AJAX function putting post in URL, rather than to page - php

Question

I've got a dropdown, which when selected, should then go query the DB and get a report back. When the user selects the option from the dropdown, it should dynamically change the field without reloading the page.
However, it does seem to reload the page, and the $_POST data is inserted and visible in the URL.
Code in my custom page (This is in Wordpress btw, but I don't think it's a Wordpress issue)
<form class="get_monthly_report_form" role="form" action="">
<input type="submit" id="function" name="function" value="Retrieve Whole Report"> {code excised here that fills the dropdown}
</form>
<div id="search_results"></div>
and here's the code from the .js file
//Monthly Reports
<script>
// wrap everything in a closure
(function($){
// get our references
var $form = $('form.get_monthly_report_form'),
$search_field = $('#function'),
$results = $('#search_results');
// AJAX search call
function do_search_reps() {
// grab the query value from the search field
var search_text = $search_field.val();
// do a POST ajax call
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: '<?php echo admin_url('admin-ajax.php'); ?>',
data: ({
action: "get_and_view_report",
search_text: search_text
}).serialize(),
success: function (response){
console.log(response);
$results.html(response);
}
}); }
// on submit, do the search but return false to stop page refresh
$form.submit(function(e) {
e.preventDefault();
do_search_reps();
return false;
});
})(jQuery);
and the code in my project_functions file is
function get_and_view_report()
{ var_dump ($_POST);
// first, get data passed
$data_passed = explode("++",$_POST["monthly_report_ID"]);
$report_key = $data_passed[0];
$report_type = $data_passed[1];
//print_r ($report_key);
//print_r ($report_type);
//get data about the report as a whole.
$sql = "SELECT * FROM reports_list WHERE report_key ='" . $report_key . "'";
$report_data = $wpdb->get_results ($sql);
//if statement to set up which table to query from NEED TO FINISH THIS
if (substr ($report_data[0]->report_key,0,3) == "sdr")
{
$sql = "SELECT * FROM deployment_list_rows WHERE report_key = '" . $report_key . "' ORDER BY line_number ASC";
}
elseif (substr ($report_data[0]->report_key,0,3) == "Off")
{
$sql = "SELECT * FROM officer_list_rows WHERE report_key = '" . $report_key . "' ORDER BY line_number ASC";
}
elseif (substr ($report_data[0]->report_key,0,4) == "stat")
{
$sql = "SELECT * FROM status_report_rows WHERE report_key = '" . $report_key . "' ORDER BY line_number ASC";
}
elseif (substr ($report_data[0]->report_key,0,3) == "wtr")
{
$sql = "SELECT * FROM service_time_wages_lines WHERE report_key = '" . $report_key . "' ORDER BY line_number ASC";
}
elseif (substr ($report_data[0]->report_key,0,3) == "flr")
{
$sql = "SELECT * FROM fleet_ships_list_rows WHERE report_key = '" . $report_key . "' ORDER BY line_number ASC";
}
//print_r ($sql);
$reports_in_db = $wpdb->get_results($sql);
if (empty($reports_in_db))
{
echo "No Data Returned. Something's Wrong";
}
else
{
//print_r ($reports_in_db);
//print_r ($report_data);
//Time to start building the file to go out.
//so we're going to build an array of things, bringing together all the things
$total_report = array();
foreach($reports_in_db as $key)
{
$total_report [$key->line_number] = $key;
}
// get subtitles/abstract
$sql = "SELECT line_number, field_text FROM subtitle_abstract_summary WHERE report_key = '" . $report_key . "'";
$abs_sums = $wpdb->get_results ($sql);
//now for a series of conditional things
foreach ($abs_sums as $key)
{
$total_report [$key->line_number] = $key;
}
ksort ($total_report, SORT_NUMERIC); //sorting the lines and subtitles into the correct order.
//Now an if statment- calling the sort functions based on report type- NEEDS TO BE DONE
$arrs_to_be_printed = sort_ship_deployment_data_single_report ($total_report);
//Now Create the File headers
$file_headers = array($report_data[0]->report_title, $report_data[0]->report_date, $report_data[0]->transcription_notes, $report_data[0]->labels_row, $arrs_to_be_printed[0]);
print_report_to_screen ($file_headers, $arrs_to_be_printed[1]);
}
}
add_action('wp_ajax_get_and_view_report', 'get_and_view_report');
add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_get_and_view_report', 'get_and_view_report');
and when I click submit (and try to use the Ajax call - what happens is that the page reloads (when I don't want it to) and the URL now is something like
"view-monthly-report/?monthly_report_ID=OffRec1514581778%2B%2Bofficer_list&function=Retrieve+Whole+Report"
Which looks to me like the post data is being put into the URL - and when in the function, var_dump, the result is
"array(0) { } No Data Returned. Something's Wrong"
As I do testing- it seems that the action hook isn't working.
I would appreciate any help.