SyntaxError: unterminated string literal javascript

Question

I am getting a JavaScript error in my browser whenever I am trying to add the following two lines in the section of my application home page:

<script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
    <script>window.jQuery || document.write('<script src="<%=request.getContextPath()%>/resources/jq/jquery-1.10.2.min.js"></script>')</script>

Can someone please tell me what is wrong in those two lines? and if possible how to fix it?

Thanks for your time

the JS code works fine for me

tckmn
– tckmn

2013-11-05 13:48:39 +00:00
Commented Nov 5, 2013 at 13:48 — tckmn
– tckmn, Commented Nov 5, 2013 at 13:48
Nested <script> tags will break the browser.

Dave Newton
– Dave Newton

2013-11-05 13:49:14 +00:00
Commented Nov 5, 2013 at 13:49 — Dave Newton
– Dave Newton, Commented Nov 5, 2013 at 13:49

Pointy · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-05 13:48:39Z

18

You can't embed the substring </script> anywhere within a script block.

Change your document.write call:

<script>
  window.jQuery || 
  document.write('<script src="<%=request.getContextPath()%>/resources/jq/jquery-1.10.2.min.js"></' + 'script>')
</script>

The browser "parses" <script> tag contents by blindly searching for a closing </script> tag, paying no attention whatsoever to the syntax of the contents.

answered Nov 5, 2013 at 13:48

Pointy

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3 Comments

tckmn Over a year ago

ah, good catch! I just tried the JS on the console and didn't see anything wrong :) +1

MChan Over a year ago

@Pointy so whenever I need to place a </script> tag within any script block all I have to do is split it into two concatenated strings to avoid getting them scanned by the browser...correct? Having said so this rule does not apply on the opening <script> tag?

Pointy Over a year ago

@MChan yes that's right - the opening tag doesn't hurt anything because all the browser is looking for is the closing tag. Another way of doing it is to write it as '<\/script>' - the backslash-slash pair will end up as a plain slash in the string, but the browser won't think it's the closing tag.

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