Question

Overview:
I got a website that has sentences that people can post to facebook, but in each sentence there are input boxes, which people can change the default value. Kinda like an digital “Mad Lib”.

EXAMPLE
I like __ and I think he is __.

• the underscores would be a text-field with a default value that would disappear once someone focuses on it.

Final string: I like JEN and I think she is HOT.

GOAL
Save final String and Post to Facebook (not worried about the facebook yet)

HTML

<span>I like</span>
<input name="post1_1" value="Tom" type="text" id="post1_1" />
<span>I think she is</span><input name="post1_2" value="Nice" type="text" id="post1_2" />

<a href="javascript:Post1()">POST NOW</a>

<span>My website is</span>
<input name="post2_1" value="Great" type="text" id="post2_1" />

<a href="javascript:Post2()">POST NOW</a>

SCRIPT

<script type="text/javascript" src="js/jquery-1.6.2.min.js"></script>

<script>
var post1_1 = null;
var post1_2 = null;
var post2_1 = null;

function Post1(){
var post1_1 = $('#post1_1').val();
var post1_2 = $('#post1_2').val();
var post1 = 'I like ' + post1_1 + ' I think she is ' + post1_2;
alert(post1);
}

function Post2(){
var post2_1 = $('#post2_1').val();
var post2 = 'My website is ' + post2_1;
alert(post2);
}

</script>

I am very new to web any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

At a quick glance, there are a few things wrong with your script.

post1_1 = ('#post1_1').val();
post2_1 = ('#post2_1').val();
post2_2 = ('#post2_2').val();

I’m assuming you’re using jQuery here. You need the $ in front of the ().

post1_1 = $('#post1_1').val();
post2_1 = $('#post2_1').val();
post2_2 = $('#post2_2').val();

Second, you set these after you set the post variables.

var post1 = 'Your are' + post1_1;
var post2 = 'You smell like' + post2_1 + 'and' + post2_2;

This will be “Your are null” (which, i’m assuming should be “You are”). You should set the variables to the input values before you use them.

var post1_1 = $('#post1_1').val();
var post2_1 = $('#post2_1').val();
var post2_2 = $('#post2_2').val();

var post1 = 'Your are' + post1_1;
var post2 = 'You smell like' + post2_1 + 'and' + post2_2;

alert(post1);
alert(post2);

I know this is just an example, but there is no post2_2 in your HTML, and the sentences in the HTML don’t match those in the JavaScript.