Variable is not passing to function

Question

I am trying to write some JavaScript where I can pass the path of the current page URL to another function ; specifically would like to add it as a a value in a custom variable for Google Analytics. However, since I don't know JavaScript, I thought it would be best to see if I can pass the variable to a simple alert. Alas, I can not. I have checked out several posts on this site and can't get this to work. Some of the threads I've checked are:

need to pass variable to function
How to pass this variable to this function?
Pass variable to external javascript?

I've also tried Google and some JavaScript tutorials, and playing around with single, double quotes, brackets, etc...nothing works. Can anyone help please? Thank you.

            <script type="text/javascript">
            $(document).ready(function() {
                var pdpURL = window.location.pathname;
            });
            function popup() {
                alert('pdpURL');
            }
            </script>

The pop up appears but it just says pdpURL in it rather than the URL.

I Hate Lazy · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-02 02:57:56Z

4

Several problems:

you're not calling popup
pdpURL is local to the handler, but popup is global
the alert is given a string, not a variable reference

$(document).ready(function() {
    var pdpURL = window.location.pathname;

    function popup() {
        alert(pdpURL);
    }

    popup();
});

answered Oct 2, 2012 at 2:57

I Hate Lazy

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Comments

Martin-Brennan · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-02 03:00:16Z

2

First of all, you don't need quotes around your variable name when you call it. Secondly, that variable is scoped to the $(document).ready() function, and as such will not be accessible to your other function. The variable must be global for you to be able to do this, which you can do by declaring the variable outside of your functions.

answered Oct 2, 2012 at 3:00

Martin-Brennan

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1 Comment

surfbird0713 Over a year ago

Thank you, this solved it! I really appreciate your explanation, as it helps me learn more about JavaScript syntax. Now I can sleep tonight :)

albattran · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-02 02:59:04Z

1

Try this:

 <script type="text/javascript">
            function popup(path) {
                alert(path);
            }
            $(document).ready(function() {
                var pdpURL = window.location.pathname;
                popup(pdpURL);
            });
            </script>

answered Oct 2, 2012 at 2:59

albattran

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Comments

Ionut Hulub · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-02 02:57:00Z

0

You need to replace the single quotes. Try alert(pdpURL)

answered Oct 2, 2012 at 2:57

Ionut Hulub

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Comments

Jeremy J Starcher · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-02 03:03:06Z

Of course it isn't going to work.

If you imagine functions, and their variables, like boxes, then you have a variable inside one box that can't seen by the other

$(document).ready(function() {
  var pdpURL = window.location.pathname;
});
function popup() {
  alert('pdpURL');
}

You have two options.

move popURL to a global level
move popup inside your anonymous function

Example 1

var pdpURL;
+------------------------------------------
|  // This is box 1, an anonymous function|
|  // can see pdpURL                      |
+------------------------------------------

+------------------------------------------
|  // This is box 2 called popup          |
|  // Can't see anything inside box 1     |
|  // But can also see pdpURL             |
+------------------------------------------

Example 2

+------------------------------------------
|  // This is box 1, an anonymous function|
|  var pdpURL                             |
|  +----------------------------------+   |
|  |  // This is box 2 called popup   |   |
|  |  // Can see inside box 1         |   |
|  +----------------------------------+   |      
|                                         |
+------------------------------------------

TheRocketSurgeon · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-02 21:42:54Z

0

You need to consider that the $(document).ready(); will only fire when the whole page has finished loading.

That means that the code after this may actually excute before the page finishes loading.

You should always consider the "event" order when looking at order of execution.

answered Oct 2, 2012 at 21:42

TheRocketSurgeon

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