Combining option values in dropdown list

Question

I'm trying to populate a searchable dropdown list with specific values, but I would like to combine two of the values and have them return results for either value. For example:

                <td align="left" valign="top" nowrap>
                <select name="SPORTS" 
                        id="idCustom1" 
                        onChange="AddSearchItem(this);"
                        class="StuFindSelect">
         <option value="    ">No Attribute selected
                   <option value="BASEBALL">Baseball
                   <option value="BASKETBM">Mens Basketball
                   <option value="BASKETBW">Womens Basketball
                   <option value="CHEERLDS">Cheerleader
                   <option value="FOOTBALL">Football
                   <option value="GOLF">Golf
                   <option value="LACROSSW">Womens Lacrosse
                   <option value="SOCCERM">Mens Soccer
                   <option value="SOCCERW">Womens Soccer
                   <option value="TENNISM">Mens Tennis
                   <option value="TENNISW">Womens Tennis
                   <option value="TRACK">Track
                   <option value="VOLLEYBL">Volleyball
                   <option value="XCOUNTM">Mens Cross Country
                   <option value="XCOUNTW">Womens Cross Country
                </select>
            </td>

I want to combine the results that return BASKETBM or BASKETBW when a user selects Basketball. After researching I've tried combining them in several different ways,

<option value="[BASKETBM,BASKETBW]">Basketball
<option value="BASKETBM,BASKETBW">Basketball
<option value="BASKETBM|BASKETBW">Basketball

and every other permutation I could find, but nothing seems to work. Everytime it returns zero search results when testing it. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Thanks.

It may help posting the code for the `AddSearchItem` function as it's hard to determine what your expected functionality is without knowing what "returns zero search results when testing." — sbeliv01, Apr 02 '13 at 21:36
You might want to check out [**this question**](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3245967/can-an-option-in-select-tag-carry-multiple-values) — zajd, Apr 02 '13 at 21:53
Thanks, the AddSearchItem function adds the selected option value to the search criteria. The question you linked me to is where I started off trying to figure this out. — rkw2, Apr 02 '13 at 22:26

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 02 '13 at 21:43

0

I do not know what AddSearchItem(this); does, as a function, but I'm guessing the problem is there. Maybe you can detail more this part of your question.

You can without problem have an option like this:

<option value="BASKETBM,BASKETBW">Basketball

and use this.value.split(',') to get values out of it.

answered Apr 02 '13 at 21:43

alicelieutier

130
6

Thanks, Where do I use this.value.split(',') in the code to get values out of it? – rkw2 Apr 02 '13 at 22:26
Well, it depends how your AddSearchItem works. It seems that you pass it the select, and not the selected value, which is quite strange to me, but as I don't have the code of the function, I can't be sure what you do with it. – alicelieutier Apr 02 '13 at 23:00
A very naive guess would be that you need to use `AddSearchItem(this.value.split(','));`, but this could be totally wrong, as I said, I can't really answer without the code of `AddSearchItem()` – alicelieutier Apr 02 '13 at 23:05

Combining option values in dropdown list

1 Answers1