How can I use server-side script in an external js file to grab a reference to a dom element?

The following works as intended when used as inline-script, but is returning null when I move this to an external js file.

$("#<%= gridResults.ClientID %>");

How can I use server-side script in an external js file to grab a reference to a dom element?

The following works as intended when used as inline-script, but is returning null when I move this to an external js file.

$("#<%= gridResults.ClientID %>");

• asp
• javascript
• jquery

• 3 See stackoverflow./questions/844970/… and stackoverflow./questions/1232465/… for a couple of general solutions to this. See stackoverflow./questions/497802/… for a jQuery solution. – Crescent Fresh Commented Nov 19, 2009 at 15:10

4 Answers 4

You'll need to have an inline script block that creates a JavaScript variable. This block should be added before your external JavaScript file. Once you do this, you can reference that variable in your external JavaScript file.

<script type="text/javascript">
    var grid = $("#<%= gridResults.ClientID %>");
</script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="path/to/my.js"></script>

If you but a unique class on the grid using the CssClass property, you should be able to access the grid without having to know what it's clientID is.

You can't put #<%= gridResults.ClientID %>, because the gridresults.ClientID is specific to that asp page.

You could do:

<stript src="yourfile" type="text/javascript"> <!--link to external js file-->

<script type="text/javascript">
  var grid = $("#<%= gridResults.ClientID %>");

  yourfunction (grid);

</script>

What you want to happen cannot. The external javascript file is not parsed by the ASP.NET page's code behind, so the functionality of ASP.NET is not available to it.