CSC 4800

Javascript

Javascript Syntax

• See book!

How to embed javascript

• between <script></script>

• from an external file• In an event handler• URL - bookmarklet

<script language=“javascript”>

<![CDATA[// javascript code

]]> </script>

<script src=“myfile.js”></script>

<input … onclick=“foo();” />

Timers• id = setTimeout(code, delay)• clearTimeout(id)• id = setInterval(code, interval)• clearInterval(id)

When is javascript executed?

• Code can be embedded at various places in the document. It executes when that section of the document is rendered.– This is the one time you can use document.write() without erasing the current document!

• More frequently, code is attached to an event handler. It runs when the event occurs.

Naming document objects

<form name=“f1”>…</form>

• document.forms[0] // by position• document.forms.f1 // by name• document.forms[“f1”] // array index

• As we will shortly see, we will normally use other methods to access pieces of a document.

DOM

InterfacesJavascript defines interfaces for:• document

– createAttribute(), createElement(), createTextNode()– getElementById(), getElementsByTagName()

• node– appendChild(), removeChild(), replaceChild()– insertBefore()

• element– getAttribute(), setAttribute(), removeAttribute()– getElementsByTagName()

This list is not exhaustive!

DOM Levels

• DOM Level 1, October 1998.– defines core DOM interfaces, such as Node, Element,

Attr, and Document– All modern browsers

• DOM Level 2, November 2000.– required core module has Document, Node, Element,

and Text interfaces (and others)– events, css– Firefox, Safari, Opera– IE supports some level 2, like CSS; but not events

innerHTML property

• more convenient than createElement(), appendChild()

scripting CSS

• Set the style directly• change the class• change the stylesheet

Javascript Events

• Three event models– original event model– standard event model– IE event model

Basic Event Handling• Events and Event Types

– onblur– onchange– onclick, ondblclick– onkeydown, onkeypress,

onkeyup– onmouseover,

onmousedown, onmousemove, onmouseout, onmouseup

– onfocus– onload– onsubmit– etc.

• Device-dependent vs. device-independent events

Event Handlers as Attributes<input type=“button” …onclick=“alert(‘pressed’);” />

• Usually better to call a function:

<form … onsubmit=“return formvalidate()”>

Event Handlers as Properties

document.f1.b1.onclick=myfunction;• Note that the line is NOT:document.f1.b1.onclick=myfunction();

• Advantages (vs attributes)– reduces intermingling of HTML and js– dynamic

• Disadvantage– separates handler from element

Event Handler Return Values

• return false to prevent default action• For example, form validation.

Event Handlers and this

• handler is a method of the element that generated the event.

button.onclick = o.mymethod;

• Inside mymethod, ‘this’ refers to button, not to o.• You can do this:button.onclick = function() {o.mymethod();}

Javascript & forms• Every form element has a name attribute used

for form submission:<input type=“text” name=“lastname” …/>

• <form> also has a name attribute– Not used for form submission– But can be used with javascript<form name=“studentform” …>

can be accessed likedocument.studentform

and the fields can be accessed likedocument.studentform.lastname

Form element properties

• type (read-only)• form (read-only)• name (read-only)• value (read/write)

– string sent to server when form is submitted.– text, textarea: text entered by user– radio, checkbox:

• value not seen by user• a string set in html

Ajax

• Using XMLHttpRequest– create XMLHttpRequest object– specify and submit HTTP request to server– (usually) asynchronously retrieve response

Creating a request object// This is a list of XMLHttpRequest creation

factory functions to tryHTTP._factories = [

function() { return new XMLHttpRequest(); },function() { return new

ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP"); },function() { return new

ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); }];

// When we find a factory that works, store it hereHTTP._factory = null;

// Create and return a new XMLHttpRequest object.// // The first time we're called, try the list of factory functions until// we find one that returns a nonnull value and does not throw an// exception. Once we find a working factory, remember it for later use.//HTTP.newRequest = function() {

if (HTTP._factory != null) return HTTP._factory();

for(var i = 0; i < HTTP._factories.length; i++) {try {

var factory = HTTP._factories[i];var request = factory();if (request != null) {

HTTP._factory = factory;return request;

}}catch(e) {

continue;}

}

// If we get here, none of the factory candidates succeeded,// so throw an exception now and for all future calls.HTTP._factory = function() {

throw new Error("XMLHttpRequest not supported");}HTTP._factory(); // Throw an error

}

Sending/Handling async responsefunction makerequest() {

var request = HTTP.newRequest();

request.onreadystatechange = function() {

if (request.readyState == 4) { // if request is finished

if (request.status == 200) { // if it was successful

alert(request.responseText);}

}}

request.open("GET", 'getcountries');

request.send(null);}

Using Ajax from html:

<h2 onclick="makerequest()">Simple Ajax</h2>

Javascript Libraries

• Prototype - http://www.prototypejs.org/• script.aculo.us

Prototype: Ajax.Updater• In the layout:<%= javascript_include_tag :defaults %><%= stylesheet_link_tag "ajaxtest" %>• javascript:<script type="text/javascript">//<![CDATA[

function makerequest() {new Ajax.Updater('cresult','getcountries',

{ method: 'get', parameters: {name: $('name').value} });

return false; // don’t submit the form!}//]]></script>

Prototype: Ajax.Updater

• HTML:<h2>Prototype Ajax Example</h2><form action="#" onsubmit="return makerequest()" ><input type="text" name="name" id="name" /><input type="submit"></form><div id="cresult"></div>

Prototype: Ajax.Updater• getcountries.rhtml<ul><% @countries.each do |c| %>

<li><%= c.name %></li><% end %>

</ul>

• getcountries in controllerdef getcountries

name = params['name'] || 'G';@countries = Country.find(:all, :conditions =>

["name ilike ?", name+'%'])

render :layout => falseend

script.aculo.us autocomplete• View<%= text_field 'user', 'country' %> <br/><div id="user_country_auto_complete"

class="auto_complete"></div><%= auto_complete_field :user_country,

:url=>{:action=>'autocomplete_countries'} %>

• autocomplete_countries.rhtml<ul class="autocomplete_list"><% @countries.each do |c| %><li class="autocomplete_item"><%= c.name %></li><% end %></ul>

script.aculo.us autocomplete

• controller code for autocompletedef autocomplete_countries

@countries = Country.find(:all, :conditions =>

["name ilike ?", params[:user][:country]+'%'])

render :layout => false end