example of using ActionFunction in Salesforce

VisualForce Page:

<apex:page id="communitiesSelfRegPage" showHeader="true" controller="CommunitiesSelfRegController" title="{!$Label.site.user_registration}">
     <script type="text/javascript">  
     
     function getEnteredCommunityCode(){
       var enteredCode =  document.getElementById("communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:CommunityCode");
       //alert(enteredCode.value);
       return enteredCode.value;
     }
     
     function getSelectedCampus(){
       var campus=  document.getElementById("communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:sl_campus");
       //alert("hello");
       return campus.options[campus.selectedIndex].value;
     }
     
     function getSelectedLevel(){
       var level=  document.getElementById("communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:sl_year");
       //alert(level.options[level.selectedIndex].value);
       return level.options[level.selectedIndex].value;
     }
     
     </script>
     
     <apex:define name="body">  
      <center>
<apex:form id="theForm" forceSSL="true">
                    <apex:pageMessages id="error"/>
                    <apex:panelGrid columns="2" style="margin-top:1em;">
                      <apex:outputLabel value="First Name" for="firstName"/>
                      <apex:inputText required="true" id="firstName" value="{!firstName}" label="First Name"/>
                      <apex:outputLabel value="Last Name" for="lastName"/>
                      <apex:inputText required="true" id="lastName" value="{!lastName}" label="Last Name"/>
                      <apex:outputLabel value="{!$Label.site.community_nickname}" for="communityNickname"/>
                      <apex:inputText required="true" id="communityNickname" value="{!communityNickname}" label="{!$Label.site.community_nickname}"/>
                      <apex:outputLabel value="{!$Label.site.email}" for="email"/>
                      <apex:inputText required="true" id="email" value="{!email}" label="{!$Label.site.email}"/>
                      
                      
                      <apex:outputLabel value="{!$Label.site.password}" for="password"/>
                      <apex:inputSecret id="password" value="{!password}"/>
                      <apex:outputLabel value="{!$Label.site.confirm_password}" for="confirmPassword"/>
                      <apex:inputSecret id="confirmPassword" value="{!confirmPassword}"/>
                      
                      <apex:outputLabel value="{!$Label.CommunityCode}" for="CommunityCode"/>
                      <apex:inputText required="true" id="CommunityCode" value="{!CommunityCode}" label="{!$Label.CommunityCode}" οnchange="loadCampusJavascript(getEnteredCommunityCode())"/>
                      
                      <apex:outputLabel value="{!$Label.Campus}" for="sl_campus" id="lbl_campus" style="display:{!campus_display_status}"/>
                      <apex:selectlist multiselect="false" id="sl_campus" οnchange="loadYearJavascript(getSelectedCampus())" style="display:{!campus_display_status}" size="1" value="{!studentCampus}"  >
                        <apex:selectOptions value="{!options_Campus}"/>
                      </apex:selectlist>
                      
                      <apex:outputLabel value="{!$Label.Year_Level}" for="sl_year" id="lbl_year"  style="display:{!yearlevel_display_status}"/>
                      <apex:selectlist multiselect="false" id="sl_year"  style="display:{!yearlevel_display_status}" size="1" required="true" value="{!studentYearLevel}" οnchange="enableBtnJavascript(getSelectedLevel())" >
                        <apex:selectOptions value="{!options_Years}"/>
                      </apex:selectlist>
                     
                      

               
                      <apex:inputText id="MsgDebug" value="{!msgDebug}" style="display:none;"></apex:inputText> 
                     
              
                      <apex:commandButton action="{!registerUser}" value="{!$Label.site.submit}" id="submit" disabled="{!btnDisable}"/>
                    </apex:panelGrid> 
                  <br/>
</apex:form>

<apex:form >
  <apex:actionfunction name="loadCampusJavascript" action="{!loadCampus}" rerender="communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:sl_campus,communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:lbl_campus,communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:sl_year,communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:lbl_year,communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:MsgDebug">
    <apex:param name="firstParam" assignTo="{!para1}" value="" />
  </apex:actionfunction>
</apex:form>

<apex:form >
  <apex:actionfunction name="loadYearJavascript" action="{!loadYear}" rerender="communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:sl_year,communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:lbl_year,communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:MsgDebug,communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:submit">
    <apex:param name="campusParam" assignTo="{!paracampus}" value="" />
  </apex:actionfunction>
</apex:form>

<apex:form >
  <apex:actionfunction name="enableBtnJavascript" action="{!enableBtn}" rerender="communitiesSelfRegPage:theForm:submit">
    <apex:param name="yearParam" assignTo="{!parayear}" value="" />
  </apex:actionfunction>
</apex:form>


<div id="output"></div>
     </center>
      <br/>
    </apex:define>

</apex:page>

Apex controller:

/**
 * An apex page controller that supports self registration of users in communities that allow self registration
 */
public with sharing class CommunitiesSelfRegController {

    public PageReference enableBtn() {
        if(parayear!='0'){
        btnDisable='false';
        }else
        {
        btnDisable='true';
        }
        return null;
    }

    string btnDisable ='true';
    
    public String getBtnDisable() {
        return btnDisable ;
    }
    
    public void setBtnDisable(string n) {
        btnDisable = n;
    }

   //control the visibility of campus seleclist
     string Campus_display_status='none';
//control the visibility of yearlevel seleclist
    string Yearlevel_display_status='none';

    string messageDebug;

    public String getMsgDebug() {
        return messageDebug;
    }

     public void setMsgDebug(string input){
        messageDebug = input;
     }




     List<SelectOption> Selectlist_campus= new List<SelectOption>();
     
      
     
     public String getCampus_display_status() {
        return Campus_display_status;
    }
    
    public String getYearlevel_display_status() {
        return Yearlevel_display_status;
    }
   

    public List<SelectOption> getOptions_Campus() {
        
        return Selectlist_campus;
    }
    
    
    
    List<SelectOption> Selectlist_years = new List<SelectOption>();
    public List<SelectOption> getOptions_Years() {
        
        return Selectlist_years;
    }
    
    
    
    
    

    //year level based on campus and community code
    public void insertYearLevelOptions(string campus, string code){
       List<SchoolCampusYear__c> lst_years = new List<SchoolCampusYear__c>();
       try{
       //get campus list based on entered Community Code  
    
       lst_years = (List<SchoolCampusYear__c>)[SELECT Year_Level__c FROM SchoolCampusYear__c WHERE CommunityCode__c=:code and Campus__c=:campus];
       }
       catch(QueryException q)
       {
         ApexPages.Message msg = new ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.ERROR, 'Query Error - year level');
         ApexPages.addMessage(msg);
       }
    
    integer count_years = lst_years.size();
    //messageDebug =paracampus;
    messageDebug = string.valueof(count_years );
    
    
    Selectlist_years.Clear();
    Selectlist_years.add(new SelectOption('0',' '));
    for(integer i=0;i<count_years ;i++)
    {
      string year_value = lst_years.get(i).Year_Level__c;
      string year_label = lst_years.get(i).Year_Level__c;
      Selectlist_years.add(new SelectOption(year_value ,'Year '+year_label ));
    }
    
    
    }

    //campus selectlist onchange event
     public PageReference loadYear() {
        Yearlevel_display_status='block';
        
        if(paracampus!='0'){
        btnDisable='false';
        }else
        {
        btnDisable='true';
        }
        
        insertYearLevelOptions(paracampus,para1);
       
        return null;
    }


    //community code field onkeyup event
    public PageReference loadCampus() {
    List<SchoolCampus__c> lst_campus = new List<SchoolCampus__c>();
    
    try{
    //get campus list based on entered Community Code  
    
    lst_campus = (List<SchoolCampus__c>)[SELECT Campus_Name__c FROM SchoolCampus__c WHERE Community_Code__c=:para1];
    }
    catch(QueryException q)
    {
      ApexPages.Message msg = new ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.ERROR, 'Query Error');
      ApexPages.addMessage(msg);
    }
    
    //fill the campuses into the select list
    integer count_campus = lst_campus.size();
       
    if(count_campus>1){
       Campus_display_status = 'block';
Yearlevel_display_status='none';
    }
    else if(count_campus==1){
       Yearlevel_display_status='block';
       Campus_display_status = 'none';
       
       messageDebug ='hello 2';
       string only_campus = lst_campus.get(0).Campus_Name__c;
       //second paramenter para1
       studentCampus =only_campus;
       insertYearLevelOptions(only_campus ,para1);
       
    }
    else
    {
    
    }
    
    Selectlist_campus.Clear();
    Selectlist_campus.add(new SelectOption('0' ,' '));
    for(integer i=0;i<count_campus ;i++)
    {
      string campus_value = lst_campus.get(i).Campus_Name__c;
      string campus_label = lst_campus.get(i).Campus_Name__c;
      Selectlist_campus.add(new SelectOption(campus_value ,campus_label  ));
    }
    
   
      
      
    
     
        return null;
    }


    

    public String firstName {get; set;}
    public String lastName {get; set;}
    public String email {get; set;}
    public String password {get; set {password = value == null ? value : value.trim(); } }
    public String confirmPassword {get; set { confirmPassword = value == null ? value : value.trim(); } }
    public String communityNickname {get; set { communityNickname = value == null ? value : value.trim(); } }
    public String CommunityCode {get;set;}
    
    public String studentYearLevel { get; set; }
    public String studentCampus { get; set; }
    
    string para1;
    
    public void setPara1(string n){
      para1= n;
    }
    
    public string getPara1(){
      return para1;
    }
    
    string paracampus;
    
    public void setParacampus(string n){
      paracampus= n;
    }
    
    public string getParacampus(){
      return paracampus;
    }
    
    string parayear;
    public void setParayear(string n){
      parayear= n;
    }
    
    public string getParayear(){
      return parayear;
    }
    
    
    
    public CommunitiesSelfRegController() {}
    
    private boolean isValidPassword() {
        return password == confirmPassword;
    }

    


    public PageReference registerUser() {
    
           // it's okay if password is null - we'll send the user a random password in that case
        if (!isValidPassword()) {
            ApexPages.Message msg = new ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.ERROR, Label.site.passwords_dont_match);
            ApexPages.addMessage(msg);
            return null;
        }    
        
        User[] userList = [SELECT ID,Email FROM User WHERE Email=:email];
        if(!userList.isEmpty()){
            ApexPages.Message msg = new ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.ERROR, 'User existing already.');
            ApexPages.addMessage(msg);
            //return null;
            
            string userId = userList[0].ID;
            string userName = email;
            
            if (userId != null) { 
            if (password != null && password.length() > 1) {
                return Site.login(userName, password, null);
            }
            else {
                PageReference page = System.Page.CommunitiesSelfRegConfirm;
                page.setRedirect(true);
                return page;
            }
        }
        }
        
        
        
        

        String profileId = null; // To be filled in by customer.
        String roleEnum = null; // To be filled in by customer.
        String accountId = ''; // To be filled in by customer.
        
        String userName = email;


        PortalCodeMapping__c codeMapping = [SELECT Account_ID__c,Customer_Type__c FROM PortalCodeMapping__c WHERE Portal_Code__c =: CommunityCode];
       
         accountId = codeMapping.Account_ID__c;
        
        //codeMapping.Account_ID__c = 
        
        //check if the email is occupied by an existing contact
        Contact[] thisContactList = [SELECT Id,AccountId FROM Contact where Email =: email];
        if(thisContactList.isEmpty()){
        
        }
        else{
          Integer contactListSize = thisContactList.size();
          if(contactListSize >1){
               
          }
          else
          {
             thisContactList[0].AccountId = accountId;
             
             
             try {
             update thisContactList[0];
         } 
             catch (DmlException e) {
         // Process exception here
         }
          }
        }
        //string contactId= thisContact.Id;
        //if(contactId == null || contactId ==''){
        //}
        

        //create new user
        User u = new User();
        u.Username = userName;
        u.Email = email;
        u.FirstName = firstName;
        u.LastName = lastName;
        u.CommunityNickname = communityNickname;
        u.ProfileId = profileId;
        u.CommunityCode__c= CommunityCode;
        
        //if it's a new contact
        
        String userId = Site.createPortalUser(u, accountId, password);
        //save community code into the created contact
        Contact NewContact = [SELECT CommunityCode__c FROM Contact WHERE Email=:email];
        NewContact.CommunityCode__c = CommunityCode;
        NewContact.Student_year_level__c = studentYearLevel ;
        NewContact.Student_Campus__c=studentCampus;
        
       
        
         try {
         update NewContact;
         } 
         catch (DmlException e) {
         // Process exception here
         }
        
      
        if (userId != null) { 
            if (password != null && password.length() > 1) {
                return Site.login(userName, password, null);
            }
            else {
                PageReference page = System.Page.CommunitiesSelfRegConfirm;
                page.setRedirect(true);
                return page;
            }
        }
        return null;
    }

    
         
 
}