Unable to pass string parameter to a simple Javascript function being invoked when a hyperlink is clicked

Question

It's a very simple question but I couldn't figure it out. I'm trying to pass parameters to a Javascript function which is invoked when a hyper link is clicked.

It works just fine when the parameters are number but doesn't work when one of them is of type string. I even tried to escape them but unfortunately to no avail.

The following is a very simple code.

function temp(a, b)
{
    alert(a+ "   "+b);
}

<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="temp(x, 2);">Click</a>

It doesn't work complaining x is undefined x is here onclick="temp(x, 2);". When I modify the function something like this temp(1,2);, it works and alerts as specified.

What might be the reason? What is the solution?

you x is a variable assignment... use 'x' to pass it as string — Tobias Krogh
– Tobias Krogh, Commented May 6, 2012 at 12:57

Tobias Krogh · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-06 12:59:57Z

4

you should avoid passing an undefined variable... x is only a variable as a string starts and end with double or single quotes

function temp(a, b) {
    alert(a+ "   "+b);
}

<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="temp('x', 2);">Click</a>

I also created a fiddle to show it works

EDIT: this revision of the fiddle shows that you can also switch the quotes used in the markup... if you are used to double quotes for JS strings fiddle revision 1

answered May 6, 2012 at 12:59

Tobias Krogh

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3 Comments

Bhavesh Over a year ago

I had to do something like this to make it work in my actual application in JSP onclick=\"selectOrderStatus('"+od_status+"', "+order_id+";);\". Even this one onclick='selectOrderStatus('"+od_status+"', "+order_id+");' enclosed within single quotes doesn't work.

Bhavesh Over a year ago

Not even this one were working onclick='selectOrderStatus('\"+od_status+\"', \"+order_id+\");'. Therefore, I needed to post the question here. Thanks.

Tobias Krogh Over a year ago

a you should mention in the question that the code is generated via PHP and a small piece of this php code would have also helped :)

gdoron · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-06 13:00:01Z

3

<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="temp('x', 2);">Click</a>

Demo

With your code, you treat x as it was a variable, while it wasn't decalred, surrond it with quotes.

If you want to use the x variable, declare it about the <a>:

<script>
    var x ="foo";

    function temp(a, b) {
        alert(a + "   " + b);
    }
</script>

<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="temp(x, 2);">Click</a>

answered May 6, 2012 at 13:00

gdoron

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