text = "Option 1";
var option2 = document.createElement("option");
option1.value = 2;
option2.text = "Option 2";
select.appendChild(option1);
select.appendChild(option2);
newSelect.appendChild(select);
} else {
var option1 = document.createElement("option");
option1.value = 3;
option1.text = "Option 3";
var option2 = document.createElement("option");
option1.value = 4;
option2.text = "Option 4";
select.appendChild(option1);
select.appendChild(option2);
newSelect.appendChild(select);
}
}
</script>
Of course there are ways to make this slightly shorter, using loops if your data to ouput has a pattern, but lets do it the "simple" way so you get a grasp of Javascript.
Hope all this helped you!!
Upvotes: 1
Reputation: 2887
Demo here: http://jsfiddle.net/3GkrX/
Just about the same as Mevins.... changed to switch/case though
html:
<select id="test1" id="name" onchange="checkField()">
<option>----</option>
<option>Selected A Group</option>
<option>Selected B Group</option>
</select>
<div id="optional">Please select!</div>
JS:
function checkField(){
var temp = document.getElementById('test1').value;
switch(temp){
case "Selected A Group":
document.getElementById("optional").innerHTML="<select name='optionalA'><option>1</option><option>2</option></select>";
break;
case "Selected B Group":
document.getElementById("optional").innerHTML="<select name='optionalB'><option>3</option><option>4</option></select>";
break
default:
document.getElementById("optional").innerHTML="Please select!";
break;
}
}
Also added the second group as a real option, and a default as "please select". may or may not be necessary in your case
Upvotes: 0
Reputation: 2475
Here is the demo http://codepen.io/anon/pen/izAHo your doing it almost right.
You should put the onclick event on the option tag to trigger changes based on the option selected.
HTML
<html>
<body>
<select id="test1">
<option onclick="checkField()">Selected A Group</option>
<option>Selected B Group</option>
</select>
<select id="test2">
<option onclick="check2Field()">Selected C Group</option>
<option>Selected D Group</option>
</select>
<script>//insert second group here</script>
</body>
</html>
JS
function checkField(){
var temp = document.getElementById('test1').value;
if(temp === "Selected A Group"){
document.getElementById('test2').innerHTML="<option>Selected halloooo Group</option>";
} else {
//insert code to "echo" the second optional select group
}
}
Check out my demo for more clarity.
Upvotes: 0