Question

I want to change the background image of a button using Javascript. Here is what I am currently trying, but it is failing.

HTML code –

      <tr id="Rank1">
              <td><button class="darkSquare"></button></td>
               <td><button class="lightSquare" ></button></td>
                <td><button class="darkSquare" ></button></td>
               <td><button class="lightSquare" ></button></td>
                <td><button id="e1" class="darkSquare" ></button></td>
                <td><button class="lightSquare" ></button></td>
                <td><button class="darkSquare" ></button></td>
                <td><button class="lightSquare"> </button></td>
            </tr>

JavaScript Code

        initializer();

        function initializer()
         {
           var tableRow = document.getElementById("Rank1");

           var buttons = tableRow.getElementsByTagName("button");

           for(b in buttons)
            {
               console.log(b.toString());
               b.style.backgroundImage = "url('darkSquare.jpg')";
            }
         }

In the console, I get an error saying b.style is undefined.

Answer 1

for (... in ...) loops do not work that way in JavaScript it should be:

for (var b = 0; b < buttons.length; b++) {
    buttons[b].style.backgroundImage = "url('darkSquare.jpg')";
}

for (... in ...) actually iterates over all the “members” of an object

eg. using var x = {a: 1, b: 2, c: 3} in for(var m in x) console.log(m) will produce

> a
> b
> c

it kind of works with arrays because it considers the indices members like this:

var x = [1,2,3];
for (var m in x) console.log(m);
> 0
> 1
> 2

since it is giving you the indices as if they were members you can’t distinguish. the pitfall is:

var x = [1,2,3];
x.stuff = 'boo!';
for (var m in x) console.log(m);
> 0
> 1
> 2
> stuff

General Rule of Thumb: only use for (... in ...) when iterating over members in an object, use for (var i = 0; i < array.length; i++) when using arrays

you can always cheat and use:

for (var i = 0, item = x[i]; i < x.length; item=x[++i]) {
    // now item is the current item
}