searching SELECT list

[Adrian]

This script works well for searching thru a SELECT list but doesnt work so
well with the MULTIPLE option. I need to modify it to work for a SELECT
MULTIPLE but I have no idea where to begin, any tips?
<script>

var searchString = "";

function clearSearchString() {
searchString = "";
}

function betterSelect(selectName, formName) {
// Get the keypress from the select box
var keyCode = event.keyCode;
var keyChar = String.fromCharCode(keyCode).toLowerCase();
var selectBox = eval("document." + formName + "." + selectName);
var optionsCount = selectBox.options.length;
var i;

// Check to see if the keypress is something we should care about...

if ((keyCode == "8") || (keyCode == "46"))

// Delete or backspace decrement the searchString
searchString = searchString.slice(0,-1);
} else if ((keyCode == "38") || (keyCode == "37")) {
// Up or left arrow move to the preceeding item in options list
if (selectBox.selectedIndex > 0) {
selectBox.selectedIndex --; }
return false;
} else if ((keyCode == "40") || (keyCode == "39")) {
// Down or right arrow move to the next item in the options list
if (selectBox.selectedIndex < (optionsCount - 1)) {
selectBox.selectedIndex ++; }
return false;
} else if (keyCode == "27") {
// Escape clears the searchString variable
searchString = "";
window.status = "";
return false;
} else if (keyCode == "188") {
// Comma dealt with manually
searchString = searchString + ",";
} else

// Add the new keypress to the searchString variable (default)
searchString = searchString + keyChar;
}

// Display keypresses in the status bar at the bottom of the window

var statusDisplay = searchString.toUpperCase();
window.status = "Narrowing select menu items (press 'Esc' to clear): " +
statusDisplay;

// Advance to the selected item

for(i = 0 ; i < optionsCount; i++) {
var optionItem = selectBox.options[i].text;

// Uncomment this routine to selectively exclude portions of a substring
(e.g. commas, etc.)
/* var findComma = optionItem.indexOf(", ");
if (findComma != -1) {
optionItem = optionItem.substr(0, findComma) +
optionItem.substr(findComma + 2, optionItem.length);
} */

var optionItemSubString =
optionItem.substring(0,searchString.length).toLowe rCase();

// Check each option item for text like the current searchString
if (optionItemSubString == searchString) {
// If there is a match, select that item and exit loop
selectBox.options[i].selected = true;
break;
}
}
}

</script>

<FORM ACTION="" METHOD="POST" NAME="summary">

<select name="Customer_Name" onkeydown="return false;"
onkeyup="betterSelect('Customer_Name', 'summary');"
onclick="clearSearchString(); window.status = '';" size="1" >
<option>aaa</option>
<option>bbbb</option>
<option>cc</option>
<option>abc</option>
<option>123</option>
</select>

</FORM>

[HikksNotAtHome]

In article <bi**********@news.tdl.com>, "Adrian" <ad****@nocrapplease.ascc.com>
writes:

This script works well for searching thru a SELECT list but doesnt work so
well with the MULTIPLE option. I need to modify it to work for a SELECT
MULTIPLE but I have no idea where to begin, any tips?
In which browser? IE alerts me that event is undefined.
Mozilla tells me event is undefined in the Javascript Console. Although it does
go ahead and take me to the key I pressed (within reason, typing aaa took me to
abc, not to aaa).
if ((keyCode == "8") || (keyCode == "46"))

// Delete or backspace decrement the searchString
searchString = searchString.slice(0,-1);

Just a sidenote:
The delete key and the backspace key do totally different things. Backspace
removes the character prior to cursor position, delete removes the character
after the current cursor position.

MySearch<backspace>String
results in MySearcString
MySearch<delete>String
results in MySearchtring

Nothing to do with your original problem. Just something I noticed in scanning
the code.
--
Randy
All code posted is dependent upon the viewing browser
supporting the methods called, and Javascript being enabled.