Question

I have a button that performs an ajax post — I want to disable the button, then perform my work, then upon completion — I want to re-enable the button. My interaction includes swapping out the image button (to a grayed out image button), and presenting a spinner. When complete, I hide the spinner and restore the original button image.

My approach includes unbinding, then rebinding the click event.

Here’s my code — it works great — but, I want to know if this is a proper/efficient/acceptable strategy?

// Update club name
$j('#btnUpdateClubName').bind('click', updateClubName);

function updateClubName() {
    var $this = $j(this);
    var $spinner = $this.next('.spinner');
    var renderURL = RES.BuildClubUpdateURL("UpdateClubName");

    $this.ajaxStart(function() {
        $this.attr("src", imgPathSaveAndUpdateBtnDisabled).unbind('click').addClass('wait-cursor');
        $spinner.show();
    });

    $j.ajax({ type: "POST", data: $j('#hidStandingOrderId, #txtClubName, #clubOrderIdEditClubName').serialize(), url: renderURL, dataType: 'html', contentType: 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
        success: function(data) {
            // do some stuff
            }
        }
    });

    $this.ajaxComplete(function() {
        $spinner.hide();
        $this.attr("src", imgPathSaveAndUpdateBtn).bind('click', updateClubName).removeClass('wait-cursor');
        $j("#cbEditClubName").colorbox.close();
    });
}

Answer 1

What you have works but it is a bit wasteful, as it adds a new ajaxStart and ajaxComplete handler each time the function runs, I would make one suggestion though, change your .unbind() call to be more specific since you have the information. If you change this:

.unbind('click')

To this:

.unbind('click', updateClubName)

You can have other click events without the .unbind() interfering, it’ll only unbind that one handler.

---

An overall better alternative (to me, you can debate whether it’s “better”) without rebinding would be to store a variable to know you’re currently posting using $.data() and .data(), for example:

$j('#btnUpdateClubName').bind('click', updateClubName);

function updateClubName() {
    if($.data(this, "posting")) return false;   //are we posting? abort!
    $.data(this, "posting", true);              //set variable
    var $this = $j(this);
    var $spinner = $this.next('.spinner');
    var renderURL = RES.BuildClubUpdateURL("UpdateClubName");

    $this.attr("src", imgPathSaveAndUpdateBtnDisabled).addClass('wait-cursor');
    $spinner.show();

    $j.ajax({ type: "POST", data: $j('#hidStandingOrderId, #txtClubName, #clubOrderIdEditClubName').serialize(), url: renderURL, dataType: 'html', contentType: 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
        success: function(data) {
            // do some stuff
            $spinner.hide();
            $this.attr("src", imgPathSaveAndUpdateBtn).removeClass('wait-cursor')
                 .data("posting", false);   //clear it out, ready to post again
            $j("#cbEditClubName").colorbox.close();
        }
    });
}

With this approach if you’re doing a POST the data for “posting” is true, and future clicks just abandon out…not until the response comes back and your success code runs is the button re-enabled. It’s the same effect but no duplicate handlers and no re/un-binding.