Running a javascript from an html button

Question

I have an external javascript that I need to run on a button click. How would I go about doing that?

<script type='text/javascript' src='http://tracking.somedomain.com/include.js?
domain=www.somedomain.com'></script>
<script type='text/javascript' >
if(typeof sWOTrackPage=='function')sWOTrackPage();
</script>

I need this to run on the click of an html button. Any suggestions?

what do you mean, I need `this` to run? Did that script add anything to the global namespace? Can you provide an example of where you got those docs from? — bitoiu, Feb 19 '14 at 21:57

Josh Beam · Answer 1 · 2014-02-19T22:07:34.857

3

Pure JavaScript:

document.getElementById('theIDofYourButton').onclick = function() {
    //your code here
}

jQuery:

$('#theIDofYourButton').click(function() {
    //your code here
});

edited Feb 19 '14 at 22:07

answered Feb 19 '14 at 21:58

Josh Beam

19,292
3
45
68

the `onclick` attribute will do too. – xpy Feb 19 '14 at 22:00
3

Does `getElementById()` work with a leading `#` in the value? – Marty Feb 19 '14 at 22:00
Thank you for drawing attention to that. I've edited my answer. – Josh Beam Feb 19 '14 at 22:07

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 19 '14 at 22:06

You can use addEventListener():

// Assuming the button has an id of 'btn':
var btn = document.getElementById('btn');

btn.addEventListener("click", function()
{
    // Your code.
    //

});

If you need support for older browsers, check out the older way to register event listeners.

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 19 '14 at 22:00

try something like this: HTML:

<input type="button" value="Do" id="doer" />

JS:

document.getElementById("doer").onclick = function() {
    if(typeof sWOTrackPage=='function') sWOTrackPage();
}

The latter Javascript isn't practice-perfect, but that's not really the point here.

If you have any questions about how this was done, please ask away in the comments

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 19 '14 at 22:07

-1

Simplest answer. Use the onclick attribute on your HTML button

answered Feb 19 '14 at 22:07

shawsy

457
1
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True, but it doesn't separate content from presentation, and judging from the apparent need of tracking, this might be a complex site in need of an MVC – user70585 Feb 19 '14 at 22:08
1

[This is a terrible idea](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/134845/href-attribute-for-javascript-links-or-javascriptvoid0/9440536#9440536). – Marty Feb 19 '14 at 22:09
Sometimes simple is the best solution – shawsy Feb 19 '14 at 22:18
Not for this setup, it isn't. – Daedalus Feb 19 '14 at 22:19

Running a javascript from an html button

4 Answers4