validate a metabox based on the category that is selected

Question

Ok Let's say I have 2 Categories. If a user select category A, they have to fill in metabox A and similarly for category B, it's metabox B. So my question is, I want to do a validate check, whereby if the user has checked category A, then it is only metabox A that has been filled in, and the same applies for category B. I know JQuery is my best bet - but not too sure how to go about it or how to call the function when clicking the publish button.

Answer 1

Apologies for the delay - what I did was basically created a .js file and places it within my theme folder - for example themes/nameoftheme/custom/checkcode.js

Then using jquery - I created my code - here's a snippet:

jQuery('#in-category-6').click(function(){
jQuery('#metabox_one').toggle(this.checked);
jQuery('#metabox_two').hide();
jQuery('#metabox_three').hide();
jQuery('#in-category-3').attr('checked', this.checked);
jQuery('#in-category-1').attr('checked', false);
jQuery('#in-category-4').attr('checked', false);
jQuery('#in-category-5').attr('checked', false);
jQuery('#in-category-7').attr('checked', false);
jQuery('#in-category-8').attr('checked', false);
jQuery('#in-category-9').attr('checked', false)
});

It seems pretty explanatory but fyi in-category - refers to the category selected in the category box. attr - refers to attribute and as it's a checkbox - hence checked. when catgeory-6 is selected, the metaboxes defined by the name is either hidden or not.

After this - we now need to call this the javascript file - and this is done by going to the functions.php file of your theme.

here you put -

wp_enqueue_script('myscript', '/wp-content/themes/nameoftheme/custom/checkbox.js');

fyi wp_enqueue_script is the bit that calls the script when the page is loaded.

I hope this is clear for people.

Answer 2

Every metabox has own ID.

We can handle onchange event of category checkboxes. Hide everything on load and then show, when user set a category.

Answer 3

I have found this plugin:

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/require-post-category/

which has provided a good foundation and am going to attempt to hack it and take it from there.