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Using DOM to create text link that uses javascript

I have a function that edits a row so that when the user clicks a text note link, the text note becomes a textbox with the text within it. When the user clicks the new + button, another javascript function is called that does the opposite. It takes the text in the textbox and makes it linked text.
The original anchor tag for the link was like: <a href="#" onclick="javascript:editNote(this.parentNode.parentNode.rowIndex)">.

Now, I'd like to have a similar link so the user can re-change the text he just edited. Instead, when I click the link that's created from textbox, it just brings me to the top of the page. Please look at the code and tell me what I'm doing wrong.

The code below shows just a single row in the table, but there may be multiple rows.

Thank you in advance,
Chris

<script language="javascript">
        function editNote(noteId, rowIndex) {
            var tblRef = document.getElementById("noteTbl");
            var row=tblRef.rows[rowIndex];
            var currLink = row.cells[0].innerHTML;
            var currVal = currLink.substring(currLink.indexOf('">')+2, currLink.toUpperCase().indexOf("</A>"));
            //Delete the cell that contains the link
            row.deleteCell(0);
            //Now insert a cell and create the text box that will go in its place for user to edit
            newCell = row.insertCell(0);
            newText = document.createElement("input");
            newText.type = "text";
            newText.size = "60";
            newText.className = "text";
            newText.id = "noteEdit";
            newText.value = currVal;
            newCell.appendChild(newText);
            //Add the spaces between the textbox and button
            newText = document.createTextNode(" ");
            newCell.appendChild(newText);
            newText = document.createTextNode(" ");
            newCell.appendChild(newText);
            //Now create and add the button
            newBtn = document.createElement("input");
            newBtn.type="button";
            newBtn.id = "editNote";
            newBtn.value = "+";
            newBtn.onclick = function() {editNoteDB(rowIndex, noteId);}
            newCell.appendChild(newBtn);
        }
        function editNoteDB(rowID, noteID) {
            //This function will call the ASP page (via
            //ajaxFunction) to edit the note in the database.
            newValue = document.getElementById("noteEdit").value;
            var tblRef = document.getElementById("noteTbl");
            var row = tblRef.rows[rowID];
            row.deleteCell(0);
            newCell = row.insertCell(0);
            newText = document.createTextNode(newValue);
            link = document.createElement("a");
            link.href="#";
            link.onclick = "javascript:editNote("+noteID+",this.parentNode.parentNode.rowIndex);";
            link.appendChild(newText);
            newCell.appendChild(link);
        }
</script>
<body>
    <table id="noteTbl">
        <tr>
            <td><a href="#" onclick="javascript:editNote(9003,this.parentNode.parentNode.rowIndex);return false;">STRAIGHT THROUGH ASSEMBLY.</a></td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</body>

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tsibusha

The "#" in a URL (used in the href attribute) means a point within the page. For example, page.htm#chapter1, page.htm#chapter2, etc.

"javascript:" is a syntax for URLs, instead of "http:". So to create the link, you don't need "onclick" at all. All you need is:

link.href = "javascript:doSomething()"

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chrscote

ASKER

By putting the javascript call in the href, I am getting an error when determining the rowIndex of the table. I get the error message: 'this.parentNode.parentNode.rowIndex' is null or not an object. If it is in the onclick event, however, this works.

chrscote

ASKER

OK, I've decided to try something else. Since I'm using ASP to create the original list, I am going to use a counter to include the "rowIndex" rather than using the .rowIndex property. This appears to work, though I was hoping for more generic code that could be used when I'm not using ASP.

tsibusha

You mean, using rowIndex to identify the link? A <tr> object always has a rowIndex that you can access and use. You don't need ASP for this.

chrscote

ASKER

What I mean is that, when I try to use
<a href = "javascript:editNote(9003, this.parentNode.parentNode.rowIndex)">,
I get an error saying that parentNode.parentNode doesn't exist. However, if I just use ASP to determine which row I'm in so that the link appears as::
<a href = "javascript:editNote(9003, 3)">
It works fine. I've tried using just this.parentNode.rowIndex as well as simply this.rowIndex as well with the same issues.

Chris

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

chrscote

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