asked on

building a multi-field search form in dreamweaver

Hi, I have a very little time to develop a new prototype and the results will have a heavy repercussion to the next stages of development on many of our next projects so I'd like to have your opinions on how to build this:

I'm building a search form in asp (javascript) with 5 dynamic lists using ultradev dreamweaver 5. A search result page will be built using the options selected in the form from that search page.

The problem is the following: each dynamic option list is supposed to update itself after any modification on another of these list is made. I suppose I'll have to put a "onChange" handler on my lists and call a javascript function that will execute the form's submit and recall that same page. Using my solution, I'll have to build 5 different record sets to dynamicly input the data in my lists. I wonder if there is a easier or more efficient way to do the job.

If my problem is not clear enough, I'll try to post more details...

Thank you in advance for your most needed advices...

AlfaNoMore

OK, this is unproved and un-tested, but I'm putting it in here as a working idea....

<script language="javscript">
var allOptions = [];
allOptions[0] = new selectObj('option 1');
allOptions[1] = new selectObj('option 2');
allOptions[2] = new selectObj('option 3');
allOptions[3] = new selectObj('option 4');
allOptions[4] = new selectObj('option 5');
allOptions[5] = new selectObj('option 6');

allOptions[0].next[0] = new selectObj('option 1.1');
allOptions[0].next[1] = new selectObj('option 1.2');
allOptions[0].next[2] = new selectObj('option 1.3');
allOptions[0].next[3] = new selectObj('option 1.4');
allOptions[0].next[4] = new selectObj('option 1.5');
allOptions[0].next[5] = new selectObj('option 1.6');

allOptions[1].next[0] = new selectObj('option 2.1');
allOptions[1].next[1] = new selectObj('option 2.2');
allOptions[1].next[2] = new selectObj('option 2.3');
allOptions[1].next[3] = new selectObj('option 2.4');
allOptions[1].next[4] = new selectObj('option 2.5');
allOptions[1].next[5] = new selectObj('option 2.6');

allOptions[0].next[0].next[0] = new selectObj('option 1.1.1');
allOptions[0].next[0].next[1] = new selectObj('option 1.1.2');
allOptions[0].next[0].next[2] = new selectObj('option 1.1.3');
allOptions[0].next[0].next[3] = new selectObj('option 1.1.4');
allOptions[0].next[0].next[4] = new selectObj('option 1.1.5');
allOptions[0].next[0].next[5] = new selectObj('option 1.1.6');

function selectObj(value) {
this.value = value;
this.next = [];
return this;
}

</script>

More to follow ////

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AlfaNoMore

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Whistler

ASKER

Thanks a lot!

I have some problems tough to implant your solution since I'm just fresh out of school. I'll do my best!

AlfaNoMore

I'm sure you will run into problems with this. It's quite tricky to manage multiple relationships. I htink this multi-array based approach seems quite simple, but constructing the arrays will be quite messy!

Good luck with it though.