checkbox/radio input dilemma

[TenzoR]

Hello all, still a newbie in PHP but i'm getting the hang of this nonetheless

Here is my problem which I'm not sure if there is an easier way to solve it or not

basically I have a page display a list of items and with two column of choices.

I wanted to use the radiobuttons so the users can not select both choice at the same time but then I can no figure out a good way to reset the user's choice to blank with out resetting the whole form.

Now I'm thinking about using the checkbox but then another problem i see is the user will be able to select both choices. Is there a way to disable the other checkbox while one of them is checked?

I'm not sure if this makes any sense ..thanks in advance

[paulnaj]

Hi TenZor,

Without actually looking in the manual, I'm sure that both of your ideas could work, using javascript. 😉

It'll just be a matter of seeing whether 'disabling/enabling' (or something similar) a radio button clears the check-mark as well.

The second one is also pretty straightforward ... you would use the checkbox onClick event to call a function that iterates through the array of checkboxes on the form, turning off all except the one passed to it in the function call.

If you need any help with javascript, probably better to send me a private message (or try another forum, of course).

Paul.

[TheDefender]

How about a 3rd radio button that says "None" that the user can select?

[paulnaj]

Hi TheDefender,

Yes, er ... that's a rather simpler (and thus better!) way to do it.

Paul :queasy:

[TheDefender]

Not always better (depends on the application), but as I look at what we're trying to accomplish here, it just seemed like simple was the way to go, so as to avoid messy JavaScript, and whatnot. I could be wrong, but the simpler application sounds like it will fit right in here. 🙂

[paulnaj]

Yeah, it fits!

The checkbox method would not really be doing the 'done thing' ... checkboxes are (usually) independent of each other.

So, it should be a 'group' of radios and using a extra radio in this case takes place of a button that can't do the job without javascript.

P.

[TenzoR]

problem is I want to avoid javascript

is there any possibility of me doing this in pure PHP?

as for 3rd radio ...not an option ..I already asked ..upper management dun want that :o

[TheDefender]

Not an option for "Pure PHP", because it's server side scripting. Remember, it's parsed at the server, and then sent to the browser. That's where JS fills in, because it is a more interactive client-side scripting language.

[TenzoR]

Originally posted by TheDefender
Not an option for "Pure PHP", because it's server side scripting. Remember, it's parsed at the server, and then sent to the browser. That's where JS fills in, because it is a more interactive client-side scripting language.

oh well I thought of something better ..well user friendly I suppose

just gonna make a separate page. Eveything goes through a page that does the double checking. If the user decide to be a smart@ss and check off two checkbox the page will ask the user to smarten up and choose again but this time radio buttons ...if the user was smart in the first place ..it'll just redirect to the correct page

[TenzoR]

turns out my manager dun want this ...but instead he said i can use jscript :bemused:

i pmed you paulnaj

[paulnaj]

OK TenZor ... I'll have a look at it a bit later.
P.

[TenzoR]

it was suggested my Paul I posted here since it's part PHP question too not just JScript

this is what I have done

I put this javascript function in my html header

	<script type="text/javascript">
		function checkBoxValidate(cb1, cb2) 
		{
			if (document.mainform.cb1.checked == true)
			{
				document.mainform.cb2.checked = false;
			}
		}
	</script>

now in my main bodies which is split up in to multiple functions

and in the print tables function I have these

            echo "<td width = 10% bgcolor=$bgcolour><input name=$text1 type=\"checkbox\" onClick=\"checkBoxValidate($text1, $text2)\"></td>";
			echo "<td width = 10% bgcolor=$bgcolour><input name=$text2 type=\"checkbox\" onClick=\"checkBoxValidate($text2, $text1)\"></td>";

now it looks logical and when I look at the source ..i don't really get why it wouldn't work

[paulnaj]

Hi TenZor,

Ok.

1) Is the name of the form that contains the checkboxes called mainform?

2) The names of the checkboxes are $text1 and $text2. This will display the values of the variables rather than the name text1 and text2. Is that what you want?

3) If you are using variables to assign the names of the checkboxes and the values in $text1 and $text2 are text rather than numbers, then you'll need to put single-quotes around the arguments in the call to checkBoxValidate ...

checkBoxValidate('$text1', '$text2')

Having said that ... here's a more general method ...

<html>
<head>
<title>Checkboxes</title>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// Ensures only one checkbox at a time on a form is checked
// Should be placed in the onClick event attribute of a checkbox
// Use [this] for the argument ...
// ... onClick="checkBoxValidate(this);"
function checkBoxValidate(chk){ 
	// Have a look at every element of chk's parent form
	for(var prop in chk.form){
		// See if it's a checkbox (test for null first - important)
		if(chk.form[prop] != null && chk.form[prop].type == 'checkbox'){
			// Checked is true is the name of the prop is the same as chk's
			// False, otherwise
			chk.form[prop].checked = (chk.form[prop].name == chk.name);
		}
	}
} 
</script> 
</head>
<body>
<?php
// Build the check box rows
$trs = ''; 
for($i = 0; $i < 5; $i++){
	$trs .= '<tr>
		<td>
			<input name="chk'.$i.'" type="checkbox" onClick="checkBoxValidate(this);">
			Check '.$i.'
		</td>
	</tr>';
}
// A checkbox can any name - still works

$trs .= '<tr>
	<td>
		<input name="anyname" type="checkbox" onClick="checkBoxValidate(this);">
		Check [anyname]
	</td>
</tr>';

// display the form
echo '
<form action="" name="mainform" id="mainform">
<table>
	'.$trs.'
</table>
</form>
';
?> 
</body> 
</html>

Be careful though ... ALL checkboxes on a particular form will be under this control.

Paul.

[TenzoR]

Paul,

I will give these a try and let you know 🙂

[TenzoR]

okay i'm really stuck 🙁

here is my problem or what i'm trying to accomplish

basically i have a table with a form.

The table has 3 columns. First column is the products name and the next 2 column are checkboxes (claim or drop) the product.

With that said, the form is one big form hosting all of the checkboxes. The checkbox name are named after their id + their column name whether its claim or drop

e.g. claim102 and drop102 for product id 102

The tables and checkboxes are created all dynamically with php but for user friendliness I want the user to be able to use checkboxes (can diselected easier) instead of radio button.
I was hoping to create a javascript that works with my php script to take the name of the two check boxes that are in the same row

I have the psuedo code in my head but just can't get the syntax right

this is the psuedo code in my head
<script>

function validateCheckbox(cbox1, cbox2)
if (cbox1 == checked)
{
if (cbox2 == checked)
{
cbox2 = unchecked
}
}
</script>

The function would be call upn the onClick event for each respecitve check box.

e.g. claim102 checkbox is checked the onClick will call the function with claim102, drop102 as th variable.

[TenzoR]

pho code calling the function

	  			
$text1 = "claiming".$id;
$text2 = "deleting".$id;
echo "<td width = 10% bgcolor=$bgcolour><input name=$text1 type=\"checkbox\" onClick=\"checkBoxValidate('$text1', '$text2')\"></td>";
echo "<td width = 10% bgcolor=$bgcolour><input name=$text2 type=\"checkbox\" onClick=\"checkBoxValidate('$text2', '$text1')\"></td>";

javascript in my <head>

	<script type="text/javascript">
		function checkBoxValidate(cb1, cb2) 
		{
			if (eval("document.mainform."+cb1+".checked") == true)
			{
				if (eval("document.mainform."+cb2+".checked") == true)
				{
					document.mainform.cb2.checked = false;
				}
			}
		}
	</script>

[paulnaj]

Hi TenZor,

We're getting down to the nitty-gritty now.

For each row of a table there will be two checkboxes, only one of which can be selected per row. Is that right?

Ok ...

<script type="text/javascript">
function checkBoxValidate(cb){
document.mainform[cb2].checked = false;
}
</script>

... will do the trick assuming the form is called mainform and

the call to checkBoxValidate only has the name of the checkbox to 'uncheck' ...

$text1 = "claiming".$id; 
$text2 = "deleting".$id; 
echo "<td width = 10% bgcolor=$bgcolour><input name=$text1 type=\"checkbox\" onClick=\"checkBoxValidate('$text2')\"></td>"; 
echo "<td width = 10% bgcolor=$bgcolour><input name=$text2 type=\"checkbox\" onClick=\"checkBoxValidate('$text1')\"></td>";

Paul.

[TenzoR]

HOLY COW you are a genious 🙂

everything is working

I think I know what I did wrong.

eval("document.mainform."+cb1+".checked")

was messing it up?

cuz I notice you did document.mainform[cb1] instead