can't change variable value javascript

Question

So I'm working on a script that will save every second a person was online on whatsapp (on whatsapp web)

and I have this:

//add zeros (run only once)
function addZero(i) {
  if (i < 10) {
    i = "0" + i;
  }
  return i;
}

//Inject jQuery (run only once)
var jq = document.createElement('script');
jq.src = "https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.4/jquery.min.js";
document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(jq);

// make online log
//start
var online = "yes";
var onlineCheck1 = window.setInterval(function() {
  var x = $('#main>header>div.chat-body>div.chat-status>span').text()
  var name = $('#main>header>div.chat-body>div.chat-main>.chat-title>span').text()
  var d = new Date();
  if (x == "online") {
    var online = "yes";
    console.log(d.toLocaleDateString('en-GB') + "|" + addZero(d.getHours()) + ":" + addZero(d.getMinutes()) + ":" + addZero(d.getSeconds()) + " " + name + " " + "was" + " " + "///online///");
  } else if (online == "yes") {
    console.log("<------------>")
    var online = "no";
  } else {
    var online = "no";
  }

}, 1000); //end

and it's logging when someone is online but I want it to put just one mark (<------------>) when the person is offline and it's not doing that.

so what I want this script to do is:
make the variable "online" with the value "yes"
then make the variable "x" with the value the inner text of an element (which is online or last seen.....)
and then look if x is online? then change the value of "online" to "yes" log the date and time
if not and if the value of the variable "online" is "yes"? then log a mark (<------------>) and change the value of "online" to "no"
if not? then just change the value of the variable "online" to "no" and repeat.
I don't know what is going wrong but it may be that the variables are not getting changed for some reason.

Note: i'm using chrome's console to run this script on web.whatsapp.com so you can try it if you want to see what I mean.

Wait @mrrogers you were right :) OP remove the var keywords (for online) in that function; you're overriding the global declaration for online. — Pointy
– Pointy, Commented Dec 30, 2016 at 22:36

curveball · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-30 22:58:50Z

2

First off, your code looks somewhat dirty - put function out of setInterval.

Secondly, what if the Jquery script from google, injected at the beginning of the code, gets stuck and $ is not defined when you call it?

Then, use setTimeout and call it recursively instead of setInterval.

As for your variable "online" - you use "var" inside your function, so "var online" is created within your anon. function`s scope and the external "var online" is not affected by your manipulations. Try to remove "var" word inside your anon. function in setInterval.

edited Dec 30, 2016 at 22:58

answered Dec 30, 2016 at 22:45

curveball

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3 Comments

ELIAS YOUSSEF Over a year ago

I know my code looks "dirty" and no I've checked and no Jquery isn't injected in the site and I don't really know how to use setTimeout instead of setInterval. could you show me please? and I'm going to test your solution it sounds logical

ELIAS YOUSSEF Over a year ago

and it worked, thanks but can you show me how to do it with setTimeout instead of setInterval?

curveball Over a year ago

yeah, sure. It looks like this: first call: setTimeout(check, 1000) var check = function c() { // do your stuff, then setTimeout(c, 1000); }

edshot · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-30 22:58:49Z

1

Try to remove the "var" keyword from the variables you want to change inside the if-else statements...

answered Dec 30, 2016 at 22:58

edshot

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