Question

Dynamically add form fields

Asked by: adamlund

Hi All,

I have a script that allows a user to click a button which generates a new row/table of form fields.  This works fine only when I enter information in the first form field and click the add button it also copies the text in the form field as well.  I need the new form fields to be initially blank.  I have attached my code below.

Any help much appreciated.

Adam

// javascript:
 
function addTab(tabId,theBtn){
  var newTab = document.getElementById(tabId).cloneNode(true);
  theBtn.parentNode.insertBefore(newTab,theBtn);
}
 
// HTML:
 
<table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="700" id="Authors">
<tr>
<td>Surname:</td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="30"></td>
<td>Initials:</td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td><input type="text" name="author[]" size="1" maxlength="1"></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="author[]" value="Jr">
Junior</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</table>
  <table width="700" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
    <tr height="40">
      <td height="40"><div align="right">
        <input type="button" value="Add" onClick="addTab('Authors',this)">
      </div></td>
    </tr>
  </table>

                                  
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Asked On
2008-07-05 at 02:54:49ID23540476
Tags

Javascript

Topic

JavaScript

Participating Experts
2
Points
350
Comments
6

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Answers

 

by: ZylochPosted on 2008-07-05 at 15:13:04ID: 21938567

You can use Javascript to manually reset all the fields, in lieu of a better solution. The correct action of cloneNode() is to copy the current form values.

 

by: b0lsc0ttPosted on 2008-07-05 at 16:56:14ID: 21938806

I helped and provide code in another question that is almost exactly what you need.  The question is at http:Q_23136553.html .  Let me know how it helps or if you need help using it in your page.

bol

 

by: adamlundPosted on 2008-07-06 at 05:48:15ID: 21940084

Hi bol,

I have tried to adapt your code (as below) using the code for your previous posting solution.  I do not need to add a counter to the address field.  So instead of Address1, Address2 etc I just need Address[] so that it recognises it it an array.  Unfortunately, when I output the array Address it has only remembered the last Address field I completed.  Any suggestions?

Many thanks,

Adam

function addRowToTable()
{
  var tbl = document.getElementById('tblAddress');
  var lastRow = tbl.rows.length;
  // if there's no header row in the table, then iteration = lastRow + 1
  var iteration = lastRow;
//  var iteration = lastRow + 1;
  var row = tbl.insertRow(lastRow);
  
  //  cell 0
  var cell0 = row.insertCell(0);
  var el = document.createElement('input');
  el.type = 'text';
  el.name = 'Address';
  el.id = 'Address';
  el.size = 30;
  cell0.appendChild(el);
  
  //cell 1
  var cell1 = row.insertCell(1);
  var el = document.createElement('input');
  el.type = 'text';
  el.name = 'City';
  el.id = 'City';
  el.size = 10;
  cell1.appendChild(el);
  
  //cell 2
  var cell2 = row.insertCell(2);
  var el = document.createElement('input');
  el.type = 'text';
  el.name = 'state';
  el.id = 'state';
  el.size = 2;
  cell2.appendChild(el);
  
   //cell 3
  var cell3 = row.insertCell(3);
  var el = document.createElement('input');
  el.type = 'text';
  el.name = 'zip';
  el.id = 'zip';
  el.size = 5;
  cell3.appendChild(el);
}
 
  </script>
 
<form action="Untitled-2.php" name="h" method="post">
 <table id="tblAddress">
                <tr>
                  <td class="txtBase">Address</td>
                  <td class="txtBase">City</td>
                  <td class="txtBase">State</td>
                  <td class="txtBase">Zip</td>
                </tr>
               <tr>
                  <td><input name="Address[]" type="text" size="30" maxlength="255"></td>
                  <td><input name="City[]" type="text" size="10" maxlength="255"></td>
                  <td><input name="State[]" type="text" size="2" maxlength="10"></td>
                  <td><input name="Zip[]" type="text" size="5" maxlength="25"></td>
    </tr>
  </table><input type="button" name="Add" value="Add" onClick="javascript: return addRowToTable();">
               <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit">
</form>

                                              
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by: b0lsc0ttPosted on 2008-07-07 at 19:41:43ID: 21950386

The main problem was not using the square brackets in the name's value for each field.  That is what makes PHP able to get each field and create the array.  The code below should now add the brackets and name to each field.

You do have to remove the ID attribute.  It should be unique on a page and your method would cause duplicates.  Since it isn't required usually you can leave it off.  If you have to have an id then you will have to use a method that will keep it unique.

I also changed the onclick event.  It doesn't need to start with javascript since it is an event and doesn't need the return.

Let me know if you have a question or how that works.

bol

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
	"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
 
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
<head>
<link href="/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
<title>More form fields</title>
<script type="text/javascript">
function addRowToTable()
{
  var tbl = document.getElementById('tblAddress');
  var lastRow = tbl.rows.length;
  // if there's no header row in the table, then iteration = lastRow + 1
  var iteration = lastRow;
//  var iteration = lastRow + 1;
  var row = tbl.insertRow(lastRow);
  
  //  cell 0
  var cell0 = row.insertCell(0);
  var el = document.createElement('input');
  el.type = 'text';
  el.name = 'Address[]';
  el.size = 30;
  cell0.appendChild(el);
  
  //cell 1
  var cell1 = row.insertCell(1);
  var el = document.createElement('input');
  el.type = 'text';
  el.name = 'City[]';
  el.size = 10;
  cell1.appendChild(el);
  
  //cell 2
  var cell2 = row.insertCell(2);
  var el = document.createElement('input');
  el.type = 'text';
  el.name = 'State[]';
  el.size = 2;
  cell2.appendChild(el);
  
   //cell 3
  var cell3 = row.insertCell(3);
  var el = document.createElement('input');
  el.type = 'text';
  el.name = 'Zip[]';
  el.size = 5;
  cell3.appendChild(el);
}
</script>
</head>
 
<body>
<h3>Dynamic add form fields</h3>
 
<br /><br /> 
<form action="Untitled-2.php" name="h" method="post">
 <table id="tblAddress">
                <tr>
                  <td class="txtBase">Address</td>
                  <td class="txtBase">City</td>
                  <td class="txtBase">State</td>
                  <td class="txtBase">Zip</td>
                </tr>
               <tr>
                  <td><input name="Address[]" type="text" size="30" maxlength="255"></td>
                  <td><input name="City[]" type="text" size="10" maxlength="255"></td>
                  <td><input name="State[]" type="text" size="2" maxlength="10"></td>
                  <td><input name="Zip[]" type="text" size="5" maxlength="25"></td>
    </tr>
  </table><input type="button" name="Add" value="Add" onClick="addRowToTable();">
               <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit">
</form>
 
 
</body>
</html>

                                              
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by: adamlundPosted on 2008-07-08 at 07:37:04ID: 31473666

Many thanks Bol, just what I was needed! Ads

 

by: b0lsc0ttPosted on 2008-07-08 at 08:23:24ID: 21954696

Your welcome!  I'm glad I could help.  Thanks for the grade, the points and the fun question.

bol

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