javascript : Client-side chat Options

[belowHeights00]

Here is my js code: function postQuestion() {
var questionOne = $('.question:nth-child(1)');
var questionTwo = $('.question:nth-child(2)');
var questionThree = $('.question:nth-child(3)');
var questionFour = $('.question:nth-child(4)');
var questionFive = $('.question:nth-child(5)');
var question = $('#input').val();
if ($('.question:nth-child(1)').html() == "")
{
questionOne.append(question);
}
else if ($('.question:nth-child(1)').html() != "")
{
questionTwo.append(questionOne.html());
questionOne.empty();
questionOne.append(question);
}
else if ($('.question:nth-child(2)').html() != "")
{
questionThree.append(questionTwo.html());
questionTwo.empty();
questionTwo.append(questionOne.html());
questionOne.empty();
questionOne.append(question);
}
else if ($('.question:nth-child(3)').html() != "")
{
questionFour.append(questionThree.html());
questionThree.empty();
questionThree.append(questionTwo.html());
questionTwo.empty();
questionTwo.append(questionOne.html());
questionOne.empty();
questionOne.append(question);
}
else if ($('.question:nth-child(4)').html() != "")
{
questionFive.append(questionFour.html());
questionFour.empty();
questionFour.append(questionThree.html());
questionThree.empty();
questionThree.append(questionTwo.html());
questionTwo.empty();
questionTwo.append(questionOne.html());
questionOne.empty();
questionOne.append(question);
}

}

Aside from using a more condensed way to code that...Why wouldn't it be working? If the 1st child is not equal to "" (null), it goes down to the 2nd child and the 1st child's html becomes question --- but if the 2nd child is not equal to "" (null), the 1st child IS replaced by question, and the 2nd child is replaced by the 1st child's html, but the 2nd child keep the original html AND keep the original html (which is supposed to go down a level).

The .question classes are just simply div's btw.

[belowHeights00]

haha if I had the variables already made why didn't I use them? Anyway, still can figure out why it doesn't work -- need another eye I think.

[Christian J]

That looks more like jQuery than pure javascript so I can't help with that. Have you tried e.g. alertboxes to check the state in each ELESE/IF statement?

BTW I think "" is an empty value, not null. Alas most javascript pages that discuss this seem to claim everybody else is wrong, so you may want to research this a bit.

[belowHeights00]

Thanks for the reply Christian. yes, it is more jquery I suppose than javascript (I think I can convert it to straight javascript though). I said null just to express that it is an empty value..I wonder if "" won't work for append?

Wait, no because the first 2 expressions work fine..then after child 3 -- it doesn't wanna go to child 4.

[Christian J]

CODE

if ($('.question:nth-child(1)').html() == "") // child(1) is empty

else if ($('.question:nth-child(1)').html() != "") // child(1) is not empty

One of the two conditions above should always be true, so how could the script ever move on to the subsequent ELSE IF statements? For the following to be be evaluated:

CODE

else if ($('.question:nth-child(2)').html() != "")

child(1) must neither be empty nor non-empty.

Perhaps you could nest the statements more.