focus a window - how to

[Helmut Jarausch]

Hi,

I'm an absolute beginner with JavaScript.
Say, I am in a window which I call WinA
There I have
<script>
var WinA=self
</script>
Later on, while a different window ("WinB") is focused, I tried
<script>WinA.focus()</script>

but it doesn't give focus to the previous Window (WinA).

Are variables in JavaScript "global" or local to a given
window. ( If yes, are there global variables? )

Sorry, if this is a too dumb a question.

Many thanks for your help,
Helmut.

--
Helmut Jarausch

Lehrstuhl fuer Numerische Mathematik
RWTH - Aachen University
D 52056 Aachen, Germany

[Erwin Moller]

Helmut Jarausch wrote:

Hi,

I'm an absolute beginner with JavaScript.
Say, I am in a window which I call WinA
There I have
<script>
var WinA=self
</script>
Later on, while a different window ("WinB") is focused, I tried
<script>WinA.focus()</script>

My guess is that javascript complains that WinA is unknown?
(Check in firefox the javascriptconsole)

>
but it doesn't give focus to the previous Window (WinA).

Are variables in JavaScript "global" or local to a given
window. ( If yes, are there global variables? )

They are global to the window they live in.
The good news is that you CAN communicate between windows.
The URLs in both windows MUST be in the same domain for this to work.

example:
you only have WinB.
You open WinA from WinB, like this:

var myWinAreference =
window.open("http://www.example.com/test.html","WinA");

Now you have a variable named myWinAreference in your WinB.

You can use this myWinAreference to address WinA, eg:
myWinAreference.sayHi();
will call a function sayHi() in WinA.

or:

myWinAreference.focus();

Hope that helps.
Regards,
Erwin Moller

>
Sorry, if this is a too dumb a question.

No such thing as a dumb questions. Dumb answers however... ;-)

>
Many thanks for your help,
Helmut.

[Helmut Jarausch]

Erwin Moller wrote:

Helmut Jarausch wrote:

>Hi,

I'm an absolute beginner with JavaScript.
Say, I am in a window which I call WinA
There I have
<script>
var WinA=self
</script>
Later on, while a different window ("WinB") is focused, I tried
<script>WinA.focus()</script>

My guess is that javascript complains that WinA is unknown?
(Check in firefox the javascriptconsole)

>>
but it doesn't give focus to the previous Window (WinA).

Are variables in JavaScript "global" or local to a given
window. ( If yes, are there global variables? )

They are global to the window they live in.
The good news is that you CAN communicate between windows.
The URLs in both windows MUST be in the same domain for this to work.

example:
you only have WinB.
You open WinA from WinB, like this:

var myWinAreference =
window.open("http://www.example.com/test.html","WinA");

Now you have a variable named myWinAreference in your WinB.

You can use this myWinAreference to address WinA, eg:
myWinAreference.sayHi();
will call a function sayHi() in WinA.

or:

myWinAreference.focus();

Thanks for your help. I fear I've a more complicated situtation.

On my initial page I have
<frameset rows="60%,*">
<frame src="Quest.pih" name="Questionnaire">
<frame src="empty.html" name="help">
</frameset>
in Quest.pih <form method="post" action="Search.ks/Show" target="Results">
where there is no frame with name "Results", yet. So my browser
opens a new one. There I want a button "new question" which gives
focus to the previous page which contains the frame "Questionnaire".

So, the window opening is implicit! What can I do?

Many thanks,
Helmut.
--
Helmut Jarausch

Lehrstuhl fuer Numerische Mathematik
RWTH - Aachen University
D 52056 Aachen, Germany

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

Helmut Jarausch wrote:

in Quest.pih <form method="post" action="Search.ks/Show" target="Results">
where there is no frame with name "Results", yet. So my browser
opens a new one. There I want a button "new question" which gives
focus to the previous page which contains the frame "Questionnaire".

So, the window opening is implicit!

If it even happens.

What can I do?

For example:

<script type="text/javascript">
function submitPopup(f)
{
var w = window.open(f.action, f.target, "...");
f.submit();
return !!w;
}
</script>

<form method="post" action="Search.ks/Show" target="Results"
onsubmit="return !submitPopup(this);">

This presumes that the window name is available right after window.open()
was called; however, that operation is performed by the AOM and so
asynchronously. Using a timeout before submitting the form might be
necessary, although not entirely reliable as well.
HTH

PointedEars
--
var bugRiddenCrashPronePieceOfJunk = (
navigator.userAgent.indexOf('MSIE 5') != -1
&& navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mac') != -1
) // Plone, register_function.js:16

[Erwin Moller]

Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn wrote:

Erwin Moller wrote:

<snip>

>>Sorry, if this is a too dumb a question.

No such thing as a dumb questions. Dumb answers however... ;-)

Indeed ;-)

LOL. I really asked for that. ;-)
Thanks for correcting though.

Regards,
Erwin Moller

>
PointedEars