PHP for jQuery Validation Plugin - Using AJAX on Multipart Form - php

Question

This is a follow up to a previous question. I am using the jQuery Validation plugin on the UI Acordion. After successful validation on the client and server side, the next accordion should open. I am using AJAX because I would like to add the submitted values above the accordion as each step of the form is completed. If I use $.ajaxSubmit, the PHP appears to work properly, but the next accordion does not open as it should. If I use $.ajax, everything works properly on the jQuery side (the first accordion closes and the next one opens), but the PHP does not appear to communicate properly with the client.
Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?
[Note: I have edited the above post for clarification]
$(document).ready(function(){
$("#applicant-form").validate({
errorPlacement: function(error,element) {
return true;
},
rules: {
"firstName": {
required: true,
minlength: 1
}
},
submitHandler: function(form) {
$.ajax({
error: function() {alert("doh!");},
success: function(e) {
var acc = $("#accordion"),
index = acc.accordion('option','active'),
total = acc.children('div').length,
nxt = index + 1;
acc.accordion('activate', nxt);
}
});
return false;
}
});

Answer 1

$f <--- form object
$acc <-- accordion object
if($f->isSubmitted()){
$f->update();
$acc->js()->accordion('activate',next)->execute();
}
Please show some demo of the validation examples of JQuery PHP forms ...
There

Answer 2

In Agile Toolkit would be something like this
$f <--- form object
$acc <-- accordion object
if($f->isSubmitted()){
$f->update();
$acc->js()->accordion('activate',next)->execute();
}