Dynamic document references (I'm not sure what to call them!?)

[zq29]

I'm writing a function that accepts a form name, a button name (from within the named form) and a replacement function call (encoded with PHPs urlencode()) as arguments.

I want the function to replace the buttons 'onclick' value with the new supplied function call - I'm almost there, just a slight issue. Here's the code:

[code]function assignId(selectForm,selectName,targetButton,replaceWith) {
    var button = document.getElementById(targetButton);
    var select = eval("document."+selectForm+"."+selectName+".options[document."+selectForm+"."+selectName+".selectedIndex].value");
    replaceWith = unescape(replaceWith);

    var replace = replaceWith.replace("*",select);
    eval("document."+selectForm+"."+targetButton+".onclick = "+replace);
}[/code]

The bit that I'm having issues with is the last line where I'm trying to assign the replacement function call to the buttons 'onclick' event. What it's actually doing, is running the function call that I'm trying to assign. I think I just need to know how I can get the selectForm and targetButton variables attached to the document. part.

Here are a few things that I have tried that are not working:

eval("document."+selectForm+"."+targetButton+".onclick = "+replace);

document.selectForm.targetButton.onclick = replace;

document.eval(selectForm).eval(targetButton).onclick = replace;



Not having much luck - Any suggestions?

Many thanks.

[zq29]

Ok, I've actually got around my problem like so:
[code]document.forms[selectForm].elements[targetButton].onclick = replace;[/code]
Although, is there still a way to use variables in this [i]thingy-ma-jig[/i] (I still don't know what they're called - DOM references? Any help there?!)

[tomfmason]

I was going to say .click for that but you got it.

I don't know what to call it ether. I know the the onclick is an event so.. Maybe you can call it the event referrence or function ..??

Glad you got it.

Tom

[zq29]

[quote author=SemiApocalyptic link=topic=113362.msg460726#msg460726 date=1162322898]
Ok, I've actually got around my problem like so:
[code]document.forms[selectForm].elements[targetButton].onclick = replace;[/code]
Although, is there still a way to use variables in this [i]thingy-ma-jig[/i] (I still don't know what they're called - DOM references? Any help there?!)
[/quote]
Ok, my solution works fine in FireFox but not at all in IE. Alternate solution anyone? How can I use variables within this DOM/event reference thing?!

[tomfmason]

It will work in IE if you use getElementById . That will also work in FF and Opera.

[code]
document.getElementById('yourId').click = something(); //or .onclick
[/code]

Good Luck,
Tom

[zq29]

Thanks Tom, I actually just ended up re-writing the function this was used in to avoid the issue, although, I will definitly keep this in mind should I need to do this again.

Thanks again