Send multiple <select> elements with jQuery POST

Question

I have this jQuery code to add<select> elements in a table row with an "add" button:

$("#add").click(function() {
    $('#selected > tbody:last').append('<tr><td><select id=\'plan_id\'><option value=\'1\'>One</option><option value=\'2\'>Two</option><option value=\'3\'>Three</option></select></td></tr>');
    });

What do I need to modify in the below code to be able to POST multiple values from the select elements as an array? Right now it only inserts one value at the time to my MySQL database.

$('#course_update').click(function() {

var course_id = $('#course_id').val();
var plan_id = $('#plan_id').val();
var price_id = $('#price_id').val();
var course_name = $('#course_name').val();
var course_isActive = $('#course_isActive').val();
var course_city_id = $('#course_city_id').val();


$('#update_status').html('<img src="../images/ajax-loader.gif" />');
$.post('../update.php', {

    course_id: course_id, 
    plan_id : plan_id,
    price_id: price_id,
    course_name: course_name,
    course_city_id: course_city_id,
    course_isActive: course_isActive

    }, function(data) {
    $('#update_status').html(data);
    return false;
 });
});

Solution 1

First of all you have to use classes for your selects instead of an id. jQuery will only return one element when you use an id. After that the following function will convert all values of the selects you give as paramater as an array.

/**
 * Convert select to array with values
 */    
function serealizeSelects (select)
{
    var array = [];
    select.each(function(){ array.push($(this).val()) });
    return array;
}

So:

var course_ids = serealizeSelects($('.course_id'));

Should for example return:

[1,3,2]

Solution 2

I would give every select element a unique name, an array would also do well here, see this example:

$('#selected > tbody:last').append('<tr><td><select id=\'plan_id\' name="my_select[]"><option value=\'1\'>One</option><option value=\'2\'>Two</option><option value=\'3\'>Three</option></select></td></tr>');

and then just serialize the form before you send it in:

var my_data = $("form").serialize();
...

Edit: The complete example:

$("#add").click(function() {
    $('#selected > tbody:last').append('<tr><td><select id=\'plan_id\' name="my_select[]"><option value=\'1\'>One</option><option value=\'2\'>Two</option><option value=\'3\'>Three</option></select></td></tr>');
    });
                                                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

and:

$('#course_update').click(function() {

var my_data = $("form").serialize();

$('#update_status').html('<img src="../images/ajax-loader.gif" />');
$.post('../update.php', my_data, function(data) {
    $('#update_status').html(data);
    return false;
 });
});

Comments

[David]

Thank you. So, after I have created the variable for plan_ids (you called it course_ids) how do I send this with jQuery POST? Please describe using my code in the original question!

[David]

I follow you, however I am unable to make it work inside my code. Would you mind providing me with your code, inside mine as posted in the original question? Thank's in advance.

[Lumocra]

Like this: var plan_ids = serealizeSelects($('.plan_id')); $.post('../update.php', { plan_ids: plan_ids }, ...

[David]

Thank you, It work's now! Now I only need to figure out how to collect the values inside my update.php

[Lumocra]

In case of the example above, in your PHP $_POST['course_ids'] will hold: array(1,3,2)