JS:

$('select#categories').change(function() {
    var category = $(this).val();
    $.ajax({
        category: category,
        url: '/categories/get-subcategories'
    }).done(function(subcategories) {
        // subcategories is json, loop over it and populate the subcategory select
    });
});

PHP:

$subcategories = SubCategory::select('name')
    ->where('parent', Input::get('category'))
    ->get()->toArray();

return Response::json(compact('subcategories'));

Anthony only a question the php code would get the category from Input::get('subcategory') or using the category value?

You'e right, let me update it :)

thanks for the start, but i'm still running into issues. i added console.log to the following but it's returning an empty array. but when i load the view in the browser and provide a category id, it returns a json value

$('select#categories').change(function() {
    var category = $(this).val();
    $.ajax({
        category: category,
        url: '/categories/get-subcategories'
    }).done(function(subcategories) {
        // subcategories is json, loop over it and populate the subcategory select
        console.log(subcategories);

        $.each(subcategories, function(i, item)
        {
               subcategoryItems+= "<option value=''>" + item.subcategory_name + "</option>";
         });



    });
});

i'm assuming that's how i loop through the json correct? well the array is always empty when the change() occurs.

when viewing the view /resource-categories/get-resource-subcategories?category=1, i get the following

{"subcategories":[{"resource_subcategory_name":"Articles"},{"resource_subcategory_name":"Mentor-Mentee "},{"resource_subcategory_name":"Registrar"},{"resource_subcategory_name":"Peer Reviewer Application"}]}

Shouldn't it be data.subcategories ?

mcraz said:

Shouldn't it be data.subcategories ?

i get a "ReferenceError: data is not defined" when i used it with console.log(data.subcategories). i may have misunderstood you, i'm still a noob at this

edit: i see what you're saying now about data. http://api.jquery.com/jquery.get/

i will try that

ok so here's where i made some adjustments

$.ajax({
        data: category,
        url: '/resource-categories/get-resource-subcategories'
    }).done(function(subcategories) {
        // subcategories is json, loop over it and populate the subcategory select
    });

rather than use category:category, i replaced it with data:category. it looks like it's passing it now. my url looks like resource-categories/get-resource-subcategories?value_of_category so if category id = 9, the url is resource-categories/get-resource-subcategories?9. unfortunately, it wont work unless it's resource-categories/get-resource-subcategories?category=9. how do i get the querystring to be that?

you should be able to get the correct formatting of the json with: $subcategories = SubCategory::select('name') ->where('parent', Input::get('category')) ->get()->lists('name','id');

return Response::json(compact('subcategories'));

if you want to have your query as ?category=9 you can just look for that input value in your function, soemthing like function subcategories() { $category = Input::get('category'); //..... }

wing5wong said:

What is your php for retrieving the data? you should be able to get the correct formatting with: $categories-><whatever>()->lists(name,id)

no issues with php, it was mainly the the javascript stuff. i was able to retrieve the categories fine, retrieve the subcategories as well. part of the problem was when the change() in jquery gets triggered, the get variable wasn't passing properly. i figured that part out, then i had the problem with looping through json. then i found my error, and now it's working.