javascript questions - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

mpedrummer2 · 12-04-2003, 07:02 PM

OK, I do php and MySQL programming.

I have a form, and based on the value of one input (a select) in the form, I want to display the correct other fields for the user.

I'm assuming that javascript is the way to go here. I know that I want to do "onBlur="do something"" but I don't know exactly what to do.

What it needs to do is spew out a chunk of html.

Possible? Stupid?

Question 2: I have ordered something from Micro Xpress recently, and their registration form is the coolest damn thing...you enter your zip code, and it pulls the rest of the stuff for you. I want to do the same thing for a site I'm working on, I have the zip code database.

How?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
MPEDrummer

Phat Bank · 12-05-2003, 08:48 AM

I think you need to look into setting the style attribute of the TRs in question to display: none.

Try taking a look at this page - http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/usableforms.html

cheerios · 12-05-2003, 10:08 AM

well, as for the dynamic html, I can point you to a JS HW I did... maybe you can extrapolate how to do what you want from it... (Ican't say as me'n JS ever got along, so I try not to use it

)

ack, stand corrected, overwrote the damn thing. may wanna look into DHTML though?

mpedrummer2 · 12-05-2003, 11:41 AM

excellent, PB, I think that might do the trick. I'll have to check it out later at work.

MPEDrummer

mpedrummer2 · 12-09-2003, 12:24 AM

Yep, that solved problem #1.

As for problem #2...anyone have ideas?

MPEDrummer

s1em · 12-10-2003, 04:44 AM

You mean you enter the zip code and it pulls the city and state? You'd have to have a pretty massive database of cities to accomplish that. I wonder if it's something the postal service provides via a web service or something?

mpedrummer2 · 12-10-2003, 02:09 PM

That part I have, the company subscribes to a service that provides that information.

It's not complete, of course...not every city, but every zip code is covered. There's somewhere in the range of 50,000.

What I need to know is how to connect to the database to use that information. I can do it in PHP, but I don't want to refresh the page in the middle of the process.

MPEDrummer

ratbastid · 12-10-2003, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by s1em
I wonder if it's something the postal service provides via a web service or something?

Both UPS and USPS offer such services.

Quote:

Originally posted by mpedrummer2
What I need to know is how to connect to the database to use that information. I can do it in PHP, but I don't want to refresh the page in the middle of the process.

You don't have much choice, I'm afraid. Unless you want to populate a massive JavaScript data structure with ALL that data, you're going to have to hit the server for it. Fortunately, you can do it in a way that's pretty transparent.

Add to the input tag an onChange="form.submit()". And then have the PHP smart enough to know when the JUST zip has just been submitted. Do your db lookup, and generate the page again, populating the forms with the values. If the server's fast enough, the user won't even notice.

mpedrummer2 · 12-11-2003, 03:37 AM

Yeah, but it'll click, won't it? As the page refreshes, I mean.

I'm pretty sure it can be done, because I know they didn't load the full structure on the checkout page.

Just gotta figure out how, that's all...

hmm...if I put php tags inside a script element, would the php be executed when the script is?

MPEDrummer

cheerios · 12-11-2003, 12:19 PM

don't think so mped... php is server-side. it's all resolved before the html/javascript etc is sent down to the client. so it'll execute, put whatever it needs to in the script element, and THEN go to the user.

mpedrummer2 · 12-11-2003, 04:02 PM

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

Maybe pass the zip to a popup onBlur(), run the PHP script in the popup, and auto-close it, sending the data back?

Or would that just be annoying for the user?

12-04-2003, 07:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
mpedrummer2 Insane	javascript questions OK, I do php and MySQL programming. I have a form, and based on the value of one input (a select) in the form, I want to display the correct other fields for the user. I'm assuming that javascript is the way to go here. I know that I want to do "onBlur="do something"" but I don't know exactly what to do. What it needs to do is spew out a chunk of html. Possible? Stupid? Question 2: I have ordered something from Micro Xpress recently, and their registration form is the coolest damn thing...you enter your zip code, and it pulls the rest of the stuff for you. I want to do the same thing for a site I'm working on, I have the zip code database. How? Any help is appreciated. Thanks MPEDrummer __________________ My sig can beat up your honor student.

12-05-2003, 11:41 AM	#4 (permalink)
mpedrummer2 Insane	excellent, PB, I think that might do the trick. I'll have to check it out later at work. MPEDrummer __________________ My sig can beat up your honor student.

12-09-2003, 12:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
mpedrummer2 Insane	Yep, that solved problem #1. As for problem #2...anyone have ideas? MPEDrummer __________________ My sig can beat up your honor student.

12-10-2003, 02:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
mpedrummer2 Insane	That part I have, the company subscribes to a service that provides that information. It's not complete, of course...not every city, but every zip code is covered. There's somewhere in the range of 50,000. What I need to know is how to connect to the database to use that information. I can do it in PHP, but I don't want to refresh the page in the middle of the process. MPEDrummer __________________ My sig can beat up your honor student.

12-11-2003, 03:37 AM	#9 (permalink)
mpedrummer2 Insane	Yeah, but it'll click, won't it? As the page refreshes, I mean. I'm pretty sure it can be done, because I know they didn't load the full structure on the checkout page. Just gotta figure out how, that's all... hmm...if I put php tags inside a script element, would the php be executed when the script is? MPEDrummer __________________ My sig can beat up your honor student.

12-05-2003, 08:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
Phat Bank Insane Location: Michigan	I think you need to look into setting the style attribute of the TRs in question to display: none. Try taking a look at this page - http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/usableforms.html

12-05-2003, 10:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
cheerios Banned Location: 'bout 2 feet from my iMac	well, as for the dynamic html, I can point you to a JS HW I did... maybe you can extrapolate how to do what you want from it... (Ican't say as me'n JS ever got along, so I try not to use it ) ack, stand corrected, overwrote the damn thing. may wanna look into DHTML though?

12-10-2003, 04:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
s1em Prisoner of Mars	You mean you enter the zip code and it pulls the city and state? You'd have to have a pretty massive database of cities to accomplish that. I wonder if it's something the postal service provides via a web service or something?

12-11-2003, 12:19 PM	#10 (permalink)
cheerios Banned Location: 'bout 2 feet from my iMac	don't think so mped... php is server-side. it's all resolved before the html/javascript etc is sent down to the client. so it'll execute, put whatever it needs to in the script element, and THEN go to the user.

12-11-2003, 04:02 PM	#11 (permalink)
mpedrummer2 Insane	Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Maybe pass the zip to a popup onBlur(), run the PHP script in the popup, and auto-close it, sending the data back? Or would that just be annoying for the user? __________________ My sig can beat up your honor student.