sorry for the late reply, i was trying a few different options
the base code is below and i just want to modify it so that when someone selects a value in the 2nd drop down a text entry appears
(ignore the table stuff im just making sure i can get the form working then ill css it)
dyn_form.html
<table summary="" cellpadding=5>
<tr >
<td align=left><b>Select a Category</b></td><td colspan=2><div id="country_div">
<select name="category" onchange="getSelect('category', this.value, subcatdiv);">
<option value=""> -- Please Select a Category -- </option>
<option value="Books">Books</option>
<option value="Cars">Cars</option>
<option value="Trees">Trees</option>
<option value="Cool Sites">Cool Sites</option>
</select>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr >
<td align=left><b>Select a Sub-Category</b></td><td colspan=2>
<div id="subcat_div">
<select>
<option value=""> -- --</option>
</select>
</div>
</table>
<script language="javascript" src="dyn_loader.js"></script>
dyn_response.asp
<%
' Script (c) David Henderson 2005
' http://www.greatasp.co.uk
' Feel free to use this in your projects, but leave this reference intact
' Lets get the variable we passed
search = request("search")
str = request("str")
' Start off so that we can extend this in the future to more than one search
select case search
case "category" 'this is the string passed all the way from the javascript call
'Respond witht select box to be placed in the div. This could be anything,
'but lets pass another select box back
' You can chenge the select tag to include an onSelect of the form:
' onchange="getSelect('*something else*', this.value, *destination div*);"
' This allows you to link a sequence of select boxes, based on the value of the last
Response.Write( "<select name=""subcategory"">" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""""> -- Please Select a Subcategory -- </option>" )
'Now list the options that are available
'We could link into a database here, to search on the valure of "str", but lets
'just use a static list
select case str
case "Books"
Response.Write( "<option value=""The DaVinci Code"">The DaVinci Code</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"">Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""Oxford English Dictionary"">Oxford English Dictionary</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""The Lord of The Rings"">The Lord of The Rings</option>" )
case "Cars"
Response.Write( "<option value=""Ferrari"">Ferrari</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""Porsche"">Porsche</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""Clapped Out Old Banger"">Clapped Out Old Banger</option>" )
case "Trees"
Response.Write( "<option value=""Ash"">Ash</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""Oak"">Oak</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""Sycamore"">Sycamore</option>" )
case "Cool Sites"
Response.Write( "<option value=""http://www.greatasp.co.uk"">Greatasp</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""http://www.wizmymobile.com"">WizMyMobile.com</option>" )
Response.Write( "<option value=""http://www.wizmybiz.com"">WizMyBiz.com</option>" )
case else
Response.Write( "<option value="""">-- No Sub-Categories Found --</option>" )
end select
Response.Write( "</select>" )
case else
'Something has gone wrong
end select
%>
and the dyn_loader.js is
/*
Script (c) David Henderson 2005
http://www.greatasp.co.uk
Feel free to use this in your projects, but leave this reference intact
*/
// declare new variables for each new div that you add, and link to the div by ID
var subcatdiv = document.getElementById("subcat_div");
function getSelect(selType,str, destination){
if(str!=''){
var doc = null;
// Make a new XMLHttp object
if (typeof window.ActiveXObject != 'undefined' )
{
doc = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
}
else
{
doc = new XMLHttpRequest();
}
// Load the result from the response page
// Note the response page can be any page that returns the right result.
// I used ASP. PHP, PERL... etc could acheive the same result
// ** As far a I know firefox will only load a document on the SAME domain!!
if (doc){
doc.open("GET", "dyn_response.asp?search="+selType+"&str=" + str, false);
doc.send(null);
// Write the response to the div
destination.innerHTML = doc.responseText;
}else{
destination.innerHTML = 'Browser unable to create XMLHttp Object';
}
}else{
// Return the next select box back to the default
destination.innerHTML= '<select><option value=""> -- --</option></select>' ;
}
}