How Extract a Script in a page to be used as an External Script?

**davis_apas** · 11-07-2007, 02:40 AM

I have an example web page with a javascript inside it regarding menu. What I want to do is to extract the script so that I can reuse it to my other webpages so that whatever changes in the menu (if I add a menu or remove) I could just do it once and not having to do several pages.

I have tried to put the script as an external javascript and tried to load it in my webpage but it doesn't seem to work. Can someone show me how?

Here is the sample webpage that I would like to extract the javascript from and load as an external script. This sample script is from the sample I got from Dynamic Drive which allows me to make full use of (I think).

Please show the step-by-step process.

Thanks Davis
--------------------

Click to download attached webpage

**Trinithis** · 11-07-2007, 02:55 AM

page.html

HTML Code:

<html>
<head>
<title>My Page</title>
<script type="text/javascript" src="extern1.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
Body Text
<script type="text/javascript" src="extern2.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

extern1.js

Code:

alert("hello from extern1");

extern2.js

Code:

alert("hello from extern2");

**davis_apas** · 11-07-2007, 05:32 AM

Originally Posted by Trinithis

page.html

HTML Code:

<html>
<head>
<title>My Page</title>
<script type="text/javascript" src="extern1.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
Body Text
<script type="text/javascript" src="extern2.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

extern1.js

Code:

alert("hello from extern1");

extern2.js

Code:

alert("hello from extern2");

I don't think it's as easy as this because there are a lot of things to consider like the variables. I have tried it using this method that you have posted and it wouldn't work. Thanks anyways.

**jscheuer1** · 11-07-2007, 06:16 AM

Use a text editor to save the script, call it 'file_name.js' where 'file_name' can be any valid file name of your choosing. Substitute the name of your external .js file for some.js in the below:

HTML Code:

<script src="some.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Common problems arise when:

1 ) The script file is not in the directory specified. In the above example it must be in the same directory as the page(s) that use it. Below, it can be in the scripts directory off of the root of a domain:

HTML Code:

<script src="http://www.somedomain.com/scripts/some.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

2 ) Opening, closing and/or 'hiding' tags are left in the external file. This means that you must strip:

Code:

<script>
<!--

and

Code:

//-->
</script>

and any of their many variations from the beginning and end of the external file.

3 ) The external call (<script src="some.js" type="text/javascript"></script>) is not inserted into the page at the correct spot. The external call must be inserted at the same place on the page where the script was/would have been.

4 ) Paths to other files (if) used by the script are no longer valid due to its location. This is only a problem if the external script is kept in a different directory than the page it was working on when it was an internal script. To correct this, use absolute paths inside the script. Absolute path examples:

Code:

http://www.somedomain.com/images/button.gif

http://www.somedomain.com/~mysitename/index.html

5 ) Inappropriately combining two or more scripts into one external file. Usually external scripts can be combined if one knows enough about scripting to do so properly. Even then it is possible to overlook something.

A rule of thumb when testing is, if it won't work on the page, it won't work as an external file either.

One other thing, if this is a DD script or any script that requires the credit remain for legal use, include the credit in the on page call, ex:

HTML Code:

<script src="some.js" type="text/javascript">
/***********************************************
* IFrame SSI script II- © Dynamic Drive DHTML code library (http://www.dynamicdrive.com)
* Visit DynamicDrive.com for hundreds of original DHTML scripts
* This notice must stay intact for legal use
***********************************************/
</script>

Make sure to retain all the 'decorations', as these include begin and end javascript comment delimiters, without which the script won't function.

There is also info here:

http://www.javascriptkit.com/javatutors/external.shtml

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