Javascript function is not defined, ReferenceError

Question

I'm just trying to execute an Ajax request but instead end up having a ReferenceError: getData is not defined on Console. And this piece of code worked fine 6 months back or so. I've already referred some previously asked questions but no good.

Here's the code:

<html>
<head>
<script language = "text/javascript"> 
  var XMLHttpRequestObject = false; 
       if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { 
   XMLHttpRequestObject = new XMLHttpRequest(); 
 } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { 
   XMLHttpRequestObject = new  
     ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); 
 } 
 function getData(dataSource, divID)  
 {  
   if(XMLHttpRequestObject) { 
     var obj = document.getElementById(divID);  
     XMLHttpRequestObject.open("GET", dataSource);  
     XMLHttpRequestObject.onreadystatechange = function()  
     {  
       if (XMLHttpRequestObject.readyState == 4 &&  
         XMLHttpRequestObject.status == 200) {  
           obj.innerHTML = XMLHttpRequestObject.responseText;  
       }  
     }  
     XMLHttpRequestObject.send(null);  
   } 
 } 
</script> 
</head>
<body>

<form> 
  <input type = "button" value = "Fetch the message"  
    onclick = "getData('data.txt', 'targetDiv')">  
</form> 

<div id="targetDiv"> 
  <p>The fetched message will appear here.</p>  
</div>  

</body>
</html>

What browser are you using and what is your full error message (with call stack if provided)? — Nathan Wall
– Nathan Wall, Commented Jun 3, 2014 at 17:59
Chrome : Uncaught ReferenceError: getData is not defined and firefox : Exception : getData is not defined — Ravi
– Ravi, Commented Jun 3, 2014 at 18:02
@SurrealDreams Not everybody likes jQuery, that's not what the OP is asking about... — Ruan Mendes
– Ruan Mendes, Commented Jun 3, 2014 at 18:03
it's not what Javascript can't do, it's for learning purpose. Why isn't this working...? — Ravi
– Ravi, Commented Jun 3, 2014 at 18:04
@raaaz You're not showing us everything. If I paste your code onto jsfiddle.net/mendesjuan/933VJ, it does not throw the error you mentioned — Ruan Mendes
– Ruan Mendes, Commented Jun 3, 2014 at 18:05

Nathan Wall · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-03 18:07:00Z

3

Your browser doesn't know what language "text/javascript" is. It only knows the language "javascript" and the MIME-type "text/javascript". You're mixing the two up.

You could either change it to language="javascript" or type="text/javascript".

<script type="text/javascript">

language is an outdated attribute anyway; type is more modern.

answered Jun 3, 2014 at 18:07

Nathan Wall

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2 Comments

Ruan Mendes Over a year ago

It is indeed the problem... jsfiddle.net/mendesjuan/933VJ/1 Modern browsers assume type="text/javascript" so you can also leave it out jsfiddle.net/mendesjuan/933VJ/3

Ravi Over a year ago

And we have a winner here! Nice observation, Nathan.

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