[Javascript] Loop problem

[David T. Lovering]

Ah ha!  I smell an 'onSubmit' problem:

  You need to modify your original form declaration to include an 'onSubmit' equivalence which points
to your checking routine (which can be substantially shortened, BTW), i.e;

  <form name='myForm' action='javascript:void(null)' onSubmit='checkForm(document.myForm)'>

  If you combine all the helpful hints together, checkForm can be reduced to

  <script language='JavaScript'>
  <!--
    var form1;
    function checkForm(form1) {
      if (!form) { return false; }
      if (form == '') { return false; }  			        // throat-scratch protection against bogus form
      if (!document.forms[form1].elements) { return false; }// cure for empty form syndrome
      var Numfrm = document.forms[form1].elements.length;	// notice that since 'form1' is a var I don't use ""
      for (var i=0; i<Numfrm; i++) {
        if (document.forms[form1].element[i].length == 0) { return false; }
      }
      return true;
    }
  // -->
  </script>

  Notice how 'checkName' got squished into one line of code.  Rule of thumb: if you are doing something
  which takes fewer lines of code to do directly than will be required for a function declaration, don't use a
  function.  This keeps down the burden on the heap assignments, and decreases the likelihood of a heap-stack
  collision -- easily the most common cause of the "blue-screen-of-death" (BSOD).  Sometimes I violate this
  rule if a gazillion descending field elements are nested together in the variable name, but I feel guilty
  about it afterwards.

  Also, the 'action' declaration I picked can be substituted out for anything of your choosing -- you'll
  probably want to point it to your friendly neighborhood CGI/BIN server which handles your other forms 
  submissions.  However, the onSubmit kicks in BEFORE the action gets invoked, and if checkForm returns a
  false, the action is disabled and the form contents don't go anywhere (in theory).  Sometimes, a broken
  FrontPage build of the form will send it on anyway, thereby crashing the forms server and endearing you
  (and Microsoft) to thousands of freshly outraged customers.  [Hence the reason I don't use FrontPage].

  Again, I caution you -- if you have ANYTHING in your form which is an element, but not a vanilla text
  input, this simple script won't cut it anymore, and you'll have to put some more hair on its chest.

  -- Dave Lovering
      

Alexandre Zglav wrote:
> 
> Ok thanks a lot for the tips.
> 
> I have applied a few changes to my code accordingly to your last email and
> the script  doesn't jam anymore. I still have a problem thought : the
> tests seem to be completely bypassed. If i try my form and leave it blank,
> the form is submitted and there is no alert ....
> 
> Oh and by the way you guessed right : i am trying to test variable amount
> of text fields passing them into CheckName
> 
> Here is the code I am using now :
> 
> 
> 
> Probably that the return true is missplaced ( its in commentary right now
> as I'm not sure on where to place it )
> 
> Thanks again for your help.
> 
>   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                             Name: New Text Document.txt
>    New Text Document.txt    Type: Plain Text (text/plain)
>                         Encoding: base64
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: dlovering.vcf
Type: text/x-vcard
Size: 304 bytes
Desc: Card for David T. Lovering
URL: <http://lists.evolt.org/pipermail/javascript/attachments/20030318/bf8fe48b/attachment.vcf>