[TriLUG] Javascript ( and jQuery ) questions

[Brian McCullough via TriLUG]

Folks,

I am getting VERY frustrated with a part of a project that I am working
on, so have come back to the Oracle for assistance.  As usual, I should
probably have done this some time ago, but, better late than never, as I
have heard.


I have a JS function that collects various pieces of information and
then calls a server routine ( PHP ) which is supposed to act on that
information and send back a response. ( AJAX, as it happens )

However, even though I can trace some of this data through the JS code (
although that is another issue that I will mention ), I can't seem to
get it into a format that the system will pass to the server.

For instance, I have something that looks like:

var foo = jQuery( '.thisclass' );
alert( 'foo = ' + foo );
var foo_ser = foo.serialize();
alert( 'foo_ser = ' + foo_ser );

more code to prepare the call to the server.

The first alert() tells me that foo is an object.  The second alert
shows me an empty string.

I have also tried .val(), which also fails.

JSON.stringify() complains that there are circular references, or words
to that effect, although I don't quite know where that would have come
from.

Incidentally, foo is a jQuery accordion.


Any suggestions to get me out of the hole that I seem to have dug
myself?


Thank you,
Brian