Change link href on dropdown select option using jquery

[seb86]

I need some help. I am trying to change a link attribute href on dropdown select. Link changes depending on the value of the option the user has selected.

I have used this page to help start me off: http://api.jquery.com/val/

I have adapted it to how I need it to work for me but something is missing and I don't know what it is to get it to work.

This is what I have written so far.

jQuery(document).ready(function($){
	function changeLang(){
		var link = $('#changelang').val();
		if(link == ''){ // if the option value is empty, hide link.
			$('#changelink').css('display', 'none');
		}
		else{
			$('#changelink').css('display', 'block'); // Display link after dropdown.
			$('#changelink').attr('href', 'readtext.php?lang=' + link); // Change the link
			alert('Language changed!'); // Alert user the language of the text has changed.
		}
	}
	$('#changelang').change(changeLang); // Loads the function again on change.
	changeLang(); // Loads function on page load.
});

This is my html code.

<select id="changelang">
<option value="" selected="selected">-------</option>
<option value="en">English</option>
<option value="fr">French</option>
<option value="es">Spanish</option>
<option value="jp">Japanese</option>
</select>
<a id="changelink" href="readtext.php">Read Text</a>

If a user selects a different language then the link will change. What I do with that link afterwards is up to me.

I would like some help to get it working and any would be most appreciated.

Thank you!

[Argote]

I think you could also use plain old Javascript for that line using

document.getElementById("changelink").href = 'readtext.php?lang=' + link

instead of

$('#changelink').attr('href', 'readtext.php?lang=' + link''); // Change the link

Though the original code seems OK...

Also, why do you have ' ' after link?

[Calculator]

You don't even need JavaScript to do this, just use good old HTML forms!

<form action="readtext.php" method="get">
    <select id="lang" name="lang">
        <option value="" selected="selected">- Language -</option>
        <option value="en">English</option>
        <option value="fr">French</option>
        <option value="es">Spanish</option>
        <option value="jp">Japanese</option>
    </select>
    <input type="submit" value="Read Text" />
</form>

Then you can build upon that, for example by using CSS to style the submit button or by using JavaScript/jQuery to handle the submit event through AJAX. However what truly matters is that this will work in any browser, with or without JavaScript.

[seb86]

  On 19/07/2010 at 08:56, Calculator said:

You don't even need JavaScript to do this, just use good old HTML forms!

<form action="readtext.php" method="get">
    <select id="lang" name="lang">
        <option value="" selected="selected">- Language -</option>
        <option value="en">English</option>
        <option value="fr">French</option>
        <option value="es">Spanish</option>
        <option value="jp">Japanese</option>
    </select>
    <input type="submit" value="Read Text" />
</form>

Then you can build upon that, for example by using CSS to style the submit button or by using JavaScript/jQuery to handle the submit event through AJAX. However what truly matters is that this will work in any browser, with or without JavaScript.

I don't want just good old HTML forms. I know how I want my code to react, I just need my jquery function to work for what I need it to do.

If a user selects a different language then the link will change. The user will then be able to click on the link and what ever function i do with that after is up to me. Don't change the function to basic form submission. That's not what I asked for.

[seb86]

Something came to me in my head and I got it working. Thank you for your help any way.