Hi all, I'm probably missing something terribly simple here but I have this function:

function openFileDialogInstance (ftype, windowId)
{
	var returnId;

	function openFileDialog (ftype, windowId) 
	{
		win = new Window({id: windowId + "-openfile", className: "bluelighting", title: "Open File...", width:300, height:200, destroyOnClose: true, recenterAuto:false}); 
		win.getContent().update("Your " + ftype + " files: <br /> <div id=\"filesopenable\"></div>"); 
		win.showCenter();
	}

	function getFilesOpenable (ftype) 
	{

		var getFilesOpenableRequest = new Ajax.Request (
			"/framework/openfiledialog.php?ftype=" + ftype, {
				method: 'get',
				onComplete: outputGetFilesOpenable
			}
		);
	}

	function outputGetFilesOpenable(output)
	{
        var data = output.responseText.evalJSON();

        for(i=0;i<=data.length;i++)
        {
                      //populate links
        }
        
		//<a href=\"javascript:returnId = $files['id']\">" . $files['name'] . "</a><br />;
		//document.getElementById("filesopenable").innerHTML = responseText;
	}

	openFileDialog(ftype, windowId);
	getFilesOpenable(ftype);
}

I populate the links so that when one is pressed returnId is equal to the number of the link pressed.

My issue is, how to make openFileDialogInstance return returnId when one of those links is pressed?

Thanks in advance for any help :)

Hey there, the problem you're having is with variable scope. returnId does not retain it's value and is destroyed after the function openFileDialogInstance executes. Fortunately JavaScript supports object oriented programming and openFileDialogInstance has a global scope.

If you must retain the value declare returnId like this:

this.returnId;

in place of

var returnId;

This will allow you access to the value at any time. Assignment for instance:

openFileDialogInstance.returnId= yourValue;

Happy Programming

Ahh that's perfect.

One question: When calling that function would I have to do

openFileDialogInstance();
openFileDialogInstance.returnId= yourValue;

Or could I just do

openFileDialogInstance.returnId= yourValue;

?

Many thanks!

Oh actually, how would the caller of the instance know when the returnId is set?

oooh! You mention instance. In that regard you may retain the private membership of the variable like this:

function MyClass(){
    var myString = "Hello World";
    this.setMyString = function(isTxt){myString=isTxt;alert(myString)}
}
instance=new MyClass;
...
<a href="javascript:instance.setMyString('Hello Again')">

Above variable instance is defined by the MyClass and may retain it's inherited values!

Otherwise you could use this code:

function MyClass(){
    this.myString = "Hello World"; 
}
function setMyString(isTxt){MyClass.myString=isTxt;alert(MyClass.myString)}
...
<a href="javascript:setMyString('Hello Again')">

The first example is the preferred way of doing things, although the browser sandbox should keep everything private. The second example does expose the myString variable to global scope on the document as does my first example.

Any way it goes the events are fired by the DOM, and the best way to call from the HTML is with a function/method rather than direct assignment. The DOM also allows you to attach events dynamically via javascript. Here it is the assumption that by caller you mean mouse clicks on the document.


WHAT you;see_is_what=you.get;
-Russ aka DangeRuss