programatically highlight/select a "dl" item

Question

the following test html creates a tabbed list (new, update, delete) on the row.

the current test updates the data, via javascript/ajax calls, and so the tab selected by the user doesn't change, as the page isn't redisplayed/regenerated.

however, if i change the test, to do a call back to the server, so the server has to redisplay the page, i'm at a loss to figure out how to highlight the tab that the user had selected!!!!

so, how the heck can i programmtaiclly highlight/select one of the given "dl" elements!

thanks

<dl class="tabs" id="configPane">
  <dt id="newterm-page"  onclick="location.href='#'"><span>New Term</span></dt>
<dd>    
    <table class="adminform" width="100%">

        <div style="border:1px solid #ccc">

            <div>
                <div style="width:200px;float:left;">Current Terms</div> 
                <div style="width:400px" id="newTerms"><select name="termList" id="termList" class="inputbox" size="1" title="Display List of Current Terms"><option value="1" >Spring</option><option value="2" >Summer</option><option value="3" >Fall</option><option value="9" >Winter</option><option value="10" >Summer I</option><option value="11" >Summer II</option></select></div>
            </div>

            <div><br></div>
            <div>

                <div style="width:200px;float:left;">New Term</div> 
           <input size="20" type="text" name="nterm" id="nterm" value="" />
            </div>
            <div><br></div>
            <div>
                <input type="button" name="button" value="Create Term" onclick="javascript: createTerm(); return false;">

            </div>
        </div>
    </table>

</dd>
<dt id="updateterm-page"  onclick="javascript: jt1('update'); return false;"><span>Update Term</span></dt>
    <dd>
    <table class="adminform" width="100%">
        <div style="border:1px solid #ccc">

            <div>
                <div style="width:200px;float:left;">Select Term to Update</div> 
                <div style="width:400px;" id="updateTerms"><select name="upterm" id="upterm" class="inputbox" size="1" title="Display List of Current Terms"><option value="1" >Spring</option><option value="2" >Summer</option><option value="3" >Fall</option><option value="9" >Winter</option><option value="10" >Summer I</option><option value="11" >Summer II</option></select></div>

            </div>
            <div><br></div>

            <div>
                <div style="width:200px;float:left;">Updated Term</div> 
           <input size="20" type="text" name="uterm" id="uterm" value="" />
            </div>
            <div><br></div>
            <div>
                <input type="button" name="button" value="Update Term" onclick="javascript: updateTerm(); return false;">

            </div>

        </div>
    </table>
</dd>
<dt id="deleteterm-page"  onclick="javascript: jt1('delete'); return false;"><span>Delete Term</span></dt>
    <dd>    
    <table class="adminform" width="100%">
        <div style="border:1px solid #ccc">
            <div>

                <div style="width:200px;float:left;">Select Term to Delete</div> 
                <div style="width:400px;" id="deleteTerms"><select name="delterm" id="delterm" class="inputbox" size="1" title="Display List of Current Terms"><option value="1" >Spring</option><option value="2" >Summer</option><option value="3" >Fall</option><option value="9" >Winter</option><option value="10" >Summer I</option><option value="11" >Summer II</option></select></div>
            </div>
            <div><br></div>
            <div><br></div>
            <div>

                <input type="button" name="button" value="Delete Term" onclick="javascript: deleteTerm(); return false;">
            </div>
            <div><br></div>
        </div>
    </table>
    </dd></dl>

Answer 1

Place information about highlighted item in url to page after the hash "#" sign, e.g. index.php?foo=bar#123. Then use javascript to retrieve the information with location.hash (='#123') extract the number (for example with substring or RegExp) and use it to highlight desired item.