Newbie help needed

[andy_b_1502]

Hi everyone! i'm new to Javascript and using Ajax.

 

I've been blatent just to get my head round it personally. I've basically cut and pasted a script but it has syntax errors, whats going wrong here, where do i put: jQuery.ajax()

 

// JavaScript Document


$(document).ready(function() {
   // put all your jQuery goodness in here.


//global vars
var inputUser = $("#nick");
var inputMessage = $("#message");
var loading = $("#loading");
var messageList = $(".content > ul");


//check if all fields are filled
function checkForm(){
if(inputUser.attr("value") && inputMessage.attr("value"))
	return true;
else
	return false;
}


function updateShoutbox(){
//just for the fade effect
messageList.hide();
loading.fadeIn();
//send the post to shoutbox.php
$.ajax({
	type: "POST", url: "shoutbox.php", data: "action=update",
	complete: function(data){
		loading.fadeOut();
		messageList.html(data.responseText);
		messageList.fadeIn(2000);
	}
});
}


//Load for the first time the shoutbox data
updateShoutbox();


//on submit event
$("#form").submit(function(){
if(checkForm()){
	var nick = inputUser.attr("value");
	var message = inputMessage.attr("value");
	//we deactivate submit button while sending
	$("#send").attr({ disabled:true, value:"Sending..." });
	$("#send").blur();
	//send the post to shoutbox.php
	$.ajax({
		type: "POST", url: "shoutbox.php", data: "action=insert&nick=" + nick + "&message=" + message,
		complete: function(data){
			messageList.html(data.responseText);
			updateShoutbox();
			//reactivate the send button
			$("#send").attr({ disabled:false, value:"Shout it!" });
		}
	 });
}
else alert("Please fill all fields!");
//we prevent the refresh of the page after submitting the form
return false;
});

});

 

The syntax error occurs on line 17? any help would be seen as a great help! many thanks

[Andy-H]

I assume the error is

   if(inputUser.attr("value") && inputMessage.attr("value")) 

   if ( inputUser.val().length && inputMessage.val().length ) 

 

 

In google chrome you can hold Ctrl + Shift and press J to get the javascript console, this will help you with js errors.

[AyKay47]

Andy-H is correct, I ran your code through JSLint (a rather handy tool to quickly review javascript code) and it outputtued this error:

 

Problem at line 14 character 32: Unexpected '&'.

if(inputUser.attr("value") &&amp...

 

frankly, that snippet of code doesn't make sense. Also as noted, there are browser tools to help you debug your JavaScript code. Developer tools for chrome (as Andy-H noted), and the firefox add-on "firebug".

 

Edit: also, Andy-H provided the correct syntax for the if statement.

[andy_b_1502]

Thanks guys! i'll bear the hotkeys in mind for checking and will get the tool too.

 

It's up on the site now but the messages of the shoutbox do not seem to upload into it. Is there a specific thing i should be looking for to fault find, i have (from the guy's .zip file)

 

a .js file and a .php file.

 

When the send button is clicked nothing happens, and nothing gets sent to the table in my DB either?? from what the tutorial suggests; it should send the message to the table, retreive it and display them instantly.

[andy_b_1502]

this is what i have so far:

 

http://www.360transport.co.uk/shoutbox.html

 

as you will notice if you made a comment, it doesn't show automatically like it should, nothing happens on the page or any data goes into the mySQL table.

 

What's happening here people? any ideas?

[andy_b_1502]

--Update---

 

the server, DB name, password etc for mySQL is all correct, i'm guessing it could be more to do with the PHP side of things?? i'll shift this thread if somebody gives me the heads up, many thanks

[Andy-H]

	<script type="text/javascript" src="file:///C|/Users/Andrew/Desktop/Shoutbox/jquery.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="file:///C|/Users/Andrew/Desktop/Shoutbox/shoutbox.js"></script>

[andy_b_1502]

i'm sorry i think i need a liitle more help, i'm a complete noob and i'm reading the books right now too lol. What are you suggesting here?

[andy_b_1502]

i changed it so it looks like this:

 

<script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="shoutbox.js"></script>

 

but now i get the error messge:

 

Could not connect: Lost connection to MySQL server at 'reading initial communication packet', system error: 111