Catch the selected items from a checkbox field

Classic Servoy
1

I have a checkboxfield with a form variable as dataprovider. This checkboxfield gets populated with a valuelist.

I’m a bit confused with reading the selected values. The form variable outputs the selected values as a single entry. In other words: there is no array even though I have selected multiple items. I could split the variable into an array by .split(‘\n’), although problematic when just one item is selected.

I have this feeling that I’m doing something wrong. What is the best way to simply populate an array with the selected values from the checkbox?

2

Kaptan:
I could split the variable into an array by .split(‘\n’), although problematic when just one item is selected.

Why is this problematic ? When there is nothing to split on you end up with an array with 1 value. Exactly what you want.

3

Maybe not problematic, but the split function gives an error when there is no line-break (if i split it by ‘\n’). So i have to make an if-else statement. This made me wonder if I was working along the correct path, because it seems so unlogical to manually split it to an array.

4

It shouldn’t give an error when you use a string with a value. Not even with an empty string.
What probably happens is that your field doesn’t have any value, i.e. a null. The split() function only works on strings so it will then cause an error.
Can you check ?

5

Well, if I don’t select anything, so the variable is null, I get the following error (like you said it will):

TypeError: Cannot call method "split" of null

If i just select 1 item, I get the following error: (very strange, right?)

TypeError: Cannot find function split.

But, when 2 or more items are selected everything works perfectly. I’m very confused about this, that’s why I got a bit insecure :? about the way I was approaching this.

This is what I have in my method:

var itemsArray = new Array();
	itemsArray = selectedItems.split('\n');
6

Do you use a valuelist with integers as real values perhaps ?
If so use this:

var itemsArray = String(selectedItems).split('\n');

Also is selectedItems a variable or a dataprovider ? If a variable then make sure it is set to an empty string and not a null.
If it is a dataprovider (i.e. a table column) set the default value to an empty string.

Hope this helps.

7

ROCLASI:
Do you use a valuelist with integers as real values perhaps ?
If so use this:

var itemsArray = String(selectedItems).split('\n');

Thanks Robert! You were right! Got everything working perfectly!