eval() problem for dynamic object referencing

[Simon]

Am using the following code.

<script language="JavaScript1.2">

function setquantity(productindex,productquantity)
{
//create the reference object
irefname_none = eval("document." + productindex + "none");

<snip>

and set quantity is called as follows further on in the HTML

<snip>

<td><img style="filter:alpha(opacity=20);-moz-opacity:0.2"
name="1_none" src="none.gif" onclick="setquantity('1','none')" /></td>

<snip>

when I run this, the javascript console shows me an error as follows

Error Missing ; before statement
Line 9
document.1none

Line 9 is the eval line. As a test, if I remove the productindex from
the eval statement it works fine, so doesn't seem to like
productindex, despite a string being passed.

Any suggestions appreciated. Testing and developing this on Mozilla
1.2.1, Linux

Regards
Simon

 

[Lee]

Simon said:

Am using the following code.

<script language="JavaScript1.2">

function setquantity(productindex,productquantity)
{
//create the reference object
irefname_none = eval("document." + productindex + "none");

This is one reason why you should never use eval() for
dynamic object referencing. Others include the fact
that it is very inefficient.

If you're referencing images, you could use:

irefname_none=document.images[productindex+"none"];

but the more general solution would be to use an ID
instead of NAME attribute, and use:

irefname_none=document.getElementById(productindex+"none");

 

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen]

(e-mail address removed) (Simon) writes:

Yes, using eval for dynamic object referencing *is* a problem, so
don't do it!

Am using the following code.

<script language="JavaScript1.2">

In HTML 4, the type attribute is required. The following is the correct,
sufficient and recommended script start tag:

<script type="text/javascript">

Are you aware of the differences between Javascript versions 1.2 and
1.3 and which browsers change behavior (to the deprecated 1.2
behavior) because of your language attribute?

I know the differences, but not which browsers honors the version
number in the language attribute and implements 1.2 behavior.
You most likely don't want to use Javascript 1.2.

function setquantity(productindex,productquantity)
{
//create the reference object
irefname_none = eval("document." + productindex + "none");

irefnam_none = document[productindex+"none"];

No eval, no problem.
Are you sure the object you are looking for is a property of the
document object, and that it has a name like "1none"?

Your problem is probably that you use the dot-notation with a property
name that is not a legal identifier. I.e.,
document.1none
is illegal since "1none" is not a legal identifer name. You must use
document["1none"]
for that kind of property names.

You probably mean to use
irefname_none = document.getElementById(productindex+"_none"):
instead.

and set quantity is called as follows further on in the HTML

<snip>

<td><img style="filter:alpha(opacity=20);-moz-opacity:0.2"
name="1_none" src="none.gif" onclick="setquantity('1','none')" /></td>

This call to setquantity would make
irefname_none = document["1none"]
If you want to refer to this image itself, a better line would be

irefname_none = document.images[productindex+"_none"];
Or better yet, just send the element itself as an argument:
onclick="setquantity(this,'none')"
Then you have the image element readily available as the first argument,
and you don't need to go through

when I run this, the javascript console shows me an error as follows

Error Missing ; before statement
Line 9
document.1none

Yes, a property called "1none" is not accessible using the dot-notation,
you must use square brackets.

Any suggestions appreciated. Testing and developing this on Mozilla
1.2.1, Linux

Drop eval completely. Use names that start with a letter instead of a
number. Use W3C DOM functions or collections to access elements
(document.getElementById or document.images).

/L