can't retrieve specific element from from xml file using javascript

Question

I am having an issue trying to get a specific element from an xml file. See below the javascript code i use and then the xml file. More specifically, when i retrieve the title element of the first monument element its fine. The problem is when i try to retrieve the title element of the second monument element of the xml file. The second alert shows nothing.What i do wrong? There is something wrong inside my for loop i guess.

javascript file

<script>
    function loadXMLDoc(doc) { 
        if (window.XMLHttpRequest){ 
            request = new XMLHttpRequest(); 
        } else { 
            request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); 
        } 
        request.open("GET",doc,false); 
        request.send(""); 
        return request.responseXML; 
    }

    function displaypafosmonuments(doc) {
        xmlDoc = loadXMLDoc(doc);
        pafos=xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("pafos");
        monuments=pafos[0].getElementsByTagName("monuments");

        monument=monuments[0].getElementsByTagName("monument");

        var title = new Array(3);
for(var k=0;k<2;k++){
title.push(monument[k].getElementsByTagName("title"));
alert(title[k].nodeName);
                   }
    }
</script>

xml file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<data>    
    <pafos>
        <monuments>
            <monument>
                <username>dimitris</username>
                <email>[email protected]</email>
                <title>Colossi Castle</title>
                <description>Very nice castle</description>
                <image>colossi.jpg</image>
                <geolocation></geolocation>
                <date>08/03/2014</date>
                <time>01:33</time>
            </monument>
            <monument>
                <username>aristi</username>
                <email>[email protected]</email>
                <title>Castle</title>
                <description>Very ugly castle</description>
                <image>colossi.jpg</image>
                <geolocation></geolocation>
                <date>09/03/2014</date>
                <time>02:33</time>
            </monument>
        </monuments>
    </pafos>
</data>

helderdarocha · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-09 22:40:22Z

1

You are creating an array with three empty places, and then inside the loop you push two more items. Now your array has five elements. But you read the first and the second, which are null.

One way to fix it is to change your array declaration:

var title = new Array();

Now you will be pushing elements 0 and 1, and reading elements 0 and 1.

Inside the loop you are reading the title node-set. You have to get the first (and only) title element.

title.push(monument[k].getElementsByTagName("title")[0]);

Finally, your alert() is not accessing the text node. So this will work:

alert(title[k].childNodes[0].nodeValue);

Updated the fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/helderdarocha/4sZ8x/1/

edited Mar 9, 2014 at 22:40

answered Mar 9, 2014 at 22:15

helderdarocha

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7 Comments

Dchris Over a year ago

thanks a lot! you are right. my actual problem is when i try to do this in a for loop. can you check my edited post and tell me what is wrong now? i have the same issue in the for loop

helderdarocha Over a year ago

I see. You are pushing two more elements on an array of size 3 and then reading the first two, which would be null. You also aren't adding the title, but the node-set. I'll edit the answer.

Dchris Over a year ago

thanks again. i will use firebug from now on, i am new to javascript and xml.

Dchris Over a year ago

but i don't push more elements. i removed the other lines for adding elements to that array and i replaced them by adding the elements inside the for loop

helderdarocha Over a year ago

Check the fiddle link I posted. When you post CSS, JavaScript and HTML questions in Stack Overflow, always add a JSFiddle since that makes it easier for us to test it. It's usually possible to adapt the problem to fit there.

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