CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascript
Loleris54
Loleris54

Reputation: 45

unable to define getElementById variables

I'm trying to update number of people connected to the site by changing html element using javascript. For some reason if I set a variable on it, it does not work, but if I do it raw way (w/o variable) it works fine.

var users = document.getElementById('users').innerHTML;
users = connection.users;

↑ Doesn't Work

document.getElementById('users').innerHTML = connection.users;

↑ Works

Upvotes: 0

Views: 87

Answers (2)

Mitya
Mitya

Reputation: 34556

This is happening because the value assigned to users is a string - assigned by value, i.e. copied. It is not a stay-alive reference to the innerHTML property of an element.

If you want to use a variable, assign it as the element, not its HTML.

var users_el = document.getElementById('users');
users_el.innerHTML = connection.users;

In JavaScript, complex objects are copied by reference, whereas simple data types are copied by value, as in your case.

Upvotes: 1

Get Off My Lawn
Get Off My Lawn

Reputation: 36311

This doesn't work because you are setting the innerHTML to the variable which isn't an object.

Doing this should work:

var users = document.getElementById('users');
users.innerHTML = connection.users;

Upvotes: 3

Related Questions