document.open in ajax callback function

[Stu Johns]

Hi,
I am having trouble with this callback function(belos), all I want to do is completely change a document with the results from the server (using document.open() etc), I have simplified this function just for the example, in my app it may be a fragment that needs injecting into the current page. This code works fine on Firefox but IE seems to have a problem when it reaches the document.open method. If anyone knows how to do this or a workaround I'd be very happy. Thanks all.

Sincerly

Stu.

 function processStateChange() {
  if (req.readyState == 4) { // Complete
      if (req.status == 200) { // OK response
 
        alert("Ajax response:"+req.responseText);
 
        document.open();
document.write('HELLO WORLD');
document.close;
 
      } else {
        alert("Problem with server response:\n " + req.statusText);
      }
    }
  }
   

[Bear Bibeault]

Originally posted by Stu Johns:
in my app it may be a fragment that needs injecting into the current page

Well which is it? Injecting a fragment is substantially different from replacing the whole document.

[Stu Johns]

Hi,

The bit giving me trouble is where I am trying to replace the whole document, in an ajax callback function.

thanks

Stu

[Eric Pascarello]

If you are trying to replace the entire page, than why in the world are you using Ajax? A simple post back will do it.

Eric

[Stu Johns]

because I dont know until the response comes back from the server that I do need to replace the whole page. I may need to just update the page with some validation failures if that is what is returned from the servlet/jsp. However if a complete page is returned I am trying to display it.

Thanks for helping.

Stu

[Stu Johns]

just to add, its IE6 this fails in.

[Bear Bibeault]

Not the best way to do it. Have the server return either the validation information or the URL of the page to display, rather than the content of the page itself.

[Stu Johns]

as I am using struts to return the page I'd have to somehow override that functionality to just return the URL, which i was hoping to avoid.
thanks again for your help.

Stu.

[Bear Bibeault]

Struts or otherwise, you can return whatever you want.

If you are going to be working with Ajax, you need to move beyond the "always return a full HTML page" mentality.

For this type of situation, a JSON construct telling the on-page script what to do is a good approach,
[ August 12, 2008: Message edited by: Bear Bibeault ]

[Stu Johns]

Ok, I have been trying stuff based on your suggestion,
Now my app works like this:
1. user submits form data.
2. struts validates, if unsuccessful the errors returned are displayed (by injection on page using ajax)
3. if validation passes then data is saved to the database - at this point the user needs to be redirected to a different page.
The ajax callback function is still waiting for a server response, so the response it now gets is a JSON object name value pair {"theURL", "/webapp/action.do"}
I then use document.location to display the required page.

Do you think this is the best way to do it or have i missed something?

thanks

Stu.

[Bear Bibeault]

Sounds pretty much like how I would do it.

[Stu Johns]

Excellent! Thanks for the advice