PM script...

[Andrea]

So, I am attempting to teach myself javascript. It's not working too well.

Anyway, this doesn't work, obviously, so I'm wondering if it's a simple change or a major redo is necessary... (I was looking at other PM codes to get an idea for this)

<script>
/*
TPBS PM
*/
var user = pb_displayname
var guestMessage = "<a href="http://top-pb-sites.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=login"><img src="http://i50.tinypic.com/nqodx1.png" border="0"></a>
var pmNew = = '<a href="http://top-pb-sites.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=pm"><img src="http://i49.tinypic.com/1fxw9d.png" border="0"></a>'
var memberMessage = '<a href="http://top-pb-sites.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=pm"><img src="http://i48.tinypic.com/etwojo.png" border="0"></a>'
pmCell.innerHTML = memberMessage
if(get[3].innerHTML.match(/Guest/i)){
pmCell.innerHTML = '<center>'+guestMessage+'</center>'
}
</script>

[Jordan]

<script>
/*
TPBS PM
*/
var user = pb_displayname;
var guestMessage = '<a href="http://top-pb-sites.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=login"><img src="http://i50.tinypic.com/nqodx1.png" border="0"></a>';
var pmNew = '<a href="http://top-pb-sites.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=pm"><img src="http://i49.tinypic.com/1fxw9d.png" border="0"></a>';
var memberMessage = '<a href="http://top-pb-sites.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=pm"><img src="http://i48.tinypic.com/etwojo.png" border="0"></a>';
pmCell.innerHTML = memberMessage;
if(get[3].innerHTML.match(/Guest/i)){
pmCell.innerHTML = '<center>'+guestMessage+'</center>';
}
</script>

The first line is unnecessary because you are just copying a variable that isn't going to change.

You also have some incorrect syntax on the third line (= =), and you are missing the semi-colons which mark the end of a line.

Also, pmCell and get are not declared anywhere, so the JS engine doesn't know what they represent. You need to use the document.getElementsByTagName() function to grab the element you want to insert the data into.

[Bennett 🚀]

And you should always start with
<script type="text/javascript"><!--

and end with
//--></script>



EDIT: And you aren't using the variable user yet, just so you know

[Michael]

Jun 22, 2010 16:51:24 GMT -8 Bennett 🚀 said:

And you should always start with
<script type="text/javascript"><!--

and end with
//--></script>



EDIT: And you aren't using the variable user yet, just so you know

You don't have to ... the simple:
<script></script> tags suffice!

[SubDevo]

Of course you don't have to do it... lol
It is just good practice to do that. Keeps those older browsers happy...
And it certainly doesn't hurt to start and end that way either.

[Bob]

Jun 22, 2010 16:51:24 GMT -8 Bennett 🚀 said:

And you should always start with
<script type="text/javascript"><!--

and end with
//--></script>



EDIT: And you aren't using the variable user yet, just so you know

There really is absolutely no reason to comment scripts out any longer. The oldest brower still in common use is IE6, which handles JavaScript properly as it is. The only commenting that should be taking place (excluding the script's comments) is designating CDATA (character data that isn't markup). For example:

<script type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[

alert ("Hello world!");

// ]]>
</script>

<style type="text/css">
/* <![CDATA[ */

body
{
  background-color: #000;
}

/* ]]> */
</style>

But the common "<!-- //-->" inside scripts is outdated.

[Michael]

Jun 23, 2010 15:01:50 GMT -8 Bob said:

Jun 22, 2010 16:51:24 GMT -8 Bennett 🚀 said:

And you should always start with
<script type="text/javascript"><!--

and end with
//--></script>



EDIT: And you aren't using the variable user yet, just so you know

There really is absolutely no reason to comment scripts out any longer. The oldest brower still in common use is IE6, which handles JavaScript properly as it is. The only commenting that should be taking place (excluding the script's comments) is designating CDATA (character data that isn't markup). For example:

<script type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[

alert ("Hello world!");

// ]]>
</script>

<style type="text/css">
/* <![CDATA[ */

body
{
  background-color: #000;
}

/* ]]> */
</style>

But the common "<!-- //-->" inside scripts is outdated.

Isn't that only neede in some cases though? Not all? Depends on the character encoding doesn't it? Orrr is it the DocType? *shrugs*

[SubDevo]

I tend to err on the side of caution. I will still include "<!-- //-->" in all my scripts...

[Bob]

Jun 24, 2010 2:32:52 GMT -8 SubDevo said:

I tend to err on the side of caution. I will still include "<!-- //-->" in all my scripts...

And I'm sure the zero people using the likes of IE1 and IE2 appreciate your kindness. However instead of catering to them maybe you should begin screwing them over. Perhaps they'll get the memo that their browser from 1995 doesn't cut it anymore.

In the mean time however your comments may very well end up affecting modern/future browsers. Strictly adhering to W3C standards, browsers are allowed to remove the contents of comments inside XML documents. And while this isn't the common practice right now, what's to say a future release of Firefox or IE won't take the W3C up on the chance to render less code?

Jun 24, 2010 2:26:42 GMT -8 Michael said:

Jun 23, 2010 15:01:50 GMT -8 Bob said:

Isn't that only neede in some cases though? Not all? Depends on the character encoding doesn't it? Orrr is it the DocType? *shrugs*

Well I can tell you that you'd want to declare your script as CDATA in any XML documents (so XHTML) but I'm not 100% certain where HTML stands. SGML (what both HTML and XML are based off of) recognizes character data, so I suppose it may be proper to include the definition within HTML documents as well. Which makes sense when you think about it: character data is simply a portion of the code that is to not be rendered by the DOM. It can actually be used anywhere in the document to make sure the contents within it don't end up parsed.

[Charles Stover]

CDATA is for XHTML. I haven't heard of using it in <style>, though. Just JS. Makes sense that you'd use it in CSS too; I just haven't heard of that.

[Bennett 🚀]

Whenever I use <!-- //--> in CSS, it breaks the coding x.x

[Jordan]

Jun 24, 2010 14:26:26 GMT -8 Bennett 🚀 said:

Whenever I use <!-- //--> in CSS, it breaks the coding x.x

That's because you're not supposed to include // in CSS.

<!--
-->

[Bennett 🚀]

Lol, no wonder. I was thinking that was kind of fishy..

[Charles Stover]

CSS doesn't support single-line comments, hence // breaks it.

I'd still like if someone could expand upon using CDATA in CSS. >_<

[Bob]

Jun 28, 2010 21:18:24 GMT -8 Charles Stover said:

CSS doesn't support single-line comments, hence // breaks it.

I'd still like if someone could expand upon using CDATA in CSS. >_<

The same reason you use it on scripts: to declare the content as inconsequential to the DOM. CSS isn't markup thus it shouldn't sit in an SGML/XML document as such. Declaring the content of the stylesheet as character data does just that.