Javascript Error Null is not an Object

Question

Im getting a error in the Web Inspector as shown below:

TypeError: 'null' is not an object (evaluating 'myButton.onclick = function() {
var userName = myTextfield.value;
greetUser(userName);

return false;

}')

Here is my Code (HTML):

<h2>Hello World!</h2>
<p id="myParagraph">This is an example website</p>

<script src="js/script.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

<form>
  <input type="text" id="myTextfield" placeholder="Type your name" />
  <input type="submit" id="myButton" value="Go" />
</form>

Here is the JS:

var myButton = document.getElementById("myButton");
var myTextfield = document.getElementById("myTextfield");

function greetUser(userName) {
var greeting = "Hello " + userName + "!";
document.getElementsByTagName ("h2")[0].innerHTML = greeting;
}

myButton.onclick = function() {
var userName = myTextfield.value;
greetUser(userName);

return false;

}

Any Idea why I am getting the error?

This isn't your problem, but I'd recommend using a `submit` event handler on the form rather than a `click` event handler on the button. Then it will work if someone presses enter, too. — icktoofay, Jan 08 '13 at 04:09

alex · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-29T05:24:40.030

43

Put the code so it executes after the elements are defined, either with a DOM ready callback or place the source under the elements in the HTML.

document.getElementById() returns null if the element couldn't be found. Property assignment can only occur on objects. null is not an object (contrary to what typeof says).

edited Mar 29 '13 at 05:24

answered Jan 08 '13 at 03:49

alex

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Hi Alex thanks for the quick reply I moved the source. Being new to Javascript could you explain what a DOM ready callback is? But thanks for your answer it helped :) – Mark H Jan 08 '13 at 03:53
2

@MarkH I could, but [here is a better explanation](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/978740/javascript-how-to-detect-if-document-has-loaded-ie-7-firefox-3). – alex Jan 08 '13 at 03:56
I'm having this error - I am unclear on this answer. What does Alex mean by 'place the source under the elements in the HTML" ? – LaurelS Jun 09 '16 at 03:48
When I asked my question about understanding what Alex meant by 'place the source under the elements in the HTML", I had not processed Fiddle's response below. Now I get it. – LaurelS Jun 09 '16 at 04:26

score 6 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 08 '13 at 04:20

Any JS code which executes and deals with DOM elements should execute after the DOM elements have been created. JS code is interpreted from top to down as layed out in the HTML. So, if there is a tag before the DOM elements, the JS code within script tag will execute as the browser parses the HTML page.

So, in your case, you can put your DOM interacting code inside a function so that only function is defined but not executed.

Then you can add an event listener for document load to execute the function.

That will give you something like:

<script>
  function init() {
    var myButton = document.getElementById("myButton");
    var myTextfield = document.getElementById("myTextfield");
    myButton.onclick = function() {
      var userName = myTextfield.value;
      greetUser(userName);
    }
  }

  function greetUser(userName) {
    var greeting = "Hello " + userName + "!";
    document.getElementsByTagName ("h2")[0].innerHTML = greeting;
  }

  document.addEventListener('readystatechange', function() {
    if (document.readyState === "complete") {
      init();
    }
  });

</script>
<h2>Hello World!</h2>
<p id="myParagraph">This is an example website</p>

<form>
  <input type="text" id="myTextfield" placeholder="Type your name" />
  <input type="button" id="myButton" value="Go" />
</form>

Fiddle at - http://jsfiddle.net/poonia/qQMEg/4/

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 08 '13 at 03:56

Try loading your javascript after.

Try this:

<h2>Hello World!</h2>
<p id="myParagraph">This is an example website</p>

<form>
  <input type="text" id="myTextfield" placeholder="Type your name" />
  <input type="submit" id="myButton" value="Go" />
</form>

<script src="js/script.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 08 '13 at 04:31

I think the error because the elements are undefined ,so you need to add window.onload event which this event will defined your elements when the window is loaded.

window.addEventListener('load',Loaded,false);


    function Loaded(){
    var myButton = document.getElementById("myButton");
    var myTextfield = document.getElementById("myTextfield");

    function greetUser(userName) {
    var greeting = "Hello " + userName + "!";
    document.getElementsByTagName ("h2")[0].innerHTML = greeting;
    }

    myButton.onclick = function() {
    var userName = myTextfield.value;
    greetUser(userName);

    return false;
    }
    }

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 08 '13 at 04:07

I agree with alex about making sure the DOM is loaded. I also think that the submit button will trigger a refresh.

This is what I would do

<html>
<head>
<title>webpage</title>
</head>
<script type="text/javascript">
var myButton;
var myTextfield;

function setup() {
  myButton = document.getElementById("myButton");
  myTextfield = document.getElementById("myTextfield");
  myButton.onclick = function() {
    var userName = myTextfield.value;
    greetUser(userName);
    return false;
  }
}

function greetUser(userName) {
  var greeting = "Hello " + userName + "!";
  document.getElementsByTagName("h2")[0].innerHTML = greeting;
}

</script>
<body onload="setup()">
  <h2>Hello World!</h2>
  <p id="myParagraph">This is an example website</p>

  <form>
    <input type="text" id="myTextfield" placeholder="Type your name" />
    <input type="button" id="myButton" value="Go" />
  </form>
  </body>
</html>

have fun!

Javascript Error Null is not an Object

5 Answers5

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