problem when cloning jQuery UI datepicker

Question

I have a div in which there is a datepicker. I use something like this to clone it:

mydiv = $('#someDiv');

// works fine so far
mydiv.find('input.datefield').datepicker();

// clone without the events and insert
newDiv = myDiv.clone(false).insertAfter(myDiv);

// datepicker won't re-init if this class is present
newDiv.find('.hadDatepicker').removeClass('hadDatepicker');

// reinitialize datepicker
newDiv.find('input.datefield').datepicker();

This is a stripped down version of my code. It works and the calendar shows up as expected where it is expected .. but when a date is clicked, the previous datepicker's value gets updated.. (the one from which it was cloned).

I've tried to destroy the (inexisting) instance before like this:

newDiv.find('input.datefield').datepicker('destroy').datepicker();

No luck ..

I've checked how it keeps track of instances and manually cleared the data like this:

newDiv.find('input.datefield').data('datepicker', false).datepicker('destroy').datepicker();

Still no luck.

What I don't understand is that only the date selection behavior is buggy, everything else works as expected.

I really don't know what else to check now ..

Answer 1

What about changing the order?

mydiv = $('#someDiv');

// clone without the events and insert
newDiv = myDiv.clone(false).insertAfter(myDiv);

// datepicker won't re-init if this class is present
// not necessary anymore
// newDiv.find('.hadDatepicker').removeClass('hadDatepicker');

newDiv.find('input.datefield').datepicker();

// datepicker attached as a last step
mydiv.find('input.datefield').datepicker();

Honestly I don't know how datepicker works internally. My hunch is that it stores something in jQuery DOM storage. Let's avoid copying it at all costs.

(You might have long business logic between these lines of code. The point is to have a backup of #someDiv before putting a datepicker on it.)

Answer 2

Make sure your newly cloned datepicker has a different name and ID than the original. If they both have the same name, then the behavior you're describing would be normal.

Try changing that last line to something like:

newDiv.find('input.datefield').attr('id', 'newDatePicker').attr('name', 'newDatePicker').datepicker();

Answer 3

This works for me with jQuery UI 1.7.2

var mydiv = $('#someDiv');
mydiv.find('input.datefield').datepicker();
var newDiv = mydiv.clone(false).attr("id", "someDiv2").insertAfter(mydiv);
newDiv.find('input.datefield')
  .attr("id", "")
  .removeClass('hasDatepicker')
  .removeData('datepicker')
  .unbind()
  .datepicker();

Check http://jsbin.com/ahoqa3/2 for a quick demo

btw. you seem to have different errors in the code of your question. The css class is hasDatepicker not hadDatepicker and at one time you wrote mydiv and the next time the variable is myDiv which isn't the same.

Answer 4

Here's the problem. datepicker creates UUID-based ID attributes for the input fields it binds when you initialize it. You cloning those elements results in more elements with either the same ID (which jQuery does not like) or a different ID if your clone routine manages that (which means datepicker does not know about the clones). In other words, datepicker only initializes all the elements matching your selector at the time you call it. it actually makes less sense to try to destroy/disable/enable over and over, when you can just wrap the init call inside whatever function you use to create the clones.

Because my clone functions typically copy from hidden DOM elements rather than visible ones, I have the luxury deciding whether I need to bind before or after cloning. So, make #templateDiv a hidden element on your page with the INPUT element already in there.

mydiv = $('#templateDiv');
mydest = $('#someDiv');

function make_the_donuts() {
    newDiv = myDiv.clone(true).insertAfter(mydest);  
    // attach datepickers by instance rather than by class
    newDiv.find('input.datefield').datepicker();
}

and that pretty much does it. Clone(true) whenever you can, it'll save you headaches in the long run.

Answer 5

just do

$('input.datefield').datepicker("destroy");

before cloning the div. Then after inserting the clone bind the datepicker again

$('input.datefield').datepicker();

kind of a 'hacky' solution but it works perfectly.

Answer 6

$('input.datefield').datepicker("destroy");

$('input.datefield').datepicker();

it works good. But just doing this, datepicker will open on cloned input and set the date to the original input (because they have the same ID)

to solve this you must change id attribute of the cloned input.

dp = < cloned input >
var d = $('input.vDateField');
dp.removeClass('hasDatepicker');
dp.attr('id', dp.attr('id')+d.length);
d.datepicker("destroy");
d.datepicker();

and it will work great!