[web2py] Setting ajax=True in component breaks javascript?

[Luther Goh Lu Feng]

I have the following view and controller. The code works fine. The
controller action basically defines a select dropdown form as a
component. A change in the dropdown will cause the appearance of an
alert dialog.

However, I noticed that when the "ajax=True" in place of "ajax=True"
in the view, the dialog no longer appears and there are no errors seen
in the javascript console. Why is this so? I am asking this as part of
my troubleshooting to a bigger related problem which I will write
soon.

#console.html

        <script>
        <!-- Load comment component based on dropdown selected -->
                $(document).ready(function(){
                        
$('select#conversation_dropdown_text').change(function(){
                                alert('meow');
                        });
                })
        </script>


        <h1>Conversation</h1>
        <div id="sidebar-header">
        {{ block sidebar-header }}
                {{=LOAD('comment', 'conversation_dropdown.load',
args=[request.args[0]], ajax=False)}}
        {{ end }}
        </div>



#comment.py

def conversation_dropdown():
        '''This action returns a dropdown component'''

        # Pull the worksheet requested
        w = db.worksheet(request.args(0))

        # Create the manage the conversation selector dropdown
        conversation_dropdown = SQLFORM.factory(
                Field('text', label='Select a conversation',
requires=IS_IN_DB(db(db.question.worksheet==w), 'question.id',
'question.text', orderby='question.id')), _id='conversation_dropdown',
table_name="conversation_dropdown")

        #hide the submit button
        submit = conversation_dropdown.element('input',_type='submit')
        submit['_style'] = 'display:none;'

        #process form dropdown
        if conversation_dropdown.accepts(request.vars, session):
                 current_conversation = request.vars.text
        elif conversation_dropdown.errors:
                 response.flash = 'Form has errors'

        return {'conversation_dropdown':conversation_dropdown}