Just can't get this to work - php

Question

I have been trying to figure out this problem I've been having all day. I will give you a simplified run down of what I have been trying to do. The user enters a number, and however much the number is, is the number of categories there are going to be on the following page. Within each category, there is an input text button, along with an "Add Textbox" button that adds additional input textboxes dynamically. However, the problem here is that each category has this same setup on the same page. For example, if the user enters the number "3", then the page will vertically load three categories looking something like the following:
Category #1
(Initial user input textbox for category #1)
("Add Textbox" button to allow user to fill out another option)
Category #2
(Initial user input textbox for category #2)
("Add Textbox" button to allow user to fill out another option)
Category #3
(Initial user input textbox for category #3)
("Add Textbox" button to allow user to fill out another option)
The struggle I have been encountering is that each category button will need to have its own function, to tell the button where to place the textbox. This coupled with the fact that the number of categories changes depending on the user's input, has made things difficult. I started with the following:
var categoryCount = <?php echo $categoryCount; ?>;
var click = {};
for (var num=1;num<=categoryCount;num++) {
var newClick = "click_" + num;
click[newClick] = function() {
// some contents when this button is clicked
};
}
This JS creates an object of functions, which in JS would be able to be accessed by doing something like the following:
click['click_' + someID]();
However, the problem is that I cannot do this using the "onclick" attribute in my HTML/PHP button. I cannot access this object of functions, and cannot call any of the individual functions, obviously. I think I am going to need to rethink all of this and start again. I just can't think of another way to get this to work. Please share your ideas with me! Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

For something like this, I'd write a constructor I could use like this
var cat1 = new Category(document.body);
Luckily for you, I also wrote one as an example. See the DEMO HERE. I haven't styled it at all for the new lines etc, though.
var Category = (function () {
var categoryCount = 0;
function elem(tag) { // shortcut
return document.createElement(tag);
}
function text(str) { // shortcut
return document.createTextNode(str);
}
function Category(node) {
var self = this; // this should have been var'd, oops!!
this.categoryId = ++categoryCount;
// make add button
this.addButton = elem('button');
this.addButton.appendChild(text('Add Textbox'));
this.addButton.addEventListener('click', function () {
self.addTextbox();
});
// make wrapper
this.wrapper = elem('section');
this.wrapper.setAttribute('id', 'cat'+this.categoryId);
this.wrapper.appendChild(this.addButton);
// make textboxes
this.textboxes = [];
this.addTextbox();
// append to document
if (node) {
this.append(node);
}
}
Category.prototype.addTextbox = function () {
var e = elem('textarea');
e.setAttribute('name', 'cat-'+this.categoryId+'-textbox[]');
this.textboxes.push(e);
this.wrapper.insertBefore(e, this.addButton);
};
Category.prototype.append = function (node) {
return node.appendChild(this.wrapper);
};
return Category;
}());