Automatic tag variables in IE

[acw]

I am trying to understand how IE handles automatic tag variables.

I know that IE will create a global variable each time it finds a tag
with its name or id attribute set. If you have more than one tag with
the same name or id (yes this is bad) on a page then that global
variable goes from being a tag reference to being a collection of
references.

In most cases if you remove the duplicate tag the global var becomes a
tag reference again. Other times it remains a collection but with only
one element.

Getting completely away from using the automatic variables is not an
option. So, I am trying to understand how the variables are handled by
IE. Does anyone know what determines whether the global variable is
reverted to a tag reference or left as a collection when the duplicate
tags are removed from the page?
================================================== ==========

For example, if we start with
..
<div id="container1"></div>
<div id="container2"></div>
..

then do ...

..
container1.innerHTML = "<span id='sometext'>some text</span>"
....
container2.innerHTML = "<span id='sometext'>some more text</span>"
..

The global var sometext is a collection with two elements.
If we do the following
container2.innerHTML = ""
The global var sometext is usually pointing to the first span. Other
times is a collection and sometext[0] points to the first span.


TIA!

[Jonathan N. Little]

acw wrote:

I am trying to understand how IE handles automatic tag variables.

I know that IE will create a global variable each time it finds a tag
with its name or id attribute set. If you have more than one tag with
the same name or id (yes this is bad) on a page then that global
variable goes from being a tag reference to being a collection of
references.

In most cases if you remove the duplicate tag the global var becomes a
tag reference again. Other times it remains a collection but with only
one element.

Getting completely away from using the automatic variables is not an
option. So, I am trying to understand how the variables are handled by
IE. Does anyone know what determines whether the global variable is
reverted to a tag reference or left as a collection when the duplicate
tags are removed from the page?
================================================== ==========

For example, if we start with
.
<div id="container1"></div>
<div id="container2"></div>
.

then do ...

.
container1.innerHTML = "<span id='sometext'>some text</span>"
...
container2.innerHTML = "<span id='sometext'>some more text</span>"
.

The global var sometext is a collection with two elements.
If we do the following
container2.innerHTML = ""
The global var sometext is usually pointing to the first span. Other
times is a collection and sometext[0] points to the first span.

The flaw is in a document all IDs must be unique, and IDs cannot be
arrays...
--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

[acw]

Jonathan,

Thanks for the response.

Yes ids do need to be unique. In this case that are not and, because
of the nature of the project, I am not in a position to make them
unique.
I am really just wanting to understand how IE handles the automatic
vars.
TIA


On Jul 2, 1:25*pm, "Jonathan N. Little" <[e-mail]:

acw wrote:

I am trying to understand how IE handles automatic tag variables.

I know that IE will create a global variable each time it finds a tag
with its name or id attribute set. If you have more than one tag with
the same name or id (yes this is bad) on a page then that global
variable goes from being a tag reference to being a collection of
references.

In most cases if you remove the duplicate tag the global var becomes a
tag reference again. Other times it remains a collection but with only
one element.

Getting completely away from using the automatic variables is not an
option. So, I am trying to understand how the variables are handled by
IE. Does anyone know what determines whether the global variable is
reverted to a tag reference or left as a collection when the duplicate
tags are removed from the page?

================================================== ==========

For example, if we start with
.
<div id="container1"></div>
<div id="container2"></div>
.

then do ...

.
container1.innerHTML = "<span id='sometext'>some text</span>"
...
container2.innerHTML = "<span id='sometext'>some more text</span>"
.

The global var sometext is a collection with two elements.

If we do the following

container2.innerHTML = ""

The global var sometext is usually pointing to the first span. Other
times is a collection and sometext[0] points to the first span.

The flaw is in a document all IDs must be unique, and IDs cannot be
arrays...

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIOhttp://www.LittleWorksStudio.com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

[Bergamot]

acw wrote:

I am trying to understand how IE handles automatic tag variables.

I suggest asking Microsoft how their browser works because I doubt very
many people here know or care. The IE groups are over at
microsoft.public.<something about IE>

--
Berg

[Jonathan N. Little]

acw wrote:

Jonathan,

Thanks for the response.

Yes ids do need to be unique. In this case that are not and, because
of the nature of the project, I am not in a position to make them
unique.

Well that make the document invalid, then who knows? Computers like
"Yes|No", when you throw "Maybe" at them then it is up how well of an
exception handler you got...

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com