Strange javascript error: form field can't have same name as function?

Asked Nov 18 '13 at 09:52

Active Nov 18 '13 at 10:15

Viewed 44 times

I just bumped into a very strange javascript error.

I have a form with a button input field:

<input type="button" id="flagAnswer" value="Flag" onclick="flagAnswer()">

In my js file that's included in the page I have defined the flagAnswer function:

function flagAnswer(){
   // do stuff
}

When I try clicking the flag button, however, I get the following error:

TypeError: flagAnswer is not a function

I've been fiddling around with this as it seems extremely straightforward, and the trouble seems to be that the id of the input field and the name of the function are identical. If I change the function name slightly, or if I change the input ID, it works.

Why is this happening? Any way to avoid it other than renaming one of them?

Edit:

jsfiddles to illustrate my point:

Original with error (click doesn't work) - http://jsfiddle.net/aQ9zt/1/

Changing function name (click works) - http://jsfiddle.net/r8m9L/4/

Changing input ID (click works) - http://jsfiddle.net/r8m9L/5/

edited Nov 18 '13 at 10:15

asked Nov 18 '13 at 09:52

froadie

79,995
75
166
235

flagTerminal? flagAnswer? Which is it? – deceze Nov 18 '13 at 09:53
@deceze - whoops, sorry, updated – froadie Nov 18 '13 at 09:55
1

function implementation _flagAnswer_ is bad syntax [no brackets] – amdixon Nov 18 '13 at 09:56
@amdixon - can you elaborate? – froadie Nov 18 '13 at 10:00
can you make a jsfiddle – amdixon Nov 18 '13 at 10:02
1

can we see your code? – HIRA THAKUR Nov 18 '13 at 10:02
@amdixon - made jsfiddles, will update question – froadie Nov 18 '13 at 10:13
3

see this [SO post](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9158238/why-js-function-name-conflicts-with-element-id) – amdixon Nov 18 '13 at 10:20
@amdixon - thanks! That seems to solve it... Guess this can be closed as a duplicate. (I've never ran into this error before as I mostly add click events using jQuery, which avoids this issue...) – froadie Nov 18 '13 at 10:42

Strange javascript error: form field can't have same name as function?

0 Answers0