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Twitter Typeahead custom select logic

I'm using Twitter Typeahead to generate suggestions. My Ajax request is returning a complex data type, which is displayed nicely in the suggestions section. When the user selects one suggestion, I'd like to save the item's ID to a hidden field, and the item's name + color to the input field. As I've read in the documentation, I'd have to override the display method in the Typeahead constructor (or whatever it's called in JS), something like this:
display: function(item) {
$("#idhiddenfield").val(item.id);
return item.name + " " + item.color;
}
There are two problems with this: first, it's fired when the suggestion appears, rather than selecting it (display seems strange to me, but the docs state it's the correct method, in my opinion it should be select or something), also, if I leave the field and click back on it, it fires the Ajax call, which shows "No results found" (because name + color combination is not queryable on the server side) which is certainly bad.
Can someone help me with these two issues?

I think you misinterpreted the docs here. The display function is to determine the String which is displayed in the suggestion.
You can react on a selection of a suggestion with the typeahead:select - Event on the input-Element. e.G.:
$("#typeAheadInput").on("typeahead:select", function(event){ //Your logic here});
I would suggest to move your logic to a named-function and not use an inline anonymous function for better readability.
$("#typeAheadInput").on("typeahead:select", yourNamedFunction);

Setting a dynamic drop down value in JavaScript

I've been working on this issue for days and feel like I'm at a dead end so hoping someone can help out.
I have a form that's used to log calls. The form has two drop downs Reason and Resolution which are created using an array.
When a call is dropped for whatever reason I want the user to click a button called Lost Call and have it fill out the form with specific information.
It works for every field but the Resolution field. I can't get that one to populate.
The lost call button calls a function using onClick.
<Input type="button" value="Lost Call" onClick="LostCall()" />
All my code is HTML5 and JavaScript.
Here is my HTML code:
<select id="Reason"><option value=" "></option></select>
<select id="Resolution"><option value=" "></option></select>
The script I use to create the drop downs I got from here:
http://jsfiddle.net/bdhacker/eRv2W/
Other then changing the Variable names to suit my form and less options the code is the same.
The Question is how can I make it to where someone clicks lost call the form is filled out including the Reason and Resolution with specific values when the Resolution values are dynamically generated?
Here is the script for the Lost Call Button:
function LostCall() {
var Reason = document.getElementById("Reason");
Reason.Value = 'Misc/Other';
var Resolution = document.getElementById("Resolution");
Resolution.Value = 'Lost Call';
Using the above Reason is populated but not Resolution. Also note both Misc/Other and Lost Call are options available in the array I'm using.

EDIT: Updated fiddle.
Hmm, your code is working, as I've tried it in this quick fiddle
Are you simply missing a closing } or was that just a simple mistake when typing this question?

if the value you are assigning in the list of options, try this approach:
function LostCall() {
document.getElementById("Resolution").selectedIndex = "2";
}
check out the following resource (press the "try it yourself" button) : http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/prop_select_selectedindex.asp

Keep cell color changed with checkbox on refresh

I have cells changing background color on checkbox check and I worked out how to keep the checkboxes checked on refresh (though looking back I don't think that works anymore), but I don't know how to keep the color change on refresh. I don't actually know Javascript at all and this is all from other questions but I want it to work. If I've done something completely wrong please correct me and don't assume I did it on purpose because I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.
$(document).ready(function() {
$(".colourswitcher").click(function() {
if($(this).is(":checked")) {
$(this).closest("td").css("background","#ff3333");
}else {
$(this).closest("td").css("background","#202020");
}
});
});
$(function(){
var test = localStorage.input === 'true'? true: false;
$('input').prop('checked', test || false);
});
$('input').on('change', function() {
localStorage.input = $(this).is(':checked');
console.log($(this).is(':checked'));
});

Since you're new to javascript, I'm going to ask the dumb question: Have you included jQuery?
This code that you've pulled makes use of jQuery, a very useful library (not built-in to javascript) that has become so commonplace that people often don't even state its name when asking or answering a question involving it. But anytime you see that $ notation, you're probably dealing with jQuery.
You need to include the library file in your html file so it knows what those special symbols and syntax are:
<script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-2.1.1.min.js"></script>
If you're testing this stuff in Google Chrome, press F12 and view the developer console. You will see "undefined" errors in red when you are missing things like this.

Here's another answer assuming you have a better working knowledge than my first answer:
The first bit of your code runs when the html document has loaded and attaches an event listener to change the nearest cell background color accordingly when the checkbox is clicked. Note two things here though. 1) that behavior will be attached to all html elements with the class "colourswitcher", not just inputs. 2) that behavior assumes that what was clicked has a property "checked", which only a checkbox does.
The middle bit I presume is supposed to run once, when the page is first loaded, to get the saved state of the checkbox from localStorage. This bit could be moved into the document ready bit.
The third bit of your code attaches an event listener to every input element (not just checkboxes) such that every time one is clicked, a checked true/false state will be saved in localStorage.
localStorage is a convenient way to save information between browser refreshes. You can save anything you want, ie. localStorage.CandyCanes = 7 and that variable will be stored in the user's browser and can be recalled later. Note that your above code will only work as intended if there's a single checkbox, because you're using one slot, or one variable, in localStorage to save: localStorage.input.
That's all I'm going to elaborate on this for now. If this is more than you expected, then it's time to hunker down and learn, or get a professional involved.

Title Attribute on Disabled Elements in Firefox

I am building a very dynamic web-based application using a lot of Javascript to handle user events. I am in the process of making things a little more usable and came across a problem that I've never had before.
I am using jQuery, so factor that in to your answers. Thanks in advance.
I have a set of button elements defined as:
<input type="button" title="My 'useful' text here." disabled="disabled" />
I have these buttons with a default style of:
div#option_buttons input {
cursor: help;
}
Then, using jQuery I run something like this as a click-event on a select box:
window.current_column = '';
$('select.report_option_columns').live('click', function() {
var column = $(this).val();
if ( column == window.current_column ) {
// clear our our previous selections
window.current_column = '';
// make this option no longer selected
$(this).val('');
$('div#option_buttons input').attr('disabled','disabled');
$('div#option_buttons input').attr(
'title',
'You must select a column from this list.'
);
$('div#option_buttons input').css('cursor', 'help');
} else {
window.current_column = column;
$('div#option_buttons input').attr('disabled','');
$('div#option_buttons input').attr(
'title',
'Add this option for the column "' + column + '"'
);
$('div#option_buttons input').css('cursor', 'default');
}
});
So, as you can see, when a column is selected in the select box (not shown here), I want the button to be enabled and behave like a button would (with my own click-events). But when a column is not selected (including the default load), I want the button disabled. The usability developer in me wanted to give the users subtle contextual clues as to what they can do to enable the button through the native rendering of the title attribute as a lightweight tooltip. I do this already in other areas of the application (this is a crazy beast of a project) and our usability tests have shown that the users are at least capable of recognizing that when the cursor changes to "help" that they can hover over the element and get some information about what is going on.
But this is the first time I've ever tried this with a form element. Apparently when I put disabled="disabled" in the element, it completely ignores the title attribute and will never display the tool tip.
Now, I know I have a few options (at least the ones I could think of):
Write my own custom tool tip plug-in that is a little bit more robust.
Don't "disable" the element, but style it as disabled. This was the option I was leaning on the most (in terms of ease to develop) but I hate having to do this.
Leave the button as enabled but don't process the click event. I don't like this option as much because I like to leave things natively styled as they should logically be. A disabled button "feels" the most correct and the look of a disabled button is instantly recognizable as a disabled button.
So, with all that said, am I missing something? Is there something easy that I can do that I just haven't thought of? Google searches have failed me on this topic, so I thought I'd toss this out on StackOverflow to get some fresh eyes on this.
**Edit**
I just found another StackOverflow question on this same topic, though that person used a very different set of terms describing his problem (probably why I didn't find it).
The url to the question is: Firefox does not show tooltips on disabled input fields
Both of the answers on that question are pretty good, though I'd like to see if anyone has any other suggestions. Maybe something more jQuery specific? Thanks again.

I had a similar problem and I just surrounded the disabled element in another element and interacted with that div, i was using tipTip to show tooltip for disabled checkbox
<div style="cursor: pointer;" class="disabled" title="Do something to make it work" >
<input disabled="disabled" type="checkbox">
</div>

There are several validation plugins that are very robust. You can find them in the jQuery plugins area.
Another option for you though which I happen to love and tends to be trending now adays is using the "Tipsy" plugin. You can put little '?' icons to the right of your text fields and people can mouse over them to get a "facebook-like" tool tip. This plugin is very sharp and I highly recommend it.
Good luck!

I haven't tested whether or not that solves the problem with the missing title, but you could also disable the button(s) using jquery on $(document).ready()
regards,
harpax

If that doesn't break your design totally, you can replace your button by a "span", "p",... tag with "My 'useful' text here."
And swap it with the button only when the user makes the correct move.

Non-AJAX jQuery POST request

I am trying to use the jQuery POST function but it is handling the request in AJAX style. I mean it's not actually going to the page I am telling it to go.
$("#see_comments").click(function() {
$.post(
"comments.php",
{aid: imgnum},
function (data) {
}
);
});
This function should go to comments.php page with the aid value in hand. It's posting fine but not redirecting to comments.php.
#Doug Neiner Clarification:
I have 15 links (images). I click on a link and it loads my JavaScript. The script knows what imgnum I opened. This imgnum I want in the comments.php. I have to use this JavaScript and no other means can do the trick. The JavaScript is mandatory
Your method successfully POSTs the aid value. But in the comments.php when I try to echo that value, it displays nothing.
I am using Firebug. In the Console, it shows the echo REQUEST I made in Step (2) successfully.

I know what you are trying to do, but its not what you want.
First, unless you are changing data on the server, don't use a POST request. Just have #see_comments be a normal <a href='/comments.php?aid=1'>...
If you have to use POST, then do this to get the page to follow your call:
$("#see_comments").click(function() {
$('<form action="comments.php" method="POST">' +
'<input type="hidden" name="aid" value="' + imgnum + '">' +
'</form>').submit();
});
How this would actually work.
First $.post is only an AJAX method and cannot be used to do a traditional form submit like you are describing. So, to be able to post a value and navigate to the new page, we need to simulate a form post.
So the flow is as follows:
You click on the image, and your JS code gets the imgnum
Next, someone clicks on #see_comments
We create a temporary form with the imgnum value in it as a hidden field
We submit that form, which posts the value and loads the comments.php page
Your comments.php page will have access to the posted variable (i.e. in PHP it would be $_POST['aid'])

$("#see_comments").click(function () {
$('<form action="comments.php" method="POST"/>')
.append($('<input type="hidden" name="aid">').val(imgnum))
.appendTo($(document.body)) //it has to be added somewhere into the <body>
.submit();
});

While the solution by Doug Neiner is not only correct but also the most comprehensively explained one, it has one big problem: it seems to only work at Chrome.
I fidgeted around for a while trying to determine a workaround, and then stumbled upon the second answer by devside. The only difference is the extra code appendTo($(document.body)). Then I tested it in firefox and it worked like a charm. Apparently, Firefox and IE need to have the temporary form attached somewhere in the DOM Body.
I had to do this implementation for a Symfony2 project, since the path generator inside the .twig templates would only work with GET parameters and messing with the query string was breaking havoc with the security of the app. (BTW, if anyone knows a way to get .twig templates to call pages with POST parameters, please let me know in the comments).

i think what you're asking is to get to 'comments.php' and posting aid with value imgnum. The only way to do this is to submit this value with a form.
However, you can make this form hidden, and submit it on an arbitrary click somewhere with jquery.
html necessary (put anywhere on page):
<form id='see_comments_form' action='comments.php' action='POST'>
<input id='see_comments_aid' type='hidden' name='aid' value=''>
</form>
js necessary:
$("#see_comments").click(function(){
$('#see_comments_aid').val(imgnum);
$('#see_comments_form').submit();
);
this will redirect to 'comments.php' and send the proper value imgnum (that i assume you are getting from somewhere else).

Actually, $.post() sends some data to the server. It does not cause any redirection unless you do it in your server side code which handles the POST request. I can suggest two solutions:
To go to comment page, instead of using JQuery post, you can simply use a 'anchor' tag - Show Comments.
Or if you are want to go through JQuery, you can use this code snippet: $(location).attr("href", "comments.php?aid=1");

didnt exactly solve the problem. but did manage to work around it. i had to do a lot modification to the JS to make this work, but the core problem of this question was solved by doing this:
$("#see_comments").attr({href: "comments.php?aid='"+imgnum+"'"});
this appended the aid value to the URL as #Doug Neiner initially suggested me to do.
Thanks a lot Doug for all the effort. I really appreciate. +1 and accept to your answer for the effort.