PHP function on close with jQuery AJAX - php

Question

I've been working this problem for awhile and seen a lot of different approaches. I have code that I believe should be working, but for one reason or another is not.
Here is my JavaScript code file name - test.js:
function deleteTempTable() {
$.ajax({
url: "exit.php",
success: function(data) {
alert("Deleting Temp Table");
}
});
}
I placed the alert purely for testing purposes to make sure the AJAX call was being made, and it is.
Here is the HTML for the button that makes the AJAX call file name - form.template:
<input type="button" title="Click to close window" value="Close"
onclick="deleteTempTable();" style="width:80px" name="close">
This does work as I get the JavaScript alert just fine.
Here is an EXAMPLE of the php code I'm using (it's not exact as it has some stuff I can't share, custom classes etc, either way I've reused this same pattern else where and it works fine and drops the tables as needed) file name - exit.php :
<?php
session_start();
require $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . "path/to/file.php";
$tempTableName = $_SESSION['tempTableName'];
//Not really hard coding this it's just an example
$odbcConn = odbc_connect('DataBaseName', 'UserName', 'Password');
$sqlCmd = "DROP TABLE IF EXISTS $tempTableName;";
odbc_exec($odbcConn, $sqlCmd);
?>
When I click the button the JavaScript alert pops up, but it appears as the the php is ignored since the table still exists. Elsewhere in my code use the same php pattern to drop tables when new sets of data are requested, and they drop fine. Just not when I try to do it with this button.
Any ideas or pointers would be great!
Also I saw this question, "Calling PHP function using JQuery .ajax()", but his problem was syntax, and I'm pretty sure with my IDE I'm not having a syntax error, and from what I've seen this is the solution posted.
UPDATE
Thanks to some suggestions I was able to get a test that would confirm the php code itself works, but is not actually being executed by the AJAX call. Essentially I just ran the page that created the table, ie index.php, and then directed the browser to exit.php and the table was deleted as I would have expected. So the only conclusion is that exit.php is not actually being called/executed by the AJAX call.
I don't know if this could be the problem but here is my actual url assignment (more or less): url: "/folder1/folder2/folder3/folder4/exit.php" I had tried url: "exit.php" as well, so I don't know if I need the full root path to the file or not, or if this is some how the issue. At this point I'm just brain storming since I at least now know the php is not being executed or opened properly.
UPDATE
Well thanks to Salivador walking me through some trouble shooting the problem is solved. Basically the code is correct. So feel free to use it if you need to do something like this, however don't do what I did and mess up the PATH TO THE FILE!
face palm

Answer 1

Your ajax call is executed, but are you sure that your PHP code is executed correctly and as intended?
Try to output the $tempTableName to see do you actually getting the right name for your table, try to see the response of odbc_exec(...) command to see what is the result of deletion.

Answer 2

quick reaction is that the sqlcommand is including a semi-colon, remove that
heres an alternate method, do this in your php code
html
<input type="button" title="Click to close window" value="Close"
onclick="deleteTempTable('mytable');" style="width:80px" name="close">
exit.php
if($_REQUEST['command'] == 'droptable') {
echo dropTable($_REQUEST['tablename'] ));
}
...
function dropTable($tableName){
/*your sql stuff/code here*/
$sqlCmd = 'Drop Table '.$tablename;
$rz = odbc_exec($odbcConn, $sqlCmd);
if (!$rz){
$result = true;
} else {
$result = false;
}
return $result;
}
then you could do this
function deleteTempTable(tablename) {
var params = 'command=droptable&tablename='+tablename;
$.ajax({
url: "exit.php?"+params,
success: function(data) {
if(data == true) {
alert("Deleting Temp Table");
} else {
alert("Didnt work");
}
}
});
}
Just one way of doing it , i personally wouldnt use an onclick to fire the function, i prefer selector bound events
why are you storing this table name in session data? wouldnt a form var work out better?