Simple Function - but doesn't work!

**Lee** · Jul 23 '05, 11:20 AM

Re: Simple Function - but doesn't work!

J. Hall said:[color=blue]
>
>Hi dudes,
>
>Got a simple webpage, with three numeric text input boxes, the idea being
>that the user is asked to insert percentages of their business around the
>world...
>
>UK, Europe, Other
>
>Obviously this mustn't exceed 100% and so I OnChange I simply want to check
>that all three boxes have a value, and if so sum them up and alert the user
>is the sum exceeds 100!
>
>I have constructed the function below that WORKS but ONLY IF I remove the
>underscores from the Form Name and Input Boxes!? I'm totally confused by
>this, I haven't had this occurance before, and so I'm wondering if
>underscores are allowed in functions?[/color]
[color=blue]
>function Ash_CalculatePe rcentageTotal() {
> Num1 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentU K.value;
> Num2 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentE urope.value;
> Num3 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentO ther.value;
>
> alert('For debugging: ' + Num1 + ' ' + Num2 + ' ' + Num3)
>
>if (eval(Number(Nu m1)+Number(Num2 )+Number(Num3)) > 100) {
>alert('Pleas e check the percentages entered, they must add up to 100%')
> }
>}[/color]

If it works without the underscores, then my first guess
is that the actual names in your HTML form don't have
underscores, but you've neglected to show that code.

What happens when it doesn't work? What error message
do you see, or what bad result do you get?

You don't need to use eval() to sum numbers.

What happens if the sum is less than 100?

**J. Hall** · Jul 23 '05, 11:21 AM

Re: Simple Function - but doesn't work!

The underscores are in the code, the error message received is that 'the
object could not be found' for each of the three elements, or that it is
null - I can assure you the code is accurate from that point of view.

Didn't realise I didn't need Eval, thanks for that. Still very odd relating
to underscores, but I'll do some more investigation.. .

Cheers, @sh

"Lee" <REM0VElbspamtr ap@cox.net> wrote in message
news:c9kl0t02ta 4@drn.newsguy.c om...[color=blue]
> J. Hall said:[color=green]
> >
> >Hi dudes,
> >
> >Got a simple webpage, with three numeric text input boxes, the idea being
> >that the user is asked to insert percentages of their business around the
> >world...
> >
> >UK, Europe, Other
> >
> >Obviously this mustn't exceed 100% and so I OnChange I simply want to[/color][/color]
check[color=blue][color=green]
> >that all three boxes have a value, and if so sum them up and alert the[/color][/color]
user[color=blue][color=green]
> >is the sum exceeds 100!
> >
> >I have constructed the function below that WORKS but ONLY IF I remove the
> >underscores from the Form Name and Input Boxes!? I'm totally confused by
> >this, I haven't had this occurance before, and so I'm wondering if
> >underscores are allowed in functions?[/color]
>[color=green]
> >function Ash_CalculatePe rcentageTotal() {
> > Num1 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentU K.value;
> > Num2 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentE urope.value;
> > Num3 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentO ther.value;
> >
> > alert('For debugging: ' + Num1 + ' ' + Num2 + ' ' + Num3)
> >
> >if (eval(Number(Nu m1)+Number(Num2 )+Number(Num3)) > 100) {
> >alert('Pleas e check the percentages entered, they must add up to 100%')
> > }
> >}[/color]
>
> If it works without the underscores, then my first guess
> is that the actual names in your HTML form don't have
> underscores, but you've neglected to show that code.
>
> What happens when it doesn't work? What error message
> do you see, or what bad result do you get?
>
> You don't need to use eval() to sum numbers.
>
> What happens if the sum is less than 100?
>[/color]

**Richard Cornford** · Jul 23 '05, 11:21 AM

Re: Simple Function - but doesn't work!

J. Hall wrote:[color=blue]
> The underscores are in the code, the error message received
> is that 'the object could not be found' for each of the three
> elements, or that it is null - I can assure you the code is
> accurate from that point of view.[/color]

We can take your word for it that the accompanying HTML corresponds with
your property accessors, in which case you are on your own, or you can
show us the HTML so we can see if there are any obvious reasons for the
failure of your script.

As it stands we don’t know which browser is reporting these errors, 'the
object could not be found' doesn’t sound like an IE error report. We don
’t know whether the HTML is HTML or XHTML (or XHTML being interpreted as
HTML (appendix c compatibility XHTML)). We don’t know if the (X?)HTML is
valid. We don’t know whether the identifiers in the script are
referencing named form elements of IDed elements (or both). And then
there are numerous other possible factors that might be impacting on
your situation that would just take a moments visual inspection of the
HTML to identify or rule out.

Ultimately your best cause of action is to create a test case page,
stripped down to just the form and accompanying (relevant) script, that
demonstrates the problem. Posting that and allowing us to attempt to
re-produce it in the browser that you are using, and others, will be
your quickest route to understanding the problem. At least partly
because making a striped down test case page often reveals the cause of
the problem along the way (when you discover that stripping something
that seemed irrelevant out coincidentally makes the problem vanish).
[color=blue]
> Didn't realise I didn't need Eval, ...[/color]
<snip>

There are so few genuine reasons for using - eval - that it is better to
assume you don't ever need it. By the time you know enough to encounter
a situation that might call for its use you should be able to be certain
of that for yourself.

Richard.

**Alberto** · Jul 23 '05, 11:21 AM

Re: Simple Function - but doesn't work!

Try this version, using parseFloat is easier, and the function, allowing now
for arguments, is more flexible. I hope this helps

<script language="JavaS cript"></script>
</head>

<body bgcolor="#fffff f" text="#000000">
<form name="foo">
<input name="name1">
<input name="name2">
<input name="name3">
<input type="button" onClick="Ash_Ca lculatePercenta geTotal( [
document.foo.na me1, document.foo.na me2, document.foo.na me3 ] )"
value="Test">
</form>

ciao
Alberto

http://www.unitedscripters.com/

"J. Hall" <remove_this_as h@a-hall.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:1086171726 .83156@news01.e clipse.net.uk.. .[color=blue]
> Hi dudes,
>
> Got a simple webpage, with three numeric text input boxes, the idea being
> that the user is asked to insert percentages of their business around the
> world...
>
> UK, Europe, Other
>
> Obviously this mustn't exceed 100% and so I OnChange I simply want to[/color]
check[color=blue]
> that all three boxes have a value, and if so sum them up and alert the[/color]
user[color=blue]
> is the sum exceeds 100!
>
> I have constructed the function below that WORKS but ONLY IF I remove the
> underscores from the Form Name and Input Boxes!? I'm totally confused by
> this, I haven't had this occurance before, and so I'm wondering if
> underscores are allowed in functions?
>
> Finally, how do I add an IF statement before the main IF statement to[/color]
check[color=blue]
> for values in all three boxes?
>
> Many thanks!
>
> Please help!
>
> -------------------------------
>
> function Ash_CalculatePe rcentageTotal() {
> Num1 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentU K.value;
> Num2 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentE urope.value;
> Num3 = document.form_a ddnewclient.Q_T urnoverPercentO ther.value;
>
> alert('For debugging: ' + Num1 + ' ' + Num2 + ' ' + Num3)
>
> if (eval(Number(Nu m1)+Number(Num2 )+Number(Num3)) > 100) {
> alert('Please check the percentages entered, they must add up to 100%')
> }
> }
>
>
>
>
>[/color]

**J. Hall** · Jul 23 '05, 11:22 AM

Re: Simple Function - but doesn't work!

Hopefully this'll clear up a few elements...

Straight ASP page with VB script, writing in standard HTML for form elements
etc - here's the actual form itself...

This is the version that works, as soon as I ad underscores into the form
and input field names (within the body, and the function itself), it fails!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------

<form action="process _clients.asp" method="post" name="formaddne wclient">
<table width="600" height="25" border="0"
cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" >
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="middle" ><img
src="graphics/common/horizontalline_ plain.gif" width="600" height="1"></td>
</tr>
</table>
<table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0" >
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="middle"
class="MainText Body"> </td>
<td> </td>
<td class="MainText Body"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="30" align="center" valign="middle"
class="MainText Body"><img src="graphics/bullets/medium.gif" width="6"
height="6"></td>
<td width="10"><img src="spacer.gif " width="10"
height="3"></td>
<td class="MainText Body">Percentag e of estimated
turnover</td>
</tr>
</table>
<table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0" >
<tr>
<td width="30" align="center" valign="middle"
class="MainText Body"> </td>
<td width="10"><img src="spacer.gif " width="10"
height="3"></td>
<td width="125" class="MainText Body">UK
<input name="QTurnover PercentUK" type="text"
class="AddAClie ntTextInput" id="QTurnoverPe rcentUK"
onChange="javsc ript:Ash_Calcul atePercentageTo tal('formaddnew client');"
value="0" size="6" maxlength="3">
%</td>
<td width="125" class="MainText Body">Europe
<input name="QTurnover PercentEurope" type="text"
class="AddAClie ntTextInput" id="QTurnoverPe rcentEurope"
onChange="javsc ript:Ash_Calcul atePercentageTo tal('formaddnew client');"
value="0" size="6" maxlength="3">
%</td>
<td width="125" class="MainText Body">Other
<input name="QTurnover PercentOther" type="text"
class="AddAClie ntTextInput" id="QTurnoverPe rcentOther"
onChange="javsc ript:Ash_Calcul atePercentageTo tal('formaddnew client');"
value="0" size="6" maxlength="3">
%</td>
<td class="MainText Body"><img src="spacer.gif "
width="178" height="8"></td>
</tr>
</table>
<table width="600" height="25" border="0"
cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" >
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="middle" ><img
src="graphics/common/horizontalline_ plain.gif" width="600" height="1"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------

....now the function itself

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------

function Ash_SubmitForm( TheFormName) {
eval('document. '+TheFormName+' .submit();')
}

function Ash_CalculatePe rcentageTotal(T heForm) {
var Num1 = eval('document. '+TheForm+'.QTu rnoverPercentUK .value');
var Num2 = eval('document. '+TheForm+'.QTu rnoverPercentEu rope.value');
var Num3 = eval('document. '+TheForm+'.QTu rnoverPercentOt her.value');

if (Num1 > "" && Num2 > "" && Num3 > "") {

if (eval(Number(Nu m1)+Number(Num2 )+Number(Num3)) > 100) {
alert('Please check the percentages entered, they must add up to
100%\n\nIf a region is equal to 0%, please enter a 0');
}
}
}

"Richard Cornford" <richard@litote s.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c9kusd$k3s $1@sparta.btint ernet.com...[color=blue]
> J. Hall wrote:[color=green]
> > The underscores are in the code, the error message received
> > is that 'the object could not be found' for each of the three
> > elements, or that it is null - I can assure you the code is
> > accurate from that point of view.[/color]
>
> We can take your word for it that the accompanying HTML corresponds with
> your property accessors, in which case you are on your own, or you can
> show us the HTML so we can see if there are any obvious reasons for the
> failure of your script.
>
> As it stands we don't know which browser is reporting these errors, 'the
> object could not be found' doesn't sound like an IE error report. We don
> 't know whether the HTML is HTML or XHTML (or XHTML being interpreted as
> HTML (appendix c compatibility XHTML)). We don't know if the (X?)HTML is
> valid. We don't know whether the identifiers in the script are
> referencing named form elements of IDed elements (or both). And then
> there are numerous other possible factors that might be impacting on
> your situation that would just take a moments visual inspection of the
> HTML to identify or rule out.
>
> Ultimately your best cause of action is to create a test case page,
> stripped down to just the form and accompanying (relevant) script, that
> demonstrates the problem. Posting that and allowing us to attempt to
> re-produce it in the browser that you are using, and others, will be
> your quickest route to understanding the problem. At least partly
> because making a striped down test case page often reveals the cause of
> the problem along the way (when you discover that stripping something
> that seemed irrelevant out coincidentally makes the problem vanish).
>[color=green]
> > Didn't realise I didn't need Eval, ...[/color]
> <snip>
>
> There are so few genuine reasons for using - eval - that it is better to
> assume you don't ever need it. By the time you know enough to encounter
> a situation that might call for its use you should be able to be certain
> of that for yourself.
>
> Richard.
>
>[/color]

**Richard Cornford** · Jul 23 '05, 11:22 AM

Re: Simple Function - but doesn't work!

J. Hall wrote:[color=blue]
> Hopefully this'll clear up a few elements...
>
> Straight ASP page with VB script, writing in standard HTML for form
> elements etc - here's the actual form itself...
>
> This is the version that works, as soon as I ad underscores into the
> form and input field names (within the body, and the function
> itself), it fails!![/color]

So I propose you create a test case page that demonstrates the problem
in isolation and you respond by posting code that doesn't exhibit the
problem, but does include a mass of irrelevant noise.
[color=blue]
> <form action="process _clients.asp" method="post"
> name="formaddne wclient">
> <table width="600" height="25" border="0"
> cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" >[/color]
....[color=blue]
> </table>
> <table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="0"
> cellpadding="0" >[/color]
....[color=blue]
> </table>
> <table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="0"
> cellpadding="0" >[/color]
....[color=blue]
> </table>
> <table width="600" height="25" border="0"
> cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" >[/color]
....[color=blue]
> </table>
> </form>[/color]

You badly need to learn HTML and CSS. This code is really bloated for
what it is. Just removing the obvious redundancies will half its size,
knowing how to author and style HTML would reduce the total by about a
factor of 20.

Bloated HTML has obvious consequences for the user's download time,
server load and bandwidth consumption. Those may not be considered
significant (at least by those that think everyone (at least everyone
that matters) is on broadband), but as soon as a web site goes beyond
the machine (Dreamweaver) generation of HTML and starts employing people
to manipulate that HTML (sever or client-side) unnecessary code bloat
starts to impact on development costs. Because the more HTML there is
the longer it takes to find anything in that HTML. Maybe often just
fractions of a second longer but it adds up, and it adds up at expensive
software developer hourly rates.

There is also an increasing tendency to attempt to use HTTP request
objects to avoid re-loading web pages, with their consequential
javascript dependencies, limited browser support and increased
complexity. I often wonder to what extent this trend is motivated by
HTML that has become so bloated that an ordinary HTTP request followed
by loading a page from the server has become so slow as to motivate its
authors to look for an alternative. Solving the wrong problem, when
authoring efficient HTML would have avoided the problem manifesting
itself in the first place.
[color=blue]
> function Ash_SubmitForm( TheFormName) {[/color]

I found no evidence that of this function being called at any point. As
it is the only way that the form can be submitted I am forced to
question you assertion that this code "works".
[color=blue]
> eval('document. '+TheFormName+' .submit();')[/color]

When I said that it was best to assume that you never need to use -
eval - I meant it. Using - eval - to execute dynamically constructed dot
notation property accessors is always unnecessary as javascript offers
bracket notation property accessors as an alternative, and they
facilitate the dynamic construction of property names:-

document[TheFormName].submit();
[color=blue]
> }
>
> function Ash_CalculatePe rcentageTotal(T heForm) {
> var Num1 = eval('document. '+TheForm+'.QTu rnoverPercentUK .value');[/color]

var Num1 = document[+TheForm].QTurnoverPerce ntUK.value;
[color=blue]
> var Num2 = eval('document. '+TheForm+'.QTu rnoverPercentEu rope.value');[/color]

var Num2 = document[TheForm].QTurnoverPerce ntEurope.value;
[color=blue]
> var Num3 = eval('document. '+TheForm+'.QTu rnoverPercentOt her.value');[/color]

var Num3 =document[TheForm].QTurnoverPerce ntOther.value;
[color=blue]
> if (Num1 > "" && Num2 > "" && Num3 > "") {
>
> if (eval(Number(Nu m1)+Number(Num2 )+Number(Num3)) > 100) {[/color]

if ((Number(Num1)+ Number(Num2)+ Number(Num3)) > 100) {

- or:-

if (((+Num1)+(+Num 2)+(+Num3)) > 100) {

(Additional checks are required in this testing as a user entering
non-numeric data will result in that field being converted to NaN and so
the sum will be NaN and NaN is never > 100 (or < 100))
[color=blue]
> alert('Please check the percentages entered, they must add up to
> 100%\n\nIf a region is equal to 0%, please enter a 0');
> }
> }
> }[/color]

<URL: http://jibbering.com/faq/#FAQ4_39 >

One of the factors (though a relatively minor one) that motivates people
to recommend against using - eval - is that it re-locates and conceals
error producing code.

The underscore character is allowed in any location within a javascript
identifier and dot notation property accessors only require that valid
identifiers are used (bracket notation is not so restrictive). There is
nothing here that would suggest a reason why the code that you are not
showing us is not working.

On the other hand, I wonder about the logic of the process and the form.
You are asking for percentages of turnover originating in the UK, Europe
and Other, and insisting that those percentages add up to 100%. However,
those three groups cover everywhere, so why can't the user fill in
Europe and UK figures and leave your (server-side) code to work out that
Other must be whatever is left when UK and Europe is subtracted from
100%. The form would be easier to fill in and you would get exactly the
same information from it.
[color=blue]
> "Richard Cornford" <richard@litote s.demon.co.uk> wrote ...[/color]
<sniped verbatim quote of preceding message>

Please do not top-post to comp.lang.javas cript. If you don't want people
to help you it would be simple to not post at all.

Richard.

**Dr John Stockton** · Jul 23 '05, 11:23 AM

Re: Simple Function - but doesn't work!

JRS: In article <c9nfvb$fsv$1$8 302bc10@news.de mon.co.uk>, seen in
news:comp.lang. javascript, Richard Cornford
<Richard@litote s.demon.co.uk> posted at Thu, 3 Jun 2004 16:26:34 :[color=blue]
>
>if (((+Num1)+(+Num 2)+(+Num3)) > 100) {
>
>(Additional checks are required in this testing as a user entering
>non-numeric data will result in that field being converted to NaN and so
>the sum will be NaN and NaN is never > 100 (or < 100))[/color]

No, not additional. Either of the following should suffice :

if ( ! (((+Num1)+(+Num 2)+(+Num3)) <= 100) ) {
if ( ! ( +Num1 + +Num2 + +Num3 <= 100) ) {

Consider them as if not right then ...

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon. co.uk Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demo n.co.uk/> TP/BP/Delphi/&c., FAQqy topics & links;
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demo n.co.uk/clpb-faq.txt> RAH Prins : c.l.p.b mFAQ;
<URL:ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tsfaqp.zip> Timo Salmi's Turbo Pascal FAQ.

Simple Function - but doesn't work!

Simple Function - but doesn't work!

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