How to Check if a Div is Empty and Then Execute Action

Question

I'm Building a Personal Assistant with HTML5, CSS, & Javascript

This is what my current Problem is.

I Have a <div> that contains scripts with the responses for when a Question is asked and if the question matches one it writes that response.

I Need a Script that will check if this div is empty, in Javascript, not jQuery

I need to check if the div is empty because that means there is no response.

Then for it to redirect to an the error page.

a Question & the response to it would look like this:

    <script type="text/javascript">
{
var q = getValue("q");
var name = getValue("name");
}
if (q == 'Whats+up') {
document.write("Not much " + name + ".");
}
else {

}
</script>

This is the last code I tried:

            <script>

    var theDiv = document.getElementById("responce");
    var q = getValue("q");
    if(theDiv.innerHTML == ''){
    window.location = 'error.html?name=Brandon&q='+q;
    }
  </script>

Just to be sure : the div is filled by your own server ? [If not, you can't look at what is inside the div](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_origin_policy). — Denys Séguret, Oct 12 '12 at 17:06
"I Have a
that contains scripts..." If this is true, `innerHTML`of the `DIV` is never `''`, though you can't see anything in the browser, the script is a part of the HTML of the `DIV`. — Teemu, Oct 12 '12 at 17:28
if no one knows how to fix this is there _another way_ this could work? — electrikmilk, Oct 12 '12 at 18:06
I tried having one of the question & response scripts `document.write("error")` and have a script check if that's the only word in the div but it never worked out, any thoughts? — electrikmilk, Oct 17 '12 at 15:45
Be careful with `document.write`. It's purposed to create the whole new document rather than append text in the present document, i.e. if it is used from a function after the page has been parsed, it automatically calls `document.open()`, which wipes out ALL earlier code in the document. — Teemu, Oct 17 '12 at 16:58
its done that on most of my documents but with this it just writes the specified code where I want. — electrikmilk, Oct 17 '12 at 17:11

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 12 '12 at 17:35

1

Try this

<script type="text/javascript">
{
var q = getValue("q");
var name = getValue("name");
}
if (q == 'Whats+up') {
document.write("<div id='response_text'>"+"Not much " + name + "."+"</div>");
}
else {

}
</script>

And then:

<script>

var theDiv = document.getElementById("response_text");
var q = getValue("q");
if(theDiv==null || theDiv.innerHTML == ''){
window.location = 'error.html?name=Brandon&q='+q;
}
</script>

That being said, there are probably better/more scalable ways of doing this with ajax.

answered Oct 12 '12 at 17:35

Pyro979

202
1
10

I tried that and the error script made it so every question went to the error page. I tried messing around with it to make it work, but thank you for the help! – electrikmilk Oct 12 '12 at 18:08
if no one knows how to fix this is there another way this could work? – electrikmilk Oct 12 '12 at 18:09
I'd have to see the code to try to fix it. is there anyway you can set up a http://jsfiddle.net/? – Pyro979 Oct 12 '12 at 19:49
**beware**, it must have a `?q=some%20query` to generate a responce – electrikmilk Oct 15 '12 at 12:47
I tried having one of the question & response scripts `document.write("error")` and have a script check if that's the only word in the div but it never worked out, any thoughts? – electrikmilk Oct 17 '12 at 15:45

Teemu · Answer 2 · 2012-10-14T07:50:37.100

1

You could check, if there are no other elements than scripts in the div:

<script>
    var theDiv = document.getElementById('responce'),
        q = getValue('q'),
        scripts = theDiv.getElementsByTagName('SCRIPT').length;
    if (theDiv.children.length - scripts === 0) {
        window.location = 'error.html?name=Brandon&q=' + q;
    }
</script>

However, I'd suggested you to get rid of all inline scripts, and put them in the head of the document or just before the closing body tag instead.

EDIT

A quick-fix would be to move the script below the #responce.

edited Oct 14 '12 at 07:50

answered Oct 12 '12 at 18:41

Teemu

22,918
7
53
106

I tried this and I'm not sure, your script says to have the scripts in the div, but you're saying to have them out. I tried this with the scripts in and out and both didn't work, but thank you for your help! – electrikmilk Oct 15 '12 at 13:37
I tried having one of the question & response scripts `document.write("error")` and have a script check if that's the only word in the div but it never worked out, any thoughts? – electrikmilk Oct 17 '12 at 15:44

How to Check if a Div is Empty and Then Execute Action

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