using the response from ajax in global var

replace : var x = new_waiverid;
by : window.x = new_waiverid;

leakim971 Hello and thanks for your response.

adding window.x causes this error:

Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token .

Another one :
window["x"] = new_waiverid;

leakim971,
it doesn't seem to like the []'s either.
same error

could you post the whole code (copy/paste)

I thought I did.
The componet called from the addDupeWaiver.cfm page does indeed function correctly but if you want to test that page and mimic a result simply created it and put

<cfoutput>1234</cfoutput>

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otherwise the jquery stuff is:

<script>
var new_waiverid = 0;
	$.noConflict();
	jQuery( document ).ready(function( $ ) {


		$(function () {
			$("#formDuplicate").on("submit",function(e) {
				e.preventDefault(); // do NOT submit
					$.ajax({
					type: "POST",
					cache: false,
					  url: 'addDupeWaiver.cfm',
					  async: false,
					  data: $(this).serialize(),
					  success: function(data) {
					   handelRequest(data),
					   	$("#formDuplicate").unbind('submit').submit();
					  }

				 });

			    function handelRequest(data) {
			        onComplete(data); //get correct value, works fine
			    }

			    function onComplete(new_waiverid){
			    	var window[x] = new_waiverid;
			        alert(window.x);

			    }
				 //return data;
			});
		});//first func
	}) //doc ready
</script>

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I said :

replace : var x = new_waiverid;
by : window.x = new_waiverid;

Not :
replace : var x = new_waiverid;
by : var window.x = new_waiverid;

apologies, I read it wrongly. the syntax error is gone.
rewrite of the function but the var is still local.

here's my current code:

<script>
window.exists =0;
function set_exists(x){
    window.exists = x;
};
	jQuery( document ).ready(function() {
		$("#formDuplicate").on("submit",function(e) {
			e.preventDefault(); // do NOT submit
			$.ajax({
				url: 'addDupeWaiver.cfm',
				type: "POST",
				async: false,
				data: $(this).serialize(),
				success: function(data){
					if(data){
						set_exists(data);
						
					}
					else{
						set_exists(false);
						
					}
				}
			});
			if(exists == true){
				return true;
			}
			else{
				return false;
			}
		})
	}); //doc ready
</script>

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rewrite of the function but the var is still local.

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Line 2 you just need :
var exists = 0;
And line 4, the following is OK :
exists = x;

Anyway, the variable exists is currently global

exists  =0;
function set_exists(x){
    window.exists = x;
    console.log(window.exists ) // we're good here data is returned.
};

outside of this function (at the bottom of the page where I need this)  it is 0.

<script>
var exists  =0;
function set_exists(x){
    exists = x;
    console.log(exists ) // we're good TOO here data is returned.
};

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yes, but aren't we still in the function set_exists and so the variable x now holds the value returned from the response?
if line seven was console.log(exists), we're back to the default zero.

could you post a link to see your page?

don't i wish?  here's the last change I made to capture.
For whatever reasons, that variable won't exist beyond the scope of the function call.

<script>
var exists =0;
function set_exists(x){
   exists = x;
   console.log(exists);  //ok we get the response
};
</script>
<script>console.log(exists) //reset to 0</script> 

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thanks for sticking with me.

<script>
var exists =0;
function set_exists(x){
   exists = x;
   console.log(exists);  //ok we get the response
};
</script>
<script>
   set_exists(1234);
   console.log(exists) //set to 1234
</script>

yep, set to 1234 but not to the response.

Yes I do.
to me this suggests that the value of exists from the first set_exists(x)
needs to be the input of the second set_exists call.

or maybe you're suggesting something is wrong with the first set_exist() ?

So why did you said :  << ...but not to the response. >> ?

man you've been great and here's how we solved this.
created a form variable the exists variable in coldfusion and also as a hidden form field to be passed when the formDuplicate form is submitted.

and modified set_exists like this:

<script>
var exists=0;
function set_exists(x){
   document.forms["formDuplicate"]["exists"].value = x;
};
</script>

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and that did the trick... this time.

Thanks for riding with me again

extra kudos for introducing me to and using jsfiddle.