Javascript in php echo()

[chilu]

Hello everybody,

I am pretty sure that this has a simple answer of which everyone else is aware.

I am trying to display text links that have their information (link name and URL) retrieved from a .txt file using PHP on a page called "links.php". The problem that I am encountering is that I would like to have the links open a new window when clicked and the "onClick" function cause the "links.php" page to appear blank. If I remove the "onClick()"function from the PHP script, I can get working links to show up on the in the right location.

Here is the PHP code that I am trying to use:

<?php
$fp = fopen('text/linksIII.txt','r');
if (!$fp) {echo 'ERROR: Unable to open file.</table></body></html>'; exit;}

while (!feof($fp)) {
	$line = fgets($fp,1024); //use 2048 if very long lines
	list ($section, $url, $name,) = split ('\|', $line);
	echo '
<tr>
<td class="leftCol">'.$section.'</td>
<td class="spacerCol"></td>
<td class="rightCol"><a href="javascript:;" onClick="MM_openBrWindow('.$url.','','')">
'.$name.'</a></td>
</tr>

I understand that PHP is processed by the server and that Javascript is processed by the client, but I don't see how this applies as the PHP is creating javascript instruction to be carried out by the client.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

[firmaterra]

i'm a bit fuzzy on this but i think the problem your having is beacause your closing off your echo quotes by the use of single quotes in your javascript statement.try escaping them with a back slash/replacing them with double quotes.
also try a href=javascript:void(0);
if all else fails try assigning your code to a variable and echoing the variable instead.
hope this helps. let me know!!

[chilu]

Hi firmaterra,

Thanks for the quick reply.

I tried all your suggestions in all their various combinations (as correctly as I could). It definitely go me closer, but still no biscuit... with the following script, I get to see the page with all the links again. Everything but the link seems to work. I even see the "Run Javascript:void(0)" message in the browser's status bar, but no new window opens.

As you predicted the problem seems to stem from the handling of the single quotes, but using / to escape them didn't seem to do the trick and the double quotes don't seem to be doing it either...

<?php
$fp = fopen('text/linksIII.txt','r');
if (!$fp) {echo 'ERROR: Unable to open file.</table></body></html>'; exit;}

while (!feof($fp)) {
	$line = fgets($fp,1024); //use 2048 if very long lines
	list ($section, $url, $name,) = split ('\|', $line);
	$link = '<a href="javascript:void(0);" onClick="MM_openBrWindow("'.$url.'","","")">';
 
	echo '
<tr>
<td class="leftCol">'.$section.'</td>
<td class="spacerCol"></td>
<td class="rightCol">'.$link.''.$name.'</a></td>
</tr>
';
	$fp++;
}
fclose($fp); ?>

[vinyl-junkie]

Please use code tags when posting code. Thanks.

What are you doing in your javascript? Unless you're doing anything besides just opening a new window, why not just use the url directly target="_blank" to do that?

[DeadMeatGF]

but using / to escape them didn't seem to do the trick and the double quotes don't seem to be doing it either...

You need to use \ to escape - not /

Personally I'd use - for example:

echo "
<tr>
<td class=\"leftCol\">$section</td>
<td class=\"spacerCol\"></td>
<td class=\"rightCol\">$link$name</a></td>
</tr>
"; 

[firmaterra]

^^ What Dead Meat Said!!

Also I'd try change the javascript to:

$link = '<a href="javascript:void(0);" onClick="MM_openBrWindow("$url","","")">';

i.e. leaving out the single quotes.

[chilu]

Thank you all for your help, DeadMeatGF, vinyl-junkie and firmaterra. A mash up of your suggestions has worked. vj - your simple solution was the ticket. I ended up using the following:

	$link = '<a href="'.$url.'" target="_blank">'; 
	echo " 
<tr> 
<td class=\"leftCol\">$section</td> 
<td class=\"spacerCol\"></td> 
<td class=\"rightCol\">$link$name</a></td> 
</tr> 
";

Thanks again!