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How do I find out what javascript function is being called by an object's onclick event? Even better, can I then find out which included .js file that function is in?

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8 Answers 8

74

I use Chrome's Developer Tools for this:

Event Listener Breakpoints in Google Chrome's developer tools

Check the click box, and then click on the element on the page you want to find the handler for. If you are using jQuery (or similar library), you may have to step through their code before you get to yours.

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

5 Comments

I never knew this existed in chrome. This is awesome and answers the question for me.
Thank you for informing us about this tool, but in what this method is useful if it is going to point me lines of code from the jQuery library. How to know which part of MY code is running.
@whitelettersandblankspaces The only way I know of currently is to step through jQuery's code until you get to yours.
how can you tell what event listener type has called the callback?
back in the days how noob the developers are can't believe and developer tools too
6

You can do like this

With Javascript Demo on JsFiddle

div1 = document.getElementById('div1');

alert(div1.getAttribute("onclick"));​

With jQuery Demo on JsFiddle

<div id="div1" onclick="myfun();" >​

alert($('#div1').attr('onclick'))​;

4 Comments

I don't see a jQuery tag on the question anywhere.
Modified my answer I hope its fine now
This will require that he pepper his code with alerts(). Terrible way to debug javascript.
@Gjohn, the alert is just to show the output, one should not use it if not required.
1

I do this using this Visual Event script which neatly highlights which events are subscribed by which functions on which elements.

To find the souce of the code, simply use FireBug or similar browser developer tools to search the function name.

Comments

1

You wouldn't be able to find out the file the onclick event is called from but myObject.onclick will give you the function that's being called. And no, you don't need jQuery for this.

As far as getting the name of the function, that's a little more complicated. You could try something like this, perhaps:

var myFunc = myObject.onclick, myFuncName = "";

for(prop in window) {
    if(window.hasOwnProperty(prop) && window[prop] === myFunc) {
        myFuncName = prop; // myFuncName is now the name of the function. This only works if you didn't assign an anonymous function to the click handler.
        break;
    }
}

But honestly, I think that's a little overkill.

Comments

1

That depends on how the event is attached.

If you're binding to onclick without something like jQuery you could do this:

var obj = document.getElementById('elementId');
console.log(obj.onclick);

Comments

0

I have a different approach. I overload onclick function and add my debugger before the real function.

This is the element

<div id="div1">​

Write this JavaScript to developer console

var clickFn = $("#div1").click; 

$("#div1").click(function(){ 
    debugger; 
    clickFn(); 
});

Comments

0

Use the Chrome's Developer Tools (as suggested by benekastah), but then go on:

  • Event Listeners -> click.

Here you will find the list of js files running on your page on click events.

Compared to the solution given by benekastah, in this case, you can immediately see the list, without spending several time in debugging.

Google chrome screenshot

Comments

0

In javascript toString of a function returns its insdie code as a string:

var button = document.getElementById("button");

button.onclick.toString(); // function handleClick { alert(1); }

Comments

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