JavaScript and XML Dom - Nested Loop

Question

So I'm a beginner in XML DOM and JavaScript but I've run into an issue. I'm using the script to display my XML data in a table on an existing site. The problem comes in nesting a loop in my JavaScript code.

Here is my XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<book_list>
  <author>
    <first_name>Mary</first_name>
    <last_name>Abbott Hess</last_name>
      <books>
        <title>The Healthy Gourmet Cookbook</title>
      </books>
  </author>
  <author>
    <first_name>Beverly</first_name>
    <last_name>Bare Bueher</last_name>
      <books>
        <title>Cary Grant: A Bio-Bibliography</title>
        <title>Japanese Films</title>
      </books>
  </author>
  <author>
    <first_name>James P.</first_name>
    <last_name>Bateman</last_name>
      <books>
        <title>Illinois Land Use Law</title>
      </books>
  </author>
</book_list>

I then use this JavaScript code to read and display the data:

> <script type="text/javascript"> if
> (window.XMLHttpRequest)   {  
> xhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();   } else
> // Internet Explorer 5/6   {  
> xhttp=new
> ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");  
> } xhttp.open("GET","books.xml",false);
> xhttp.send("");
> xmlDoc=xhttp.responseXML;
> 
> document.write("<table>"); var
> x=xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("author");
> for (i=0;i<x.length;i++)   {  
> document.write("<tr><td>");  
> document.write(x[i].getElementsByTagName("first_name")[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue);
> document.write("&nbsp;");  
> document.write(x[i].getElementsByTagName("last_name")[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue);
> document.write("</td><td>");  
> document.write(x[i].getElementsByTagName("title")[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue);
> document.write("</td></tr>");   }
> document.write("</table>"); </script>

The code works well except it only returns the first title element of each author. I somewhat understand why it's doing that, but I don't know how to nest another loop so when the script runs it displays all the titles for an author, not just the first. Whenever I try to nest a loop it breaks the entire script.

Why are you using document.write?

austincheney
– austincheney

2012-07-27 18:25:54 +00:00
Commented Jul 27, 2012 at 18:25 — austincheney
– austincheney, Commented Jul 27, 2012 at 18:25

naugtur · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-22 16:21:05Z

1

getElementsByTagName("title")[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue

that's why. You take the first title only. Put another loop that will generate all i for getElementsByTagName("title")[i]

My tip: use jquery and write Your code in 3 lines without problems like that.

answered Mar 22, 2010 at 16:21

naugtur

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BSteck Over a year ago

Thanks Naugtur, I'm even less experienced in jQuery but that was helpful, I figured that line was the problem. I tried to put in a for loop like this: var y=x[i].getElementsByTagName("books"); for (n=0;n<y.length;n++) { document.write(y[n].getElementsByTagName("title")[n].childNodes[n].nodeValue); } But kept getting the first title only. Anyway, thanks for the help.

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