Access parent object in JavaScript from iFrame/Window

Question

How do I access a global object or array defined in a parent window in the child window.

<script>
    var events_data;
    function function_to_fill_events_data () {
      .
      .
      .
    }
</script>

<div>
    <div><iframe src="mini.php" width:100%; height: 100%;" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div>
</div>

When I am in the mini document I'd like to be able to access the events_data variable in a javascript function.

Solution

Option 1

Your title mentions a child window. If you have a child window, and not an iframe, use this:

window.opener.events_data

Check out window.opener on MDN.

Option 2

Your code indicates that you're using an iframe. From an iframe, simply use parent:

parent.events_data;

Check out window.parent on MDN.

---

window.opener - Returns a reference to the window that opened this current window.

window.parent - When a window is loaded in an , , or , its parent is the window with the element embedding the window.

Comments

[Vitaliy Lebedev]

And what about permission deniel ? If browser doesn't allow to access parent properties from iframe ?

[Vitaliy Lebedev]

If I'm not mistaken, this happens when the contents of iframe is loaded from another domain

[James Hill]

@Malgin, you're correct. Cross domain scripting is a huge security risk and is therefore not allowed. You can tell that the OP is not attempting to do that because the src attribute of his iframe is using a relative path.

[Vitaliy Lebedev]

@JamesHill All that is true, but if this is required ? Here's my question and the way I'm going to do that in my app (click)

[James Hill]

@Malgin, ask these questions in your thread, not in the comments of this question.