ajax_command_invoke - does it work with $selector = NULL? [#1060296]

API page: http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--ajax.inc/function/ajax_comman...

Describe the problem you have found:

It states that $selector A jQuery selector string. If the command is a response to a request from an #ajax form element then this value can be NULL. I assume this means when you return an array of AJAX commands from a callback called from an #AJAX form element that the selector is automatically set to the wrapper or the element that called the request. However if I do set this parameter to NULL then nothing happens.

When debugging the situation it looks like on line 580 of misc/ajax.js the response.selector is NULL. If I add a parameter then it works as expected.

Is this the desired outcome? Maybe you're not meant to call the AJAX commands through a callback function when using Form API but I can't see anything else in the documentation to call an AJAX command without returning an array of them via a callback.

Comment	File	Size	Author
#14	patch_commit_7ab945d0d1f3.patch	2.75 KB	jdelaune
#14
#9	patch_commit_1f078d8a375b.patch	2.74 KB	jdelaune
#9
#8	ajax.patch	2.75 KB	jdelaune
#8

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Comments

Comment #1

jhodgdon

she/her

English

CreditAttribution: jhodgdon commented 13 February 2011 at 15:37

Title:	Documentation problem with ajax_command_invoke	» ajax_command_invoke - does it work with $selector = NULL?
Component:	documentation	» ajax system

Good question. We should probably get someone who knows about the AJAX framework to answer it.

So although this is likely a documentation issue, I'm moving it in to the ajax system component to see if we can get an answer.

Comment #2

rfay

English

Palisade, CO, USA

CreditAttribution: rfay commented 14 February 2011 at 03:41

The case of $selector == NULL is where we're using the 'wrapper' portion of #ajax to determine the selector. In other words, if the selector is null, assume we're in the middle of #ajax operation and know that the selector is the one determined by '#ajax'['wrapper'].

If you're returning an array of AJAX commands, you're already overriding that behavior.

I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're trying to accomplish, but essentially: you probably won't use the NULL situation if you're working with AJAX commands.

Comment #3

jhodgdon

she/her

English

CreditAttribution: jhodgdon commented 14 February 2011 at 16:09

So rfay does the documentation need an update here or is this a support request only?

Comment #4

jdelaune CreditAttribution: jdelaune commented 17 February 2011 at 23:38

Status:

Needs review

» Active

Thanks guys.

rfay, I am passing a #wrapper paramater on the Form API element where the #ajax callback is made from. How would one call an AJAX Command straight from a Form API element without providing a #ajax callback parameter? I can't see to see it documented anywhere.

For an example:

<?php
  $element['browse'] = array(
    '#type' => 'submit',
    '#value' => t('Browse Entities'),
    '#ajax' => array(
      'callback' => 'relation_browser_field_widget_form_callback',
      'wrapper' => 'relation_browser_' . $unique_identifier,
    ),
    '#attached' => array(
      'library' => array(
        array('system', 'ui.dialog'),
      ),
    )
  );
  
  $element['browser_markup'] = array(
    '#prefix' => '<div class="relation_browser" id="relation_browser_' . $unique_identifier . '">',
    '#suffix' => '</div>',
    '#markup' => t('Browser Goes Here'),
  );
?>

<?php
function relation_browser_field_widget_form_callback($form, $form_state) {
  $commands = array();
  $commands[] = ajax_command_invoke(
    NULL,
    'dialog',
    array(
      array('modal' => true),
      array('minHeight' => 400),
      array('minWidth' => 600),
    )
  );
  return array('#type' => 'ajax', '#commands' => $commands);
}
?>

Thanks in advance

Comment #5

jdelaune CreditAttribution: jdelaune commented 14 February 2011 at 20:33

After some more testing it seems to be based on the ajax command you are using on whether or not it will work.

e.g. ajax_command_append() and ajax_command_insert() seem to work when you set the selector to NULL. But other commands like ajax_command_css() and ajax_command_invoke() don't work, you need to specify a selector.

Is this expected?

Comment #6

jdelaune CreditAttribution: jdelaune commented 14 February 2011 at 20:49

I think I have found the bug, not maybe it's not a bug it's working as you expect.

Here's the 'patched' misc/ajax.js function (line 576)

  /**
   * Command to apply a jQuery method.
   */
  invoke: function (ajax, response, status) {
    if (response.selector == null) {
      response.selector = ajax.wrapper;
    }
    var $element = $(response.selector);
    $element[response.method].apply($element, response.arguments);
  },

Simply if you don't supply a selector then it will fall back and use the wrapper?

Works a treat for what I want.