django forms and ajax

Question

I\'m trying to create a page with two functional parts:

• a form which the user fills and submits many times
• a chart which updates every time the user submi

Answer 1

You need JavaScript. For example, with jQuery:

$('form').submit(function() {
    $.post($(this).attr('action'), $(this).serialize(), function(data, textStatus, jqXHR){
        if (typeof data == 'object') {
            // json was returned, update the chart with the json
        } else {
            // the form had error, the form's html was returned
            $('form').html(data);
        }
    })
})

You can have such a python view:

from django.utils import simplejson
from django import shortcuts

def chart_form(request):
    template_full = 'chart_full.html' # extends base.html etc ..
    template_form = 'chart_form.html' # just the form, included by chart_full.html

    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = formClass(request.POST) 
        if form.is_valid():
            // do your chart_data
            chart_data = ....
            return http.HttpResponse(simplejson.dumps(chart_data), mimetype='application/json')
    else:
        form = formClass()

    if request.is_ajax():
        template_name = template_form
    else:
        template_name = template_full

    return shortcuts.render(template_name, {'form': form}, request)

Note: that won't work if your form contains file fields. In that case, rely on this plugin: http://jquery.malsup.com/form/ (function ajaxSubmit)