enable disabled input using js

i have two text inputs that i want to be disabled unless a particular radio button is checked. how do i do this?

Hi Randall,
afaik is there no special js-function for enabling an disabled (set readonly) inputfield.
I'd do it this way:

Only tested in IE6 !
hth cb
[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Christian Baron ]

Acyually it can be done using the disabled attribute of the element

it is a radio button not a checkbox. i will look over erics code though. i see...the documentation didnt say you could assign true or false to the disabled attribute
i guess i could put an onclick in each of my radio buttons and, in the script, set the attribute true or false depending on the value of the radio button. unless there is an easier way
[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Randall Twede ]

The code should not be that much different from the radio button, yeah, the disabled attribute can be handled that way, but the readonly on can not be changed with true or false which makes me wonder why it exsists!
Eric

i guess i could put an onclick in each of my radio buttons and, in the script, set the attribute true or false depending on the value of the radio button. unless there is an easier way

got it...thanks eric..you too christian..the script ended up looking like this:

tab order works right and everything
[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Randall Twede ]

disabling inputs is the exception rather than the norm, so if you are curious, this is a homework assignment to make a complaint form. i will post the entire code for any that are curious about why i wanted to disable the two text inputs.

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-html401-19991224/loose.dtd">
<html>



<head>
<title>Complaint Form</title>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
<script>
function enable(X)
{
    if(X.value=="respond")
Allow=false;    
    else
Allow=true;
    document.complaint.lawyer.disabled=Allow;
    document.complaint.address.disabled=Allow;
}
</script>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#D8D8D8">
<form action="mailto:rmtwede@hotmail.com" method="post" name="complaint">
Name:<input type="text" name="name"><br>
E-mail:<input type="text" name="e-mail"><br>
<p>What is the problem?<br>
<textarea name="details" rows="7" cols="60"></textarea></p>
<table>
<tr>
<td><input type="radio" name="type" value="inform" on_Click="enable(this)" checked>I just wanted you to know.</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input type="radio" name="type" value="reply" on_Click="enable(this)">Please respond to the e-mail address given.</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input type="radio" name="type" value="respond" on_Click="enable(this)">Contact my lawyer.</td>
<td align="right">Lawyer's name:<input type="text" name="lawyer" disabled></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input type="radio" name="type" value="ignore" on_Click="enable(this)">Go to #!$#*.</td>
<td align="right">Lawyer's address:<input type="text" name="address" disabled></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><input type="submit" value="Submit Complaint"></td>
<td align="right"><input type="reset" value="Clear Form"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>
</body>
</html>

[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Randall Twede ]

I was thinking of a trickier way to do it without all of the onclicks, I know a way to do it, but it adds alot of code. Well see if I can scrounge something up.
but I would use onblur or onfocus instead of onclick incase they use the tab key and arrow keys!
[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Eric Pascarello ]

it seems to work fine with the tab key...if the right radio button is not selected, it skips the textboxes

what I am saying is this
tab to the radio buttons, push the arrow key and select the right one that will show the field. then push tab....see what i am talking about?
Eric

oh..i see what you mean, but it works anyway (at least in IE). if i tab to the radio buttons, then arrow to the one that enables the two textboxes, then hit tab, the first (formerly disabled) textbox gets the focus.

Just thought I would point that out, do not want you to loose points...lol

lol...the script is a "bonus" feature not actually required. i think i will change it as suggested anyway as it might not work correctly with all browsers when not using a mouse.