Is there a way to get external data in javascript?

Question

I have minimal knowlege of javascript so please be kind. I have created a very basic javascript that show a random quote from a politician, who said it, when, and it provides a link to the source of the quote. It looks something like that:

/the quote
var n_text = new Array ();
/the link
var n_lnkk = new Array ();
/the party member that said it and when
var n_part = new Array ();

n_text [1]="blah";
n_text [2]="blah blah";
n_text [3]="blah blah blah";
etc

n_lnkk [1]="http://...";
n_lnkk [2]="http://...";
n_lnkk [3]="http://...";
etc

n_part [1]="whosaidit1";
n_part [2]="whosaidit2";
n_part [3]="whosaidit3";
etc

Then I use math.random and document.write to show a random quote and show a twitter button so that people can tweet it, and a refresh button to show another random quote like this:

blah blah http://... whosaidit and when

I know document.write is not the best way to do it but I have tried other methods and they didn't work with the twitter button so that will have to wait untill I find a solution for it but it is not the question I have right now.

The problem is that this script has become huge, (almost 1000 quotes) so blogger doesn't allow me to add any more text into it. Is there a way to put the data in an external file somewhere and have the javascript read it and display the results and still keep it relatively simple since I have very basic knowledge of jscript or html? Please keep in mind that I am using blogger so I have limited options, but I think an external file with just the data would work

By somewhere do you mean another file on the server or a different server. — jeremyjjbrown, Feb 06 '14 at 03:54
Two buzzwords: [*Ajax*](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/AJAX/Getting_Started) and [*JSON*](http://json.org/) — Bergi, Feb 06 '14 at 04:00

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 06 '14 at 03:59

It would be really easy actually, just copy and paste your arrays and what you set them as into a separate .js file. Only copy up to where you have your document.write. Then include it in your tag...

<script src="http://HostedSomewhere/Quotes.js"></script>

Make sure that is included BEFORE your old code.

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:29

Yes, you can put the data in an external file. I would suggest a JSON file.

What you'll want to do is either call the JSON file as such:

$.getJSON("link/to/json/file.json", variableOrFunctionNameHere);

OR

$.getJSON("link/to/json/file.json", function(d){...logic here...});
//the d is the data from the file.

However, this might not always work, so I'd look into this question for how to load it non-asynchronously.

Now, to use the JSON file, you'll need to learn some notation.

Let's say you set the JSON file up like this:

[
    {
        "name" : "Chris Christie",
        "quote": "I closed the bridge!",
        "date" : "February 1, 2014",
        "link" : "https://somelinktosomewhere.com"
    },
    {
        "name" : "Hillary Clinton",
        "quote": "Vote for me if I run next election!",
        "date" : "March 31, 2014",
        "link" : "https://somelinktosomewhere.com"
    },    
]

and that the JSON file gets loaded in the variable called myVariable. Then, to access it, you'd find a random number within the size of the JSON file (each selection within brackets is an object) and then myVariable[randomNumber].name would access the name attribute of the file. So, for example, myVariable[0].name would return the String "Chris Christie". JSON files are really powerful and easy to use.

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Aug 02 '15 at 00:33

1

I think I have found a simple and practical solution. An iFrame did it. I hosted my script on a free server and then used an iFrame to get it on my blog. It was the first answer I got, but it seems to have been deleted since.

edited Aug 02 '15 at 00:33

Maximillian Laumeister

19,884
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answered Feb 06 '14 at 14:08

user3101704

11
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@yenshirak: This isn't a thank you, since the original is not present. – Nathan Tuggy Aug 02 '15 at 01:00

Is there a way to get external data in javascript?

3 Answers3