Displaying array elements using JavaScript

Question

I'm trying to display elements of a JavaScript array. Code:

var name = ["one" , "two"];
window.onload = function(){
document.getElementById('MinamaisVards').innerHTML=name[1];
}

Can anyone tell me why does it display the letter "n" instead of the second element of array? I don't understand where the problem is.

It looks like there is some other code that is being run that is changing name before the window.onload event is being fired. — Tom Fenech
– Tom Fenech, Commented Aug 23, 2014 at 19:50

adeneo · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-23 19:53:17Z

14

There already is a global with the name name, it's window.name, and it only accepts strings, so when you do

var name = ["one" , "two"];

in the global scope, and you get it back

console.log( name );

you get

"one, two"

and it's of type string, so name[1] is "n", the second character in that string.
This is because what you're really setting and getting is window.name, and it does not accept an array, so it runs toString() on whatever you pass it.

Change the variable name to something that isn't already in use

answered Aug 23, 2014 at 19:53

adeneo

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2 Comments

MarisP Over a year ago

Thanks, this worked. Not quite sure if I understand the explaination though.

adeneo Over a year ago

@MarisP - In javascript there are windows, the main window is also the upper most scope, or a global, so when you're not in a function scope but in the global scope, any var attaches to the window, as in window.variable. A window can also have a name, which means that all windows have a built in name property, as in window.name, when you do var name in the global scope, you're in reality accessing window.name and that's a special property that only accepts strings, so anything you pass will be converted to a string.

RN Kushwaha · Accepted Answer · 2019-02-03 20:13:44Z

3

The problem is in var name as its a reserved word, use names instead.

var name = ["one" , "two"];
 window.onload = function(){
  document.getElementById('MinamaisVards').innerHTML=name[1];
 }

should be

var names = ["one" , "two"];
window.onload = function(){
  document.getElementById('MinamaisVards').innerHTML=names[1];
}

edited Feb 3, 2019 at 20:13

answered Aug 23, 2014 at 19:58

RN Kushwaha

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