Could you please have a look at: http://jsfiddle.net/4Zw3M/1/.
Basically, the data is stored in an Array and the options are added accordingly. I think the code says more than a thousand words.
var data = [ // The data
['ten', [
'eleven','twelve'
]],
['twenty', [
'twentyone', 'twentytwo'
]]
];
$a = $('#a'); // The dropdowns
$b = $('#b');
for(var i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
var first = data[i][0];
$a.append($("<option>"). // Add options
attr("value",first).
data("sel", i).
text(first));
}
$a.change(function() {
var index = $(this).children('option:selected').data('sel');
var second = data[index][1]; // The second-choice data
$b.html(''); // Clear existing options in second dropdown
for(var j = 0; j < second.length; j++) {
$b.append($("<option>"). // Add options
attr("value",second[j]).
data("sel", j).
text(second[j]));
}
}).change(); // Trigger once to add options at load of first choice