Element has no Properties (but will alert() properties)

[tj111]

I am using the getElementsByTagName("SPAN") to create an array of all the spans on a contact form. I am setting it up so that when the form fails validation, the span will display error text directly next to the input field to minimize confusion. I've been having problems, however, getting the span to function properly. I can get it to "alert" the span and its array key fine, however when I attempt to add content to it, I get "spans[...] has no properties" error. I have tried multiple different things, here's what I've got currently.

    var elems = form.getElementsByTagName("SPAN");
    var spans = new Array();
 
    for (var i in elems) {
        if (!elems[i].id) {
            continue;
        }
        spans[elems[i].id] = elems[i];
    }
 
    for (var k in spans) {
        alert("spans[" +k+ "] = " +spans[k]);
    }
 
 
    if (!isName(fName.value)) {
        spans[fName].innerHTML = "Please enter a valid First Name.";
        return false;
    }
 

When it alerts, it alerts like this:
"spans[fName] = [object HTMLSpanElement]";

Edit: I meant "alert" in the title, not "echo" lol
PS, new to the forum, how do I display it as "javascript" code?

[epots9]

I am using the getElementsByTagName("SPAN") to create an array of all the spans on a contact form. I am setting it up so that when the form fails validation, the span will display error text directly next to the input field to minimize confusion. I've been having problems, however, getting the span to function properly. I can get it to "alert" the span and its array key fine, however when I attempt to add content to it, I get "spans[...] has no properties" error. I have tried multiple different things, here's what I've got currently.

    var elems = form.getElementsByTagName("SPAN");
    var spans = new Array();
 
    for (var i in elems) {
        if (!elems[i].id) {
            continue;
        }
        spans[elems[i].id] = elems[i];
    }
 
    for (var k in spans) {
        alert("spans[" +k+ "] = " +spans[k]);
    }
 
 
    if (!isName(fName.value)) {
        spans[fName].innerHTML = "Please enter a valid First Name.";
        return false;
    }
 

When it alerts, it alerts like this:
"spans[fName] = [object HTMLSpanElement]";

Edit: I meant "alert" in the title, not "echo" lol
PS, new to the forum, how do I display it as "javascript" code?

the problem might be in how you move the spans from one array to another. why are u moving your data from one array to another? elems is an array (nodeList) of all your span elements. you can go through them one by one and have access to all its attributes.

to use javascript code tag:
[ code=javascript][/code] (without spaces)

[pbmods]

Heya, TJ. Welcome to TSDN!

Fixed the title for you.

On line 17 of the code you posted, did you mean this instead?

// ----------¬
spans[fName.value].innerHTML = "Please enter a valid First Name.";
 

And to nitpick, the correct syntax for line 2 is:

var spans = {};
 

(using curly braces {})

Since you're actually creating a generic object instead of an array.