How to include text file into javascript

Question

Is there any way to load some text from another file into javascript, without server side code?

I was thinking to use another element to hold the text inside some comments, but I don't know how to read it's source code with javascript.

Something like:

<script src="myfile.js"></script>

<script> function readMyText() { ... }</script>

In myfile.js: /* some text */

Solution 1

Without using ajax or any server code... sorry mate but you can't :(

Solution 2

You can put anything you want into a script tag if you give it a "type" that's not something the browser understands as meaning "JavaScript":

<script id='Turtle' type='text/poem'>
  Turtle, turtle, on the ground;
  Pink and shiny - turn around.
</script>

You can get the contents via the "innerHTML" property:

var poemScript = document.getElementById('Turtle');
var poem = poemScript.innerHTML;

Here is a jsfiddle to demonstrate.

That trick is popular lately with people doing client-side page building via templates.

Comments

[mihai]

thanks for the answer, this works nicely when the text is added within the script tag, but if i change this to <script href="turtle.txt"></script> I can't access the contents :( . I'll edit the question to reflect this.

[Pointy]

Ah yes, that's true. Well, you could try pulling the script into a hidden <iframe> and then read it out of that.