OnChange Event

I have a text box that I only want to edit when user does a change. So I code an "onchange" event and do the edit. But if the user doesn't change anything and they hit submit button, I don't want to do the edit. Here's the problem. if user does a change to field the "onchange" event gets triggered and works properly. Except when they enter enter invalid data twice. The 1st time the onchange gets triggered , if theres bad data alert box tells them the error. But then they fix data but its invalid again. But the onchange does trigger again. I tried onBlur , but if user tabs or clicks and doesn't make a change, I don't want them to get error. Any suggestions. Thanks

If at all possible, could you include the relevant code (html, javascript)?

The "Start Date" Field is intitally populated from a DB. If the user never changes this initial value I don't want to edit becuase the intital value would not pass these edits. Code is below. Thanks

<input type="text" name="servStart" id="servStart" value="<%=sessUser.getMSVC_STRT_DT()%>" onChange="ckStartDate()"/>

function ckStartDate() { 
	
	var editError = "N";  	
	var ckStartDate = /^\d/;
	var extServiceID = document.getElementById("extServID").innerHTML;	
	
	var inputStartDate = document.chngForm.servStart.value; 
	var validateStartDate = "OK";

if (!ckStartDate.test(document.chngForm.servStart.value)) {
			document.getElementById("servStart").style.backgroundColor = 'yellow';	
		if (editError == "N"	)	{	
			editError = 'servStartError';
			validateStartDate = 'NC'; }                     // NC = No Change 
	} else	{ validateStartDate = checkDate(inputStartDate);	
				}
	
	if (validateStartDate == 'FM'){
		document.getElementById("servStart").style.backgroundColor = 'yellow';	
		if (editError == "N"	)	{	
			editError = 'servStartFormatError'; }		
	}
	
	if (validateStartDate == 'IV'){
		document.getElementById("servStart").style.backgroundColor = 'yellow';	
		if (editError == "N"	)	{	
			editError = 'servStartInValidError'; }		
	}
	
	
	// ----------------------------------------------- service start date one year out edit 
	
	var todaysDate = new Date();
	todaysDate.setHours(0,0,0,0);
	
	var startDatePlus365 = new Date();
	startDatePlus365.setDate(startDatePlus365.getDate()+ 365);	 	
	
	var inputStartYear 	= inputStartDate.substr(0,4);
	var inputStartMonth = inputStartDate.substr(5,2);
	var inputStartDD   	= inputStartDate.substr(8,2);
	
	
	var inputStartDateObj = new Date(inputStartYear, inputStartMonth - 1, inputStartDD); 
	
	if (validateStartDate == 'OK' && editError == "N"){					
		if (inputStartDateObj > startDatePlus365	)	{
			document.getElementById("servStart").style.backgroundColor = 'yellow';	
			editError = 'servStartGTYear';				 }	
	}
		
	// ----------------------------------------------- service start date 13 years in past edit  
    // set validation date = ( current date - 156 months which is 13 years ) 	 
	
	var todaysDateMinus13 = new Date();
	todaysDateMinus13.setMonth(todaysDateMinus13.getMonth() - 156);			
	
	if (validateStartDate == 'OK' && editError == "N"){
			// just continue its valid	
		if ((extServiceID.substr(0,7) != 'regular' && extServiceID.substr(0,10) != 'regularnew'&&
				extServiceID.substr(0,4) != 'demo' ) &&
				(inputStartDateObj < todaysDateMinus13)  ) {
			document.getElementById("servStart").style.backgroundColor = 'yellow';	
			if (editError == "N"	)	{	
				editError = 'servStartLT13Years'; }
		} }		
	
	
	if ((extServiceID.substr(0,7) == 'regular' || extServiceID.substr(0,10) == 'regularnew' ||
			extServiceID.substr(0,4) == 'demo' ) &&
			(inputStartDateObj < todaysDate)  ) {
		document.getElementById("servStart").style.backgroundColor = 'yellow';	
		if (editError == "N"	)	{	
			editError = 'servStartBeforeErr'; }
	}

switch (editError) {
		case "servStartError":
			document.getElementById("chngUsrMsg").innerHTML = "***Service Start Date Required";
			alert("Service Start Date Required");
			break;
		case "servStartFormatError":
			document.getElementById("chngUsrMsg").innerHTML = "***Service Start Date Format Error ccyy-mm-dd  required";
			alert("Service Start Date Format Error ccyy-mm-dd  required");
			break;
		case "servStartInValidError":
			document.getElementById("chngUsrMsg").innerHTML = "***Service Start Date is Invalid";
			alert("Service Start Date is Invalid");
			break;
		case "servStartGTYear":
			document.getElementById("chngUsrMsg").innerHTML = "***Service Start Date cant be more than a year in the future";
			alert("Service Start Date cant be more than a year in the future");
			break;
		case "servStartLT13Years":
			document.getElementById("chngUsrMsg").innerHTML = "***Service Start Date cant be less than 13 years from current date for non-regular or non-regularnew";
			alert("Service Start Date cant be more than 13 years from current date for non-regular or non-regularnew");
			break;
		case "servStartBeforeErr":
			document.getElementById("chngUsrMsg").innerHTML = "***Service Start Date cant be less than current date for regular or regularnew";
			alert("Service Start Date cant be less than current date for regular or regularnew");
			break;
	}

}  // end of function ==>

onchange just fires when the user changes the text. The onblur event fires when they leave the element.

Eric

I tried onBlur , but if user tabs or clicks and doesn't make a change, I don't want them to get error. Example --> If intital value is 1997-01-01 ( comes from master record ) and they dont make a change that value is ok. ( They make a change to some other field ). But they change it to 1996-01-01 then error , expected. But if i use onblur and they tab to text box or put cursor there by mistake, thats not really a change but edits fire off and edit error gets hit. Hope that makes my problem clearer. Kind of screwy but thats the spec

Well you need to add in the logic to determine if it is from the server or if the user changed it.

Eric

How about a hidden field where I will store the orginal DB server value and then check to see if it changed ?

or you can use the defaultValue property.

Eric , that did the trick. I'm new to Javascript and I've only read the Head First JavaScript book which was a great start, but obvisouly I need someting more advanced at this point ( defaultValue property wasnt mentioned in the book along with other stuff I've wanted to do ) . Can you or anyone else recommend an advance Javascript book.

Only thing that would probably mention stuff like that would be JavaScript the definite Guide, I doubt you would sit and read that whole thing.

Eric