Can javascript running inside an iframe affect the main page?

Question

Partial Code:

My below code pulls a query from my DB and then uses inner.HTML = to display the data inside a div. It works fine in it original use....

However the below version is called inside a iFrame as it is used to update the page.

The page has no errors and the JavaScript fires however the last line does not work...

I have just realized that perhaps since it is loading in the hidden iFrame it is trying to set the innerHTML of a div inside the iFrame and that of course will not work.

Is this what is happening? It doesn't make sense because I have another script that calls JavaScript at the end of it in the same manner and it works fine.

<?php
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
    {
        $p = $p.'<div id="left"><img src="http://www.sharingizcaring.com/bleepV2/images/thumbs/'.$row[image].'" /></div>';
        $p = $p.'<div id="right"><h2>'.$row[artist].' - '.$row['title'].'</h2><br>'.$row['message'].'<br>';
        $p = $p.'<a href="http://www.sharingizcaring.com/bleepV2/'.$row[username].'">'.$row[username].'</a> '.$row[date].'</div>';
        $p = $p.'<div style="clear: both;"></div>';
        $p = $p.'<div id="dotted-line"></div>';
    }


    $p = addslashes($p);
?>

<script>

        alert('posts are firing? ');

        document.getElementById('posts').innerHTML = 'why doth this faileth?';
</script>

Answer 1

You can do it! Read here for more info

You can affect the document with contains the iframe by setting and getting variables from the window element:

// normally you use...
var whatever = "value";

// use the window object instead, which is shared 
// between the iframe and the parent
window.whatever = "value";

The other thing you should know is that you can access the main document via the parent object

inside the iframe you can use...

parent.someattr;

// or try this
parent.getElementById('some_element');

Answer 2

I think what you want is:

parent.getElementById('posts').innerHTML = 'why doth this faileth?';

Answer 3

The part in the iframe isn't considered the same document.

Answer 4

you have to use parent.