This problem is only in IE. And no, forgetting IE is NOT an option.

I want to get the width of an element, specifically a DIV, into a variable in JS. but for now, just to alert.

simple right?

this code should do it right?


you would think. but no. the problem comes from the fact that when the page first loads, the div I need to measure does not exist yet. It is created by JS after the page (or while the page) is loaded. The Div is also hidden, but it does have a specific width set by the style sheet. Though the style sheet also is written after the fact.

The code above is inside a function, that gets run onmou

seo

 ver.

when I do, IE returns 0, FF returns the actual width.
it has something to do with the order of execution of JS and DOM building i think. Even if i put the width actually into the style element of the DIV, i still can't get anything but 0.

so, thoughts?

yes... but I am running fast to a client will comment later /p

In IE, the page has to be "cured" before JS can see any of the DIV elements - but if you're attempting to activate this onMou

seO

 ver then I assume that it is... what I mean is that the DIV must be in and visible and the DOM must be "all done" before you'll be able to access it. For example, if I want to get a global handle to a node on the DOM in IE, I have to SetTimeout() to get it about 100ms later - I can't get it when the page is loading.

Also, if you have either 2 divs with the same ID or you have a global

javascript

  variable with the same name as the DIV you will have troubles in IE.

You should also try (node).style.width and (node).style.height - these talk to the STYLEd width rather than the physical width. Since I can't see the body of code here, this may be an issue - IE has some weird behaviors here.

Gotta run, still trying to look smart @a client's... hope one of these working in the mean time...

/p

basically whats building the page is a

PHP

  that spits out JS which Document.write out to the client.
on the client, the result is an image, that when rolled over, would switch a hidden div to visible, and position it, absolutely on the page which is calculated relative to the image. So think of a flyout.

what I am trying to do is compensate for edge issues when the div would ap

pear

  off page because of the layout. Easy enough in FF.

The ID of the div I am trying to get the dimensions of only exists once.
The style.width comes back blank, not even 0 in both browsers.


since the rollover image is loaded at the same time as the div, actually in the same string, there should be no issue of the div not existing yet.