A new JavaScript code snippet has been released, designed to enhance user interaction with online polls. The code, which appears to be part of a larger web application, handles the submission of poll responses and provides feedback to the user.
the core functionality of the snippet involves capturing a user’s selected poll answer. It then initiates an asynchronous javascript and XML (AJAX) request to a server endpoint located at /api/poll/new. This request is made using the HTTP POST method.The data payload sent to the server includes three key pieces of information:
userid: This likely represents the unique identifier of the logged-in user.
questionid: This is presumably the identifier for the specific poll question being answered, retrieved from an HTML element with the ID poll-id.
answerid: This is the value of the selected poll answer, obtained from the checked radio button within elements having the class pollanswer.
Upon successful completion of the AJAX request, the code checks the status field of the server’s response. If the status is 'OK', the poll results section (identified by #poll-result) is made visible, and the poll submission button (identified by #poll-submit) is hidden.
In cases were the server response indicates an error (i.e., status is not 'OK'), an error message is displayed to the user. This message is populated into an element with the ID modal-message within a modal dialogue identified by #errorModal, which is then displayed.
The .always() function attached to the AJAX request ensures that a disabled attribute is removed from the submitting element, likely a button, regardless of whether the request succeeded or failed. This allows the user to attempt submission again.The code also includes a check for whether an answer has been selected.If no answer is chosen (answerid is falsy), a message prompting the user to select an option is displayed in an element with the ID poll-message.
Additionally, the snippet appears to handle authorization scenarios. If the server response indicates a 'notauthorized' status, or any other status not explicitly handled, a sign-in prompt (identified by #poll-sign-in) is displayed, and the submitting element’s disabled attribute is removed.
Crucial Details Not in Original Article:
Specific Technology: The code utilizes jQuery for DOM manipulation and AJAX requests.
Event Handling: The provided snippet is highly likely part of an event handler, most probably a click event on a submit button for the poll. The $(this).removeAttr('disabled'); line strongly suggests this context. User Interface Elements: The code interacts with specific HTML elements identified by IDs like #poll-id, #poll-result, #poll-submit, #errorModal, #modal-message, #poll-message, and #poll-sign-in. it also targets elements with the class .pollanswer. Error Handling Granularity: the code distinguishes between a general error from the API (data.status !== 'OK') and an authorization failure (response.status === 'notauthorized').
Specific Angles to Focus On:
User Experience: The code prioritizes a smooth user experience by providing immediate feedback on selection and submission, and also clear error messages and re-enabling controls.
API Integration: The snippet demonstrates a common pattern for integrating front-end JavaScript with back-end APIs for data submission.
Client-side Validation: The check for a selected answer (if (answer_id)) represents a basic form of client-side validation before sending data to the server.
