Create Global Var in Function

[Andrew V. Romero]

I have been working on a function which makes it easier for me to pull
variables from the URL. So far I have:
<script language="JavaScript">

var variablesInUrl;
var vArray = new Array();

function loadUrlVariables()
{
varString = location.search;
//removes ? from varString
varString = varString.substring(1,varString.length);
//split into array containing variable=value
variableArray = varString.split('&');
variablesInUrl = variableArray.length-1

for (i=0; i<= variablesInUrl ; i++)
{
temp = variableArray[i].split("=");
vArray[i] = new Array();
vArray[i][0] = temp[0];
vArray[i][1] = temp[1];
}
}

//function returns variable's value
function getValue(varName)
{
for (i=0; i<=variablesInUrl; i++)
{
if (vArray[i][0] == varName)
return vArray[i][1]
}
alert ("Variable: "+varName+" was not found.")
}

loadUrlVariables()

//get value of a variable named step
alert( getValue("weight") )

</script>

This works but in order to get the value of the variable, I have to use
the getValue function. What I would really like is for the
loadUrlVariables function to create global variables out of the
variables present in the URL. This way I could just access them
normally (i.e. alert(weight) would display the value in the variable
weight). I was reading some and tried a test. Inside of the
loadUrlVariables I put
var testGlobal = document.body
testGlobal = "Am I a Global Variable"

then after my other alert, I did alert(testGlobal), but I got an
testGlobal is undefined error. So how do I make a global variable from
inside a function?

On an unrelated note:
In javascript, after each line are you suppose to put a ;? I see some
scripts that have a semi colon after each line and some that don't. I
haven't notice that it makes any different, but am wondering what the
technically right way is to do it?

Thanks,
Andrew V. Romero

[Andrew V. Romero]

I should have mentioned that I would like the function to create global
variables out of each variable in the URL automatically. So I want
vArray[i][0] to be the name of the first global variable and
vArray[i][1] to be its value, etc. Let's pretend I don't know the names
of the variables before hand (i.e. I can not just say
weight=vArray[i][1]. I am aware of the possible naming conflicts that
may arise due to this.

Thanks,
Andrew V. Romero

Andrew V. Romero wrote:

I have been working on a function which makes it easier for me to pull
variables from the URL. So far I have:
<script language="JavaScript">

var variablesInUrl;
var vArray = new Array();

function loadUrlVariables()
{
varString = location.search;
//removes ? from varString
varString = varString.substring(1,varString.length);
//split into array containing variable=value
variableArray = varString.split('&');
variablesInUrl = variableArray.length-1

for (i=0; i<= variablesInUrl ; i++)
{
temp = variableArray[i].split("=");
vArray[i] = new Array();
vArray[i][0] = temp[0];
vArray[i][1] = temp[1];
}
}

//function returns variable's value
function getValue(varName)
{
for (i=0; i<=variablesInUrl; i++)
{
if (vArray[i][0] == varName)
return vArray[i][1]
}
alert ("Variable: "+varName+" was not found.")
}

loadUrlVariables()

//get value of a variable named step
alert( getValue("weight") )

</script>

This works but in order to get the value of the variable, I have to use
the getValue function. What I would really like is for the
loadUrlVariables function to create global variables out of the
variables present in the URL. This way I could just access them
normally (i.e. alert(weight) would display the value in the variable
weight). I was reading some and tried a test. Inside of the
loadUrlVariables I put
var testGlobal = document.body
testGlobal = "Am I a Global Variable"

then after my other alert, I did alert(testGlobal), but I got an
testGlobal is undefined error. So how do I make a global variable from
inside a function?

On an unrelated note:
In javascript, after each line are you suppose to put a ;? I see
some scripts that have a semi colon after each line and some that
don't. I haven't notice that it makes any different, but am wondering
what the technically right way is to do it?

Thanks,
Andrew V. Romero

[kaeli]

In article <3F**************@icqmail.com>, rr*******@icqmail.com
enlightened us with...

I have been working on a function which makes it easier for me to pull
variables from the URL. So far I have:

Use this technique. It's easier to get them when you want them.

var paramArray = new Array();

function getParams()
{
// split the query string into param=val pieces
var qs = location.search.substr(location.search.indexOf("?" )+1);
qs = qs.split("&");
// split param and value into individual pieces
for (var i=0; i<qs.length; i++)
{
tmp = qs[i].split("=");
paramArray[tmp[0]] = tmp[1];
}
}

Now you can just do paramArray["myParam"] to get the value of myParam.
See example here.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpa..._parseUrl.html

--
-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
There is no justification or rationalization
for mutilation. Ban declawing as inhumane.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen]

"Andrew V. Romero" <rr*******@icqmail.com> writes:

I have been working on a function which makes it easier for me to pull
variables from the URL. So far I have:

<script language="JavaScript">
<script type="text/javascript">

In HTML 4, the language attribute is deprecated, and the type
attribute is mandatory
variablesInUrl = variableArray.length-1
bad naming, since there are "variableArray.length" variables in the URL,
not one less.

.... This works but in order to get the value of the variable, I have to
use the getValue function. What I would really like is for the
loadUrlVariables function to create global variables out of the
variables present in the URL.
Don't do that. Creating global variables gives too big a chance of
overwriting something important (e.g., if one of the variables
was called "window" or "document", then you would be in trouble).
This way I could just access them
normally (i.e. alert(weight) would display the value in the variable
weight). I was reading some and tried a test. Inside of the
loadUrlVariables I put

var testGlobal = document.body
"var" declares a local variable if used inside a function. It declares
a global variable if used outside of a function.
testGlobal = "Am I a Global Variable"

then after my other alert, I did alert(testGlobal), but I got an
testGlobal is undefined error. So how do I make a global variable
from inside a function?
You don't write "var" in front.

If you just write:

foo = 42;

and "foo" is not declared as a local variable, then it will be created
as a global variable.

You can also create global variables as properties of the global object.
The global variable "window" is a reference to the global object, so writing

window["foo"] = 42;

will also create a global variable called "foo".
Still, I suggest that you create just one global variable and use
the to store the rest:

---

var variables={}; // global variable referencing empty object
function loadURLVariables() {
var searchPairs = location.search.substring(1).split("&");
for (var i in searchPairs) {
var pair = searchPairs[i].split("=");
variables[pair[0]]=unescape(pair[1].replace(/\+/g," "));
/* if this is the result of a form action */
}
}

---

Then you can run "loadURLVariables()" and afterwards, you can refer to the
variables as

variables.foo

or

variables["foo"]

without clobbering the global scope with too many variables.
On an unrelated note:
In javascript, after each line are you suppose to put a ;? I
see some scripts that have a semi colon after each line and
some that don't. I haven't notice that it makes any
different, but am wondering what the technically right way is
to do it?

Each statement ends in a semicolon, but in some cases the semicolon can
be omitted and is then automatically inserted by the Javascript parser.
That is called "semicolon insertion". In other cases, omitting the
semicolon gives an error.

In practice, it is much simpler *and safer* not to worry about it, and
*always* end ones statements with a semicolon, and not let statements
spanning more than one line have lines ending where a semicolon would
make sense.

/L
--
Lasse Reichstein Nielsen - lr*@hotpop.com
Art D'HTML: <URL:http://www.infimum.dk/HTML/randomArtSplit.html>
'Faith without judgement merely degrades the spirit divine.'

[Andrew V. Romero]

Thanks everyone for the comments, they have really helped get me over
this hurdle in Javascript.

Lasse Reichstein Nielsen wrote:

"Andrew V. Romero" <rr*******@icqmail.com> writes:

I have been working on a function which makes it easier for me to pull
variables from the URL. So far I have:

<script language="JavaScript">

<script type="text/javascript">

In HTML 4, the language attribute is deprecated, and the type
attribute is mandatory

variablesInUrl = variableArray.length-1

bad naming, since there are "variableArray.length" variables in the URL,
not one less.

...

This works but in order to get the value of the variable, I have to
use the getValue function. What I would really like is for the
loadUrlVariables function to create global variables out of the
variables present in the URL.

Don't do that. Creating global variables gives too big a chance of
overwriting something important (e.g., if one of the variables
was called "window" or "document", then you would be in trouble).

This way I could just access them
normally (i.e. alert(weight) would display the value in the variable
weight). I was reading some and tried a test. Inside of the
loadUrlVariables I put

var testGlobal = document.body

"var" declares a local variable if used inside a function. It declares
a global variable if used outside of a function.

testGlobal = "Am I a Global Variable"

then after my other alert, I did alert(testGlobal), but I got an
testGlobal is undefined error. So how do I make a global variable
from inside a function?

You don't write "var" in front.

If you just write:

foo = 42;

and "foo" is not declared as a local variable, then it will be created
as a global variable.

You can also create global variables as properties of the global object.
The global variable "window" is a reference to the global object, so writing

window["foo"] = 42;

will also create a global variable called "foo".
Still, I suggest that you create just one global variable and use
the to store the rest:

---

var variables={}; // global variable referencing empty object
function loadURLVariables() {
var searchPairs = location.search.substring(1).split("&");
for (var i in searchPairs) {
var pair = searchPairs[i].split("=");
variables[pair[0]]=unescape(pair[1].replace(/\+/g," "));
/* if this is the result of a form action */
}
}

---

Then you can run "loadURLVariables()" and afterwards, you can refer to the
variables as

variables.foo

or

variables["foo"]

without clobbering the global scope with too many variables.

On an unrelated note:
In javascript, after each line are you suppose to put a ;? I
see some scripts that have a semi colon after each line and
some that don't. I haven't notice that it makes any
different, but am wondering what the technically right way is
to do it?

Each statement ends in a semicolon, but in some cases the semicolon can
be omitted and is then automatically inserted by the Javascript parser.
That is called "semicolon insertion". In other cases, omitting the
semicolon gives an error.

In practice, it is much simpler *and safer* not to worry about it, and
*always* end ones statements with a semicolon, and not let statements
spanning more than one line have lines ending where a semicolon would
make sense.

/L