Custom JQuery datepicker not returning selected date
<p>I used datepicker plugin to build a custom selector that only gives me the option between the two semesters in a year. It has to be either January-June or July-December.</p>

<pre><code>&lt;script&gt;
$(document).ready(function() {
$( "#semester" ).datepicker({
    stepMonths: 6,
    nextText: "Next semester",
    prevText: "Previous semester",
    monthNames: ["January - June", "", "", "", "", "", "July - December", "", "", "", "", ""]
});
$( "#semester" ).datepicker('setDate', new Date(2012,0,1));
});
&lt;/script&gt;
</code></pre>

<p>and</p>

<pre><code>&lt;style&gt;
.ui-datepicker-calendar {
    display: none;
}
&lt;/style&gt;
</code></pre>

<p>Well, I can't post images yet, but it basically gives me a one-liner like "January-December ". Scrolling it to the right gives me "July-December 2012", and so on.</p>

<p>I call it using </p>

<pre><code>&lt;div id="semester" name="semester" class="date-picker"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
</code></pre>

<p>which inside a standard form with a standard Submit button.</p>

<p>Now, it looks just the way I want, since I don't want an <code>&lt;input type="text"&gt;</code>but the problem is that this way the data isn't sent, according to print_r($_POST), but other elements in the form are. I'm obviously missing something here.</p>

<p>NOTE: I decided to use JQuery basically for design preference, since datepicker looks so neat. Although, I realize now that using JQuery for this was probably overkill, but since I've made it this far, I'd like to finish it.</p>

<p>Also, if someone has a better/less complicated and maybe even equally neat idea on how I can accomplish this, please tell me.
Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>EDIT: I've found here in SO another topic in which the same problem I'm having is also present: <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/a/8721023/1115775">See the answer</a>. Apparently, there's no way to select the date once I hide the days.
Perhaps the answer to this will include an event involving <code>setDate</code>? I'm at a loss.</p>
