In-Page Script Not Working

Your script does not exist. Here’s the code in your page:

<script src="/scripts/updatepage.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> <!– helloworld(); //–></script>

First, there is no https://picnictoimpeach.us/scripts/updatepage.js file on your server.

Second, your code is still wrong. You should use TWO dashes around code like that, not one. Also, there should be separate lines. Like so:

<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
helloworld();
//--></script>

Line spacing is important in scripting.

i’m embarrassed about the .js filename!

but confused about the dashes– i copied that script from elsewhere, and you’ll notice they are not even dashes.

here’s a dash:
–

here’s what’s in the script:
–

the example you offered mixes them. i made them both dashes, and still does not work.

i used the line spacing you gave (i just pasted your whole code into my page). but after saving, i found wordpress removes your line spacing.

strangely, firebug is no longer reporting the error, but the script is still not executing. here are the contents of partyhost.js:

function helloWorld() {
  alert('Hello World!') ;
}

Errr… I’m confused. There’s only one kind of “dash” on my keyboard, and that’s the minus sign. I know you can use em and en dashes and such, but this is code, not text.

Trust me on this one. Use the minus sign, and use two of them.

Don’t worry about WordPress mangling the spacing for now. But it won’t do that if you use the non-visual editor, I think.

Anyway, your problem right now is bad nesting.
<script src="/myscripts/partyhost.js" type="text/javascript"> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- helloworld(); //--></script>
Notice that the first script tag is not closed? That will make it not work too. ?? Add a </script> after the first script tag.

On a higher level topic, it is generally a bad idea to put javascript code directly into posts. This is true for lots of reasons, but the most obvious one is that people may not be reading your post content on your site itself. Think of RSS feeds and feedreaders. Post content should be.. well.. content. Not formatting or effects. Generally speaking, you want to put layout and effects into the theme directly. There are very few exceptions to this general principle.

However, since you’re clearly just experimenting, go nuts. But for future reference, you almost always want to avoid putting scripts into posts.

thanks for indulging a javascript beginner.

here’s my current code. i used the minus-sign on the number keypad. see the contents of the .js file above.

still not executing.

<script src="/myscripts/partyhost.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- helloworld(); //--></script>

re the recommendation not to put javascript into posts, i understand your recommendation to avoid javascript, but it is supported by the codex, and it’s more of a design/usability/standards question, not a corruption risk, right?

this is a page, not a post. i’m not planning to put any dynamic content on this page that anyone would want to subscribe to it.

and lorelle supports it ??

https://lorelle.wordpress.com/2005/09/16/using-javascript-in-wordpress/

Javascript is case sensitive. helloworld() is not the same as helloWorld().

??

fixed case. no go. current code:

<script src="/myscripts/partyhost.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- helloWorld(); //--></script>

re the recommendation not to put javascript into posts, i understand your recommendation to avoid javascript, but it is supported by the codex, and it’s more of a design/usability debate, then a corruption risk, right?

Yes, more or less. I have no particular problem with putting it in Pages, however in such cases I have to question whether it makes more sense to put such content in the database or to make a custom Page Template with that content in it.

In Posts it’s just bad, bad, bad.

And as much as I hate to disagree with Lorelle, I do. You simply cannot consider your audience to be the people looking at your site, feeds are up to 30% of the readers of even smaller sites nowadays. And up to 60% of larger sites. her example (and yours) will not work in any feed reader simply because she’s not using complete paths to the scripts. It might work if you did use the full http path, but even then the feed reader might not render javascript.

Anyway, just because you *can* do something doesn’t mean you *should* do that thing. If the javascript is just there for pretty effects, and not critical to the content, then it’s fine to put in a post, but then again in that case it’s probably distracting and you should question whether you need it there at all.

Argh. I don’t know. Get rid of the comments, perhaps the lack of line spacing is screwing with it.

<script src="/myscripts/partyhost.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">helloWorld();</script>

bingo!

https://picnictoimpeach.us/pix/wp_javascript.jpg

mucho grazi.

so, comments disabled the script. does this mean the codex should be updated?

No, because comments would not have disabled the script if the line spacing was correct. The comments are also required (in theory) for browsers that don’t understand scripts (which these days is virtually all of them, I admit).

Are you using the visual editor? If so, then that’s probably your problem.

i’m using the built-in editor, on the code-pane of course. if the code-pane of the built-in editor mangles line-spacing, then would that be considered a bug?

is script commenting still required by the current html spec?

There’s no “spec” for such a thing. Generally you can leave the comments out without any ill effects.