Updating from a list without reloading the page

[FP]

I'm displaying a list of messages.
Each message can be checkmarked as done or not done.
When a user clicks on the checkmark I want the following to happen;
- checkbox status is toggled between checked & unchecked
- database record is updated
- HTML page is NOT reloaded

Can I do the following in javascript?
- have clicking the checkbox run a javascript function
- js function opens a new window, passes record ID as a hidden field
in a form
- new window has PHP code to do update record
- new window has js code that closes it again
- checkbox is toggled

If this is not possible, can someone suggest a different way to
accomplish the same task?

[Vincent van Beveren]

Can I do the following in javascript?

- have clicking the checkbox run a javascript function
- js function opens a new window, passes record ID as a hidden field

Yes. Why even bother with a form? You could just invoke an url:
'registerCheckbox?chechbox=checkbox1&value=true'. Anyway, you can use a
hidden IFRAME on your page to process data, there is no need to open a
window, though if you want you can do so with window.open(..). A
checkbox has an onclick handler, you can use that:

<input type="checkbox" name="checkbox1" onclick="checkCheckbox(this);"/>

function checkCheckbox(checkbox) {
if (checkbox.checked) {
//.. do this
} else {
// do that...
}
document.getElementById('form').submit();
}

You can target a FORM to a window/frame:
<FORM ID="form" TARGET="checkboxProcessFrame" METHOD="POST">
... fields ...
</FORM>

Now use the NAME field of a IFRAME, FRAME or window as a target.

Hope the hints help,
Vincent

[Jim Land]

"FP" <[e-mail] in news:1152625312.639252.120000@
75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

Can I do the following in javascript?
- have clicking the checkbox run a javascript function
- js function opens a new window, passes record ID as a hidden field
in a form
- new window has PHP code to do update record
- new window has js code that closes it again
- checkbox is toggled

Ajax: "...exchanging small amounts of data with the server behind the
scenes, so that the entire web page does not have to be reloaded each
time the user makes a change."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AJAX