js variable keeps coming up 'undefined'

**captsig** · 09-17-2010 06:00 PM

Greetings colleagues,
I've boiled down my code to the essence of the problem; a variable which serves as a parameter to a function keeps coming up as 'undefined'. The code is quite simple:
....
<head>
<title>Yearly Calendar</title>
<link href="styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
<link href="yearly.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

<script type="text/javascript">

function writeMonthCell(calandarDay, currentTime)
{
alert(typeof calendarDay);
var this_DATE=new Date(calendarDay);
document.write("inside writeMonthCell the date is: " + this_DATE);

}//end writeMonthCell function
</script>
</head>

<
body>

<div id="main">
<h1>Yearly Calendar</h1>
<script type="text/javascript">
var thisDate=new Date("March 25, 2011 14:35:05");

var thistime=thisDate.getTime();

document.write("the date is:" + thisDate+"<br />");
document.write("the time is:" + thistime+"<br />");

alert(typeof thisDate);
writeMonthCell(thisDate, thistime);

</script>
</div>
</body>
</html>

in the main body the alert(typeof thisDate) displays 'object'; but when the function is called, writeMonthCell, inside the function the alert says 'calendar undefined' .

I'm perplexed; why is thisDate now undefined as a parameter?

Your comments would be very appreciated!!

captsig

**Sterling Isfine** · 09-17-2010 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by captsig

I'm perplexed; why is thisDate now undefined as a parameter?

Your comments would be very appreciated!!

It isn't undefined, you're alerting an undefined variable and if I saw it so can you.

**Ofekmeister** · 09-17-2010 07:08 PM

Code:

function writeMonthCell(calandarDay, currentTime)
{
alert(typeof calendarDay);
var this_DATE=new Date(calendarDay);
document.write("inside writeMonthCell the date is: " + this_DATE);

}//end writeMonthCell function
</script>

**captsig** · 09-17-2010 08:44 PM

if I take out the line for the alert(typeof calendarDay), then the script still produces an error for the next line saying "calendarDay undefined"

**Sterling Isfine** · 09-17-2010 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by captsig

if I take out the line for the alert(typeof calendarDay), then the script still produces an error for the next line saying "calendarDay undefined"

"You see but you do not observe" - 'Sherlock Holmes' A Scandal in Bohemia

**captsig** · 09-17-2010 09:55 PM

I finally have things moving ahead again; thanks for your consideration just the same.
In the line:function writeMonthCell(calandarDay, currentTime), you normally think of calendarDay and currentTime as a place-holding parameters; I guess this is not so for date objects. Once I made sure that the calling statement had the same param. name, i.e. calendarDay the errors for 'undefined' stopped appearing.

captsig

**Ofekmeister** · 09-17-2010 10:21 PM

You spelled calendar "calandar" in the function declaration. That was the only problem.

**captsig** · 09-18-2010 10:58 AM

Ofekmeiter!! you're right!! How stupid of me. Amazing how the obvious can escape us.

Thanks for your response.
captsig

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