Link to External Javascript

How To?

[dimo414]

I found a javascript code online that hides e-mail addresses from spambots. It's only problem is the code is very long and I don't like to insert it at the top of every page. The script is run by clicking an anchor, so where I want to insert the encrypted link, I insert this:

<a href='javascript:beat'>Email Me</a>

Like I said, the code itself is very long, so I want to make a seperate file with just the code (say, 'mailcode.htm'), and link to that. So my question is, what do I insert into the "href='javascript:beat'" in order to referance the script externaly?

[a1call]

Hi,
Use:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="file.js"></SCRIPT>

for external file.js. Don't put the js tag in the external file, just the js code.

Had to edit: I misunderstood the question. Sorry, I only know the above code is used to access external js. Not sure it will work in this case.
That seems to be the format:

<a href="#" onclick="javascript:functin()">

So write the function in a file with extension .js
and put the reference to it in the head of the html document. Not sure if other extensions will work but .js will. Hope this helps.

[Robin_reala]

Although a1call's got the right idea his code examples aren't quite correct. Valid vesions would be:

<SCRIPT type="text/javascript" SRC="file.js"></SCRIPT>

@language is deprecated in favour of @type.

<a href="#" onclick="functin()">

You don't need the javascript: pseudoprotocol if you're calling a function from an event handler.

[kaled]

Better to use an image rather than javascript. If javascript is disabled users can still see the address and type it in.

Kaled.

[Tidal2]

"Better to use an image rather than javascript. If javascript is disabled users can still see the address and type it in."

What if they were using a speech reader?

You could cover Javascript being turned off with an extra line:

<noscript><img src="email.jpg"></noscript>

[dimo414]

Thanks for the code examples!

The problem with images is severalfold. One, most spambots look for 'mailto:' in site sources, so an image won't help much, unless of course you don't link to it. Beyond that, simply the issue of using an image in a way that it can flow with the text.

The code I'm refering to hides the e-mail address, but when the link is clicked, it acts as a mailto: command.

Anyways, thanks!

[BlobFisk]

Best to avoid mailto: and use a form-to-mail prcessor instead. Not only does it hide your email address (if that's what you want), but it also allows people who don't have a default mail application (web mail users and people from web cafes) to contact you.

[Dijkgraaf]

But using a formail processer might also open you up to those who search for vunerable ones that they can use for spamming.

I use an external JavaScript function to write the mailto: links to the page with a backup of an image for those with no JavaScript, and so far that address has not been spammed.

[g1smd]

Javascript-written mailto: links are a good idea. A friend has reduced incoming spam from 1000 per day to under 80 per day within a year by doing just that.

For browsers without javascript, use an unlinked image that contains a visual rendition of the email address. Users will just have to re-type that to send mail.