Web Dialog: Trouble passing string from ruby to javascript

sachi

“var” is a String type ruby variable. I can’t pass characters to web dialog box though the ruby variable “var”. This works fine when the string contains integers. (eg: var=”12”).I can’t figure out why?
I like to know about your suggestions about this problem.

Ruby Code
` var= "a"
dialog = UI::WebDialog.new("Building details", true, "", 410, 875, 1030, 0, true)

dialog.add_action_callback("pass_data"){|dialog,htmlpage|
java = "set_id("+var+")"
dialog.execute_script(java)
}`

%(#0000BF)[Html and javascript

<html>
<script>
function callRuby(htmlpage) {
query = 'skp:pass_data@' + htmlpage;
window.location.href = query;}

function set_id(var){
var message = "ID = " +var+ " ";
document.getElementById('output').innerHTML = message;}
</script>

<body>
<h3 id="output">Object ID </h3>
<input type="button" onclick="callRuby('pull_selection_count')" value="Refresh">
</body>
</html>]

thomthom

You must ensure to compile a proper JavaScript string - check the string you send to execute_script.

From your example:

<span class="syntaxdefault"></span><span class="syntaxkeyword">var=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"a"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">java </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"set_id("</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">+var+</span><span class="syntaxstring">")"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">dialog</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">execute_script</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">java</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"></span>

The string java you send to the WebDialog is compiled to:
set_id(a)

You see your problem now? You're asking of a JS variable a instead of a string "a".

That's why a number works:

<span class="syntaxdefault"></span><span class="syntaxkeyword">var=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"5"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">java </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"set_id("</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">+var+</span><span class="syntaxstring">")"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">dialog</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">execute_script</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">java</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"></span>

This compiles to:
set_id(5) - which is valid.

Because the string you send to the webdialog is a javascript source string you must ensure the correct quotes are there.

A quick way to ensure strings are properly escaped is using the .inspect method.

<span class="syntaxdefault"></span><span class="syntaxkeyword">var=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"a"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">java </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"set_id(#{var.inspect})"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">dialog</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">execute_script</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">java</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"></span>

This will translate to set_id("a")

Further more, if you have single and double quotes that needs to be there, they will be properly escaped as well:

<span class="syntaxdefault"></span><span class="syntaxkeyword">var=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">%{</span><span class="syntaxdefault">A string with </span><span class="syntaxstring">"double"</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> and </span><span class="syntaxstring">'single'</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> quotes</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.}<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">java </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"set_id(#{var.inspect})"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">dialog</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">execute_script</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">java</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"></span>

This will translate into: set_id("A string with \"double\" and 'single' quotes.")

thomthom

Note, I also used string interpolation: #{} inside the string - it's much faster way to compile strings than using string + another_string. I also find it read easier as well.

sachi

Thank you very much
it works just fine