Question

i have this code:

    $('#categories').change(function() {
            var myCars = new Array("Saab", "Volvo", "BMW");
            addRowToTable(this.value, myCars);
            $('#listings').hide();
        });

but i dont want it to call the addRowToTable method if the user selects the first item because the first element says “Please select an item . . .”

Answer 1

Well, I’d think that using the selectedIndex property of your drop-down list should be enough:

$('#categories').change(function() {
    if(this.selectedIndex!=0) {
        var myCars = new Array("Saab", "Volvo", "BMW");
        addRowToTable(this.value, myCars);
        $('#listings').hide();
    }
});

You could, of course, get creative with jQuery selectors, but if your present need is just skipping the first item, I think this is the simplest possible solution.