Question

i’ve used .load() with jquery to call a php file that will return search results back into a div below a search input bar, but in the div, using TAB or down arrow will not cycle through the results.

It’s apparent the key controls don’t know the new div of results exists.

What am i looking for exactly to fix this?

I’ve called my php file that returns results from mysql db with the following code

$("#searchinput").keydown(function(e) {
if(e.which == 8) {
    SearchText = $("#searchinput").val().substring(0,$("#searchinput").val().length-1);   
 } 

$("#searchresults").load("inc/ajax_search.php", { searchinput:SearchText });
    $("#searchresults").slideDown();

Answer 1

As cruxst suggests, there are plugins for this kind of thing, but maybe you don’t want to use a plugin. Perhaps you are trying to figure it out for yourself.

Here is a piece of code that implements a very simple autocomplete. It’s not a plugin and it’s pretty basic but it has the basic features.

Your question suggests that the function that you may be interested in is highlightResult.

Below the script is the markup and style required.

$(function() {

    // OPTIONS
    // length of time, in milliseconds, to wait after a keystroke before the search happens
    // usually 250 ~ 400ms
    var wait     = 250;
    // the minimum number of characters required to search on
    var minChars = 3;
    var queryScript = 'inc/ajax_search.php';

    // cache our two main players for efficiency
    var $input = $('#searchinput');
    var $output = $('#searchresults' );

    // to store the timeout
    var delay = null;

    $input.keypress( function( e ) {
        switch( e.keyCode ) {
            case 13:        // return
                e.preventDefault();
                selectResult();
                return;
            case 38:        // up
                e.preventDefault();
                highlightResult( -1 );
                return;
            case 40:        // down
                e.preventDefault();
                highlightResult( 1 );
                return;
            //case ... there may be keys that you want to ignore like left and right
        }
        clearTimeout( delay );
        delay = setTimeout( search, wait );
    });


    function search() {
        var query = $.trim( $input.val() );
        if( query && query.length >= minChars ) {
            $output.load( queryScript, { searchinput: query } );
        }
    }

    function highlightResult( n ) {

        if( Math.abs(n) != 1 ) return;

        var hilgt = $output.find( '.highlight' );
        var newhilgt;

        // if we don't have a highlighted element...
        if( !hilgt.length ) {
            if( n > 0 ) {
                // highlight the first one
                $output.find('li').eq(0).addClass('highlight');
                // jq 1.4+
                //$output.find('li').first().addClass('highlight');
            } else {
                // highlight the last one
                $output.find('li').slice( -1 ).addClass('highlight');
                // jq 1.4+
                //$output.find('li').last().addClass('highlight');
            }
        }

        if( n > 0 ) {
            var newhilgt = hilgt.next();
        } else {
            var newhilgt = hilgt.prev();
        }

        if( newhilgt.length ) {
            newhilgt.addClass('highlight');
            hilgt.removeClass('highlight');
        }

    }

    function selectResult() {
        var sel = $output.find( '.highlight' );
        if( sel.length ) {
            // do something with the selected element
            console.log( sel[0] );
        }
    }

    // For completeness the functions below handle mouse stuff
    $('#searchresults li').live( 'mouseover', function( e ) {
        $(this).siblings('.highlight').removeClass('highlight');
        $(this).addClass('highlight');
    });

    $('#searchresults li').live( 'click', function( e ) {
        e.preventDefault();
        selectResult();
    })

});

Requirements

<style type="text/css">
    .highlight {
        background: red;
    }
</style>

<input type="text" id="searchinput"/>
<div id="searchresults"></div>

Return from your ajax call assumed to be something like

<ul>
    <li>result 1</li>
    <li>result 2</li>
    <li>result 3</li>
    ...
</ul>