iCab: Only objects may be called as functions.

[JAB Creations]

iCab is showing me this error... "Only objects may be called as functions" for this script...

XHTML

<a onclick="themesshow();" ...

JavaScript

function themesshow() {change('themes', 'promptshow'); promptshow(); ajaxpage('templates/ajax-prompt-themes.php', 'themesfocus'); document.getElementById('themesfocus').focus();}

The bold text in the JavaScript is what is triggering the console error in iCab. How can I keep iCab smiling?

- John

*Edited for spelling goof, doh!*

[edited by: JAB_Creations at 5:42 am (utc) on June 30, 2007]

[penders]

...and "themesfocus" definitely matches the id of an element elsewhere on the page? Where are you calling themesshow() from? Hhhmmm, but it works in other browsers I guess?

[JAB Creations]

All my code is valid, the id exists without any doubt, and it works in all other browsers. I figure this is either a browser quirk or a really picky JavaScript engine?

- John

[Bernard Marx]

I have no experience of iCab. It does seem odd that this behaviour only occurs in this browser.

Try tried replacing the statement with:

alert(typeof document.getElementById('themesfocus'))

I don't know how reliable the debugger messages are. I'm suspicious that you have a function called promptshow, whilst you are passing the string "promptshow" toa function. You don't happen to have an element with id, "promptshow" somewhere do you? It may cause a gobal namespace conflict.

[penders]

I figure this is either a browser quirk or a really picky JavaScript engine?

Hhhhmmm, I have no experience of iCab either I'm afraid, but ICab's Wikipedia page does list this as one of its criticisms, "Incompatibility with more intricate JavaScript-powered web sites" (although this is not backed up with any examples).

[JAB Creations]

Hey Bernard is back! :)

"iCab JavaScript Alert"
"! Object"
(Dialog was opened by "((my local IP here))"

What this script does is open a layer dead center of the page...the AJAX loads a template page (content not included reduces overall page load, template page is cached, genius really). The last part that iCab isn't able to swallow is for accessibilities. It gives focus to the targeted id so (right now only Gecko browsers (for the most part) correctly handle tabbed navigation) users can use the keyboard to navigate the page (without any need for a mouse).

- John

[JAB Creations]

Forgot to answer a question of yours, no there is are no ids with the same name as any of my JavaScript functions.

- John

[Bernard Marx]

I'm lost. I didn't know that DIVs have a focus method.

(Doesn't give an error. It just doesn't do anything)

[JAB Creations]

Overflow divisible elements do, in Gecko that is. It's a shortcoming of the W3C and it's contributors to have given keyboard script support (onkey-x-y-z) but no keyboard access (tabindex). Gecko (1.8+ I recall reading though could be wrong) supports tabindex on all elements.

Anyway if I don't give the overflow element focus it messes up the second tabbing sequence (when the user has exhausted all possible tabable elements and it recycles) in Gecko. So it's part of what I have to do to allow folks using Gecko to have full keyboard accessibility.

So that's not an error message? Yes, it does not do anything in iCab.

- John

[Bernard Marx]

So that's not an error message?

Sorry - I was testng in Firefox.