Function is not defined .... but it is... (JS error / FF1.5)

[HaiDozo]

Hi,

I get a wierd javascript error in FF1.5.

It says a function is not defined even tho it is (code below).
This is a GreaseMonkey script.

Basically it's:
--
function abc(){

i++; //what ever here
setTimeout("abc()", 10000);

}
abc();
--

After 10 seconds I get "abc is not defined" error message.

Code: Select all

var obj;
   var bDidfind = false;
   var alist = new Array();
   var lPos = 0;
   var lAmount = 0;
   var i = 0;

   function SCX_Init(){
      i = 0;
      obj = document.getElementsByTagName('a');
      SCX_EnumLinks();
   }
   
   function SCX_EnumLinks(){
      i++;
      while(obj[i].href.indexOf("/folder/file.html") == -1){
         if (i < obj.length){
            i++;
         }else{
            if (bDidfind){
               window.location.reload();
            }else{
               setTimeout("window.location.reload()", 600000);
            }
            return;
         }
      }
      obj[i].target = "sametarget";
      e = document.createEvent("MouseEvents");
      e.initEvent("click", true, false);
      obj[i].dispatchEvent(e);
      
      setTimeout("SCX_EnumLinks()", 25000);
   }
   
   SCX_Init();

After 25 seconds I get an error saying SCX_EnumLinks is not defined, clearly it is defined as it was in there making the setTimeout().

Is this one of those "mysterious" errors or did I miss something?

Thanks!

[HaiDozo]

I was reading the GreaseMonkey Docs and found out that all functions and variables dissappear after the script finishes. It say you should do:

window.abc = function(){...}

to make the function stick.
I did this but I still get the same error, what should I do?

[jqp]

this works for me:

Code: Select all

unsafeWindow.abc = function() {
  alert("yes");
  setTimeout("window.abc()", 2000);
}
unsafeWindow.abc();

See the GM docs on the unsafeWindow object, which can explain it better than I.

[HaiDozo]

Ahh! Sweet, it works!
Thank you jqp!

[HaiDozo]

Oh another question:
In Opera UserJS you can do:
obj = document.getElementById("MyAnchorLink");
obj.click();


I'm referring to the obj.click() ('obj' being an anchor node).
The .click() doesn't work in FF, and I tried to do .dispatchEvent() as I wrote in my Code above, but this doesn't work. Well it kinda clicks the link (visually on the page) but no new window with the href-URL opens.

How can I click a link within the code?

[jqp]

The click method is listed in the Gecko DOM reference, but I don't know why it doesn't work. The question has come up before, but the answer around here tends to be "don't do that".

You can ask in the Web Development forum here and probably get a better answer. (I assume you're still working on a user script and you'll probably want to mention that...)

Edit: umm... okay, this thread has either been moved or I forgot where it started... either way, it's here now.

[HaiDozo]

Ok, so .click() is a official "by the rules" thing? I was thinking maybe it's some Opera specific stuff (which I don't like, I like to program by the book).

Do I understand it correctly that it's a bug in FF1.5 that .click() doesn't work?

Is there maybe an alternative? I tried the .dispatchEvent(), as I mentioned above, but it didn't work either. Maybe it's related to the .click() bug? (if it's a bug).

Any help / discussion appreciated!
Thanks.

[HaiDozo]

Argh, I read more of the W3C Docs and it seems Anchors do not have a click() method ! :O

W3C Docu

Is this for real? An Anchor element, if any element, should have a click method, don't you agree?

[jqp]

Huh. I thought that click() was a standard method of links, but I was wrong.

The only element that has a click method is the input element, which I assume could be used to submit a form.

Code: Select all

alert(someAnchorLink.click); // undefined
alert(someInputElement.click); // function click() { ... native code ... }

Another trick to keep handy:

Code: Select all

var obj = document.getElementsByTagName("a")[0]; 
// or whatever object you want
for(var prop in obj) {
document.write(prop + ": " + obj[prop] + "<br>");
}

That gives you a quick list of properties and methods for an object.

[HaiDozo]

Thanks,
now if I could just find a way to click an anchor link...

[jhaygood86]

you can do it a roundabout way:

Code: Select all

window.location = anchor.href

but this breaks the back button, but that can be easily fixed by doing:

Code: Select all

var navigateForm = document.createElement("form");
navigateForm.method = "get";
navigateForm.action = anchor.href;
document.body.appendChild( navigateForm );
navigateForm.submit();

[jscher2000]

you can do it a roundabout way:

Code: Select all

window.location = anchor.href

but this breaks the back button, but that can be easily fixed by doing:

Hmmm, I thought you could go back after that, which is why I used window.location.replace() to overwrite the current page in history when I don't want a "back-forward" loop. I guess another workaround would be window.open?

[HaiDozo]

I'm using window.open() currently as a workaround but I don't like hacks/dirty programming. I would prefer to do it correctly and beautifully.

I quess it just is not possible to click an anchor from within javascript code. hmmm.. but isn't .dispatchEvent() (with a proper click event) supposed to work?

[jhaygood86]

I wish! Would make my job a lot easier...

[HaiDozo]

So... can I assume that .dispatchEvent() is bugged in FF1.5 and that it will work in the (hopefully near) future?