Question

How can I refer to the variable’s name (literally the name of the variable)?

I have the following code:

var thisVariableName = 'path/filename.js';

var script = document.createElement('script');
script.id = **I WANT THE TEXT "thisVariableName" to be added HERE**
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = thisVariableName;

So that if output script.id, I would get thisVariableName as such, not the value of the variable

AFTER SOME OF THE RESPONSES:

I want to systematize the addition of many script files.
In the example below I add four files, but imagine I had to add 30+ files (please reserve yourself from asking why would I need to add 30+ files; after all this is the promise of computing)

As of now, the only way I know how to get this done is to create two separate arrays; array 1 for the files’ name string, and array 2 for the files’ paths, or ALTERNATIVELLY, as Felix Kling SUGGESTS create an object per each variable:

var jQueryPath = 'js/jquery-1.5.1.js';
var jQueryUICore = 'js/jquery.ui.core.js';
var jQueryUIWidget = 'js/jquery.ui.widget.js';
var jQueryUITabs = 'js/jquery.ui.tabs.js';

var fileNames = new Array ('jQueryPath','jQueryUICore','jQueryUIWidget','jQueryUITabs');

var filePaths = new Array (jQueryPath,jQueryUICore,jQueryUIWidget,jQueryUITabs);

var head = document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]; 

for (var i=0;i<4;i++){

    var script = document.createElement('script');
    script.setAttribute('id',fileNames[i]);
    script.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');
    script.setAttribute('src', filePaths[i]);
    head.appendChild(script);

    }

So whether I create arrays to hold the names and the values of the variables, or create an object, it requires individual creation of both attributes per file.

I was hoping I could reference the literal variables’ names of an array composed of the variables; i.e:

var onlyOneArray = new Array (jQueryPath,jQueryUICore,jQueryUIWidget,jQueryUITabs);

for (var i=0;i<4;i++){

        var script = document.createElement('script');
        script.setAttribute('id',**onlyOneArra[i] the NAME**);
        script.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');
        script.setAttribute('src', onlyOneArray[i]);
        head.appendChild(script);

        }

Answer 1

You cannot get the name of a variable at run time.

I suggest to follow a more organized approach, e.g. by storing the variable as property of an object. You can then iterate over this object:

var scripts = {
    thisVariableName: 'path/filename.js'
};

for(var name in scripts) {
    if(scripts.hasOwnProperty(name)) {
        var script = document.createElement('script');
        script.id = name;
        script.type = 'text/javascript';
        script.src = scripts[name];
        //....
    }
}

Update: Regarding your changes, what you should end up doing, is :

var scripts = {
    jQueryPath: 'js/jquery-1.5.1.js',
    jQueryUICore: 'js/jquery.ui.core.js',
    jQueryUIWidget: 'js/jquery.ui.widget.js',
    jQueryUITabs: 'js/jquery.ui.tabs.js'
};

var head = document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0];

for(var name in scripts) {
    if(scripts.hasOwnProperty(name)) {
        var script = document.createElement('script');
        script.setAttribute('id', name);
        script.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript');
        script.setAttribute('src', scripts[name]);
        head.appendChild(script);
   }
}