Trying to reference a javascript global variable in rexx

Jeff Kirsch · New User Joined: 23 Jun 2021 Posts: 6 Location: USA

Hi,

I've read a number of posts and some topics about javascript and rexx co-existing together. And, I've written a very basic rexx program that uses some simple html and javascript.

What I'm trying to do, presuming it can be done and I just don't know the magic, is reference a global variable defined in javascript within the rexx program.

The javascript and rexx command I've defined both reside in the same program. For example

say '<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">'
say '{var counter = 2}'
say '</script>'

say '<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">'
say 'function myTest()',
'{alert(counter)}'
say '</script>'

say counter

In the above example, the global variable counter is assigned a value of 2, and will display that value when function myTest() is executed. However, the Rexx command which follows say counter only displays the word COUNTER.

If this can be done, would someone educate me on how this can be accomplished? Thanks in advance.

Joerg.Findeisen · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:29 am

Don't you miss some semicolon in your code, do you?

Pedro · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 11:02 am

Jeff, can you cite a reference for this? I would like to try it out.

Pedro · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 11:18 am

I do not know anything about this. This is all guessing, hypothesis and conjecture:

In your example, it seems like the rexx would run on the web server and it will build an HTML file that will run sometime later on the browser system. I think all of the rexx will run before any of the javascript is run.

That is, in your example rexx, it only has several SAY instructions which are used to compose the HTML file but there is no other execution going on.

Pedro · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 11:21 am

It is not clear what myTest() is... is that also a rexx program?

Joerg.Findeisen · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:43 pm

Jeff Kirsch · New User Joined: 23 Jun 2021 Posts: 6 Location: USA

Hi Pedro and Joerg,

Thanks for your replies, let me respond:

"Can you cite a reference for this? I would like to try it out"
-- I don't have a reference for you, sorry. The code I wrote is from other systems that were written using Rexx. It's been trial and error as I read about javascript and HTML, then incorporate it into Rexx.

In your example, it seems like the rexx would run on the web server and it will build an HTML file that will run sometime later on the browser system. I think all of the rexx will run before any of the javascript is run.
That is, in your example rexx, it only has several SAY instructions which are used to compose the HTML file but there is no other execution going on.
-- Yes, I'm using Rexx on a webserver executing under USS. You may be right in that Rexx statements execute first before the javascripts get invoked. I don't know how it all works behind the scenes either. The "say" statements are executing. Because I do see the webpage with my objects displayed, and when I click on them, they execute the function I specified.

It is not clear what myTest() is... is that also a rexx program?
-- That is a javascript function. All it does is displayed the value of counter. And it works, so that is how I know the variable counter has been populated.

It should be seen as the JS function. But I doubt that REXX can also run JS code.
-- You may be right in that Rexx may not run the JS code, but the webserver is. Rexx cgi-script I think just allows the code to be generated so javascript can execute it.

As I mentioned in my opening comment, it may not be possible to reference a javascript variable or HTML object from Rexx. But wanted to check just the same.

Pedro · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:24 pm