Problem setting TD tag innerHTML

[Rob Hunter]

I've posted the function I call below and also the html code that is involved. I keep getting an error message regarding unknown runtime error. ANy idea to why I'm getting this error? Any help appreciated.

    
//---- Validate the form data ---------------------------
            function valFrm() {
                var errSpot1 = document.getElementById("errSpot1");
                var testStr = document.inqFrm.destFileName.value;
                if (testStr.equals("")) {
                    errSpot1.innerHTML = "*** Destination file name required ***";
                    return false;
                }
                if ((document.inqFrm.destFileName.value).length < 10) {
                    errSpot1.innerHTML = "*** Destination file name must be a minimum of 10 characters. ***";
                    return false;
                }
                testStr = (document.inqFrm.destFileName.value).replace(/^( +)$/g, "");
                for (fCnt=0;fCnt<document.inqFrm.destFileLst.length;fCnt++) {
                    if (testStr == document.inqFrm.destFileLst.options[fCnt].value) {
                        errSpot1.innerHTML = "<input type=\"button\" name=\"overButt\" id=\"overButt\" value=\"File Exists. Click to Overwrite?\" onclick=\"overWrite();\" \/>";
                        return false;
                    }
                }
                errSpot1.innerHTML = "";
                return false;
                
            }

    
<form name="inqFrm" action="somescript.pl" method="post">
            <div align="center">
                <table   border="0">
                    <tr> 
                        <td  > </td>
                        <td   >
                            <table   border="1">
                                <tr><th ><th ><th ></th></th><th ></th><th ></th></tr
                            ></table>
                            <center>
                            <table   border="0">
                                <tr ><td></td></tr><tr ><td ><strong>File Name : </strong><input type="text" name="destFileName" value=""><td><td ><strong>Files created: </strong><select name="destFileLst"><option value="MARCH092009">MARCH092009</option></select></td><td ></td></tr>
                                <table  border="0">
  <tr ><td></td></tr>
  <tr><td >
      <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Perform action" onclick="return valFrm();">
  </td></tr>
</table>
<input type="hidden" name="hiddenDir" value="months">

                            </table>
                            </span>
                        </td>
                        <td > </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr><td id="errSpot1" > </td></tr>
                </table>
            </div>
        </form>

[Rob Hunter]

I should also point out that by removing everything in the script except the getElementById line and adding a line to just set the innerHTML to the TD still gives me the same error. It's like it doesn't like the getElementByID returned value or the innerHTML property.

[Eric Pascarello]

What browser are you having the error in. That is important in web development.

Did you test to see what getElementById returns?

var errSpot1 = document.getElementById("errSpot1"); 
alert(errSpot1);

You should not name your button submit. It overrides JavaScript functionality. It is also good practice not to name your variables the same the form element names.

Side question:
What are you using that has the equals() method? Did you extend String.prototype?

[Rob Hunter]

Hi Eric,
Everything you are now looking at is the result of mixing things up to see why things weren't working. Far from the original. As with the naming conventions, this is just something I was playing with to see if I could get it to do what I wanted but, again, the names started out being totally different than they are now. I'm using IE by the way.

Rob