Update a form without refreshing the entire page?
Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:10 pm
I'm working on a form (PHP & HTML) that needs to query the user for some information, and then update the form with new information based on their response. I'd like to be able to do this without having to refresh the whole page every time they change options.
Basically something that does this...(the purpose is to allow instructors to modify their courses in an online learning system)
1) Instructor arrives at the page and is shown a list of terms in which they are teaching a section.
2) Instructor selects a term (e.g. Fall 06) and the sections they are teaching in that term appear.
3) Instructor selects a specific section number from that term, and a slew of information then appears in a form allowing them to customize that section in the online learning system. (Activate the course, extend it's length, assign co-instructors/TAs, etc...)
All the backend stuff interfacing with our LDAP directory and the online learning system is in place and works. I just don't know how to implement this without refreshing the page EVERY time they pick a different section number...or sending them to a new page with all the section modification stuff there...and then they have to go back to the original page to do something to a different course.
What I'd like is a couple of selection boxes probably for the term and section choices...and then a table/form below that, that appears (or is filled in) when they choose the section. Or I could have a default section selected and the data already filled in on the form for the default selection. Either way, I'd like for them to be able to submit the form with their changes, or choose a new section (that updates the form)...without messing with refreshing the whole page.
I've got a basic implementation in place that works, but it's not very pretty, and it needs to do a lot more...and to do that I've got to get fancier and either update the page dynamically, or open a new page where they can do their section mods.
Is this possible with PHP...dynamically update parts of a page?
Thanks,
Matt
Basically something that does this...(the purpose is to allow instructors to modify their courses in an online learning system)
1) Instructor arrives at the page and is shown a list of terms in which they are teaching a section.
2) Instructor selects a term (e.g. Fall 06) and the sections they are teaching in that term appear.
3) Instructor selects a specific section number from that term, and a slew of information then appears in a form allowing them to customize that section in the online learning system. (Activate the course, extend it's length, assign co-instructors/TAs, etc...)
All the backend stuff interfacing with our LDAP directory and the online learning system is in place and works. I just don't know how to implement this without refreshing the page EVERY time they pick a different section number...or sending them to a new page with all the section modification stuff there...and then they have to go back to the original page to do something to a different course.
What I'd like is a couple of selection boxes probably for the term and section choices...and then a table/form below that, that appears (or is filled in) when they choose the section. Or I could have a default section selected and the data already filled in on the form for the default selection. Either way, I'd like for them to be able to submit the form with their changes, or choose a new section (that updates the form)...without messing with refreshing the whole page.
I've got a basic implementation in place that works, but it's not very pretty, and it needs to do a lot more...and to do that I've got to get fancier and either update the page dynamically, or open a new page where they can do their section mods.
Is this possible with PHP...dynamically update parts of a page?
Thanks,
Matt