[Solved] Posting an Ajax request when menu item clicked

[James]

Hi all,
I want to call a server-side routine when a menu item is clicked, and have tried using the following code (extract):

<telerik:RadScriptBlock ID="cb1" runat="server">
    function InitiateAjaxRequest(arguments)
    {
      var ajaxManager = $find("<%= RadAjaxManager1.ClientID %>");
      ajaxManager.ajaxRequest(arguments);
    }


  function emailMenuClicked(sender, args)
  {
     var itemValue = args.get_item().get_value();
     if (args.get_item().get_text() == "Email Customer")
     {
        InitiateAjaxRequest("EmailCustomer",1);
     }
     if (args.get_item().get_text() == "Email Officer")
     {
        InitiateAjaxRequest("EmailOfficer",2);
     }
  }
</telerik:RadScriptBlock>



    <telerik:RadContextMenu ID="RadContextMenu1" runat="server" EnableEmbeddedSkins="False"
        Skin="Glastir" OnClientItemClicked="emailMenuClicked">
        <Items>
            <telerik:RadMenuItem runat="server" Text="Email Customer">
            </telerik:RadMenuItem>
            <telerik:RadMenuItem runat="server" Text="Email Officer">
            </telerik:RadMenuItem>
        </Items>
        <Targets>
            <telerik:ContextMenuControlTarget ControlID="RadScheduler1" />
        </Targets>
    </telerik:RadContextMenu>

 

I need to put the Javascript in a RadScriptBlock because I need to evaluate the AjaxManager's client ID. However, when I do this, I get an 'object expected' error because the emailMenuClicked function is not visible to the RadContextMenu.

When I put the emailMenuClicked function in an ordinary <script></script> tag, then the code there can't see the InitiateAjaxRequest function.

I'm sure there's a simple solution, but I'm going round in circles on this - can someone point me in the right direction, please?

Thanks,

James

[ManniAT]

Hi James,

I guess you simply forgot the "script" tags.
I used your menu and changed the codeblock (for test purposes) to this

<telerik:RadScriptBlock ID="rcbJu" runat="server">

    <script type="text/javascript">
    function InitiateAjaxRequest(arguments)
    {
    alert("here we are");
    }


  function emailMenuClicked(sender, args)
  {
     var itemValue = args.get_item().get_value();
     if (args.get_item().get_text() == "Email Customer")
     {
        InitiateAjaxRequest("EmailCustomer",1);
     }
     if (args.get_item().get_text() == "Email Officer")
     {
        InitiateAjaxRequest("EmailOfficer",2);
     }
  }
  </script>

alert instead of a call - and added the "<script" things.
Selecting a menuitem alerts as expected.

Regards

Manfred
PS: sorry I forgot to post the closing tag of the RadScriptBlock :)

[James]

Hi Manfred,
Thanks - that's great. I hadn't spotted the <script></script> tags which are needed in the RadScriptBlock.

One more question - slightly off topic in the Menu forum.

Is it possible to get a return value back from the server-side AjaxRequest? As the event handler is void, I presume it has to be done via a hidden control or similar?

James

[ManniAT]

Hi James,

you are right - using a hidden field is the "normal" way for this.
Don't forget to add this field to the "updatedControls" on your ajax manager.

The Ajax manager has a client event - OnResponseEnd - there you can trigger the results.

Last not least (to be totally OT) - if you only need to exchange simple values (no need for controls on the server) an async ajax webservice call is much "smaller". You can pass a string - and !!! return a string.
Of course not like a direct return value assignement - xx=CallTheService(strParam) does not work.
Instead you pass a "SuccessFunction" which gets called on return.
Here I posted a sample about this approach:
http://www.telerik.com/community/forums/aspnet-ajax/input/how-to-achive-validation-while-typing.aspx

Regards

Manfred
PS: if one of my posts answered your qestion - please "mark as answer"

[James]

Hi Manfred,
Thanks - that's really useful.

James