Question

I’m still trying to learn jquery so bear with me. I have a dual select box that only works if I select all the results of the second select box after I move them there. What I want is when the first box transfers values to the second second select box, it doesn’t require highlighting the options, but posts that second select box on form submit. Here is what
I have:

HTML:

<span id="dualselect1" class="dualselect">

    <select name="select1[]" multiple="multiple" size="10">
    <?php
    $c='0';
    foreach($lp_name as $lpn){
        echo '<option value="'.$lp_id[$c].'">'.$lpn.' ('.$lp_url[$c].')</option>';
        $c++;
    }
    ?>
    </select>

    <span class="ds_arrow">
        <span class="arrow ds_prev">&laquo;</span>
        <span class="arrow ds_next">&raquo;</span>
    </span>
    <select name="select2[]" multiple="multiple" size="10">
        <option value=""></option>
    </select>
</span> 

JQUERY:

<script type="text/javascript">
jQuery(document).ready(function(){    
var db = jQuery('#dualselect1').find('.ds_arrow .arrow');   //get arrows of dual select
    var sel1 = jQuery('#dualselect1 select:first-child');       //get first select element
    var sel2 = jQuery('#dualselect1 select:last-child');            //get second select element

    sel2.empty(); //empty it first from dom.

    db.click(function(){
        var t = (jQuery(this).hasClass('ds_prev'))? 0 : 1;  // 0 if arrow prev otherwise arrow next
        if(t) {
            sel1.find('option').each(function(){
                if(jQuery(this).is(':selected')) {
                    jQuery(this).attr('selected',false);
                    var op = sel2.find('option:first-child');
                    sel2.append(jQuery(this));
                }
            }); 
        } else {
            sel2.find('option').each(function(){
                if(jQuery(this).is(':selected')) {
                    jQuery(this).attr('selected',false);
                    sel1.append(jQuery(this));
                }
            });     
        }
    });
 });

PHP:

if(isset($_POST['submit'])) {
  var_dump($_POST['select2']);
}

Like I said, I have this sort of working. But, if I send a value to select2, I have to highlight it before I submit or else it wont POST. Any ideas?

Answer 1

I’ve come across this before and you have a couple of options. Using JS you can either push all of the values in the second box into a hidden field as well, or also using JS you can select all of the values in the second box as an onsubmit handler on the form.

I’ve actually done the latter before, and it works just fine.

Ultimately, a select box (multi or single select) only sends the values that are selected — so that’s why it only works if you select them first. It works a lot like checkboxes do, where the unchecked values just don’t get posted.

This should “select” all of them:

$('#myform').submit(function() {
  var sel2 = $('#dualselect1 select:last-child');
  sel2.find('option').each(function(){
    $(this).attr('selected',true);
  });   
});

OR this would put them into a series of hidden fields:

$('#myform').submit(function() {
  var sel2 = $('#dualselect1 select:last-child');
  sel2.find('option').each(function(){
    var hidden = $('<input type="hidden" name="selectedOptions[]"/>');
    hidden.val($(this).val());
    sel2.after(hidden);
  });   
});

and then in PHP you’d get these values by using $_POST[‘selectedOptions’];