JavaScript removeChild not working

Question

I am using this JavaScript code to remove a couple elements from the page, but it's not working. When I inspect the code with Opera Dragonfly it says something like:

Uncaught exception: Error: WRONG_ARGUMENTS_ERR

and points to the file and function name.

The weird thing is that I use the exact same code in another function on the same page and it works without problem. The code is very small and simple:

var docBody = document.getElementById("body");
if(document.getElementById("marginDiv")){
  docBody.removeChild("marginDiv");
}

Both body and marginDiv exist on the page. My goal is to make the thumbnails disappear when one clicks the background.

score 9 · Answer 1 · answered May 03 '12 at 14:31

9

You're trying to remove a string. A string is hardly an HTML element. You're also relying on marginDiv being a direct child of body, which may not be the case.

Instead, try this:

var remove = document.getElementById('marginDiv');
if( remove) remove.parentNode.removeChild(remove);

answered May 03 '12 at 14:31

Niet the Dark Absol

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Or you can do `document.getElementById("marginDiv").remove()` – Raynos May 03 '12 at 14:33
Since chrome 19 I think. It's in DOM4 – Raynos May 03 '12 at 14:33
Both functions are children of body because that's where i create them, using this code: var marginDiv = document.createElement("div"); marginDiv.setAttribute("id", "marginDiv"); docBody.appendChild(marginDiv); The code is working in another script, for example when you click twice on a button, the thumbnail list gets deleted and created again. Before i used this code to delete it, it used to create a new list whenever i clicked a button. If im doing it wrong, shouldn't it not work at all? sry for messed up code, i dont know how to write it cleanly – Leandro Zhuzhi May 03 '12 at 14:41

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered May 03 '12 at 14:31

5

Try

docBody.removeChild(document.getElementById("marginDiv"));

answered May 03 '12 at 14:31

Amberlamps

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This worked. Im sure the other answers would work too, but i guess i will choose this because it's the shortest. :) – Leandro Zhuzhi May 03 '12 at 14:48
The other answer is in fact a lot shorter! – Amberlamps May 03 '12 at 15:30
The original statement minus the quotes should work fine... docBody.removeChild(marginDiv); – user6245342 Apr 25 '16 at 13:17

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Jul 18 '12 at 21:41

1

removeChild needs a reference to a DOM element, not a string. Try this:

var docBody = document.getElementById("body");
var marginDiv = document.getElementById("marginDiv");

if(marginDiv)){
docBody.removeChild(marginDiv);
}

edited Jul 18 '12 at 21:41

Andrew Leach

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answered May 03 '12 at 14:37

jenswirf

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score 0 · Answer 4 · edited Nov 05 '22 at 16:23

0

if(document.getElementById("marginDiv")){
  docBody.removeChild("marginDiv");
}

you have to check if specified element exist marginDiv exist, then removechild(...)

edited Nov 05 '22 at 16:23

devzom

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answered Nov 01 '22 at 06:29

AnavKarandikar

1

JavaScript removeChild not working

4 Answers4