Passing a PHP Variable in external JS file

Question

I've read lots of thread on here but I am still unable to get a variable passed from PHP to an external JS file and wondered if someone could assist?

In my PHP file I have the following;

<script type="text/javascript">
var pass_this_variable = <?php $company['website']; ?>;
</script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/track.js"></script>

In the JS file I have the following;

document.write('<IFRAME SRC="$company['website']" WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="400"></IFRAME>');

What I am trying to achieve is an IFRAME be opened and populated with what is contained within $company['website']. I know I can just use IFRAME directly in the PHP file, but this isn't what I have been tasked with for my homework. When I do use IFRAME directly in the PHP file it works fine, and if I specify a static URL in the JS file such as http://www.google.com this also works fine.

Can anyone assist? Thanks

---

EDIT:

Thanks for the answers so far, however I'm still unable to get it working :(

The frame that I have in track.php (or track.js) won't load the url thats specified in $company['website'], yet if I change it to http://www.google.com its working fine. For some reason the $company['website'] value isn't being passed :(

Solution 1

if you want your external javascript to be dynamic you can make it a php file and give the correct header, example:

<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/track.php"></script>

track.php

<?php
// javascript generator
Header("content-type: application/x-javascript");
?>
document.write('<IFRAME SRC="<?php echo $company['website'] ?>" WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="400"></IFRAME>');

Solution 2

PHP file (don't forget echo and quoting):

<script type="text/javascript">
var pass_this_variable = '<?php echo $company['website']; ?>';
</script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/track.js"></script>

JS file (use pass_this_variable instead):

document.write('<IFRAME SRC="'+pass_this_variable+'" WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="400"></IFRAME>');

Solution 3

You should fix this line: var pass_this_variable = <?php echo $company['website']; ?>;

Adding echo and it should work

Solution 4

Call a PHP file inside the JavaScript source. You can find the tutorial here:

http://www.javascriptkit.com/javatutors/externalphp.shtml.

So your code will be like this:

<script type="text/javascript" src="track.php?company=<?php echo $company['website']; ?>"></script>

In the PHP file you can fetch the value through $_GET variable and use it in the iframe. Make sure to sanitize the input.

Solution 5

JavaScript provides you the functionality of ajax for the purpose of reading the PHP or text files. Why don't you create the HTML iframe inside a PHP file with your variables parsed and then take back the response and "throw" it inside a div.

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Comments

[Denis de Bernardy]

What if the company's name is "Joe's bar"? :-)

[AndersTornkvist]

@Denis I believe a proper URL should be encoded with %27 instead of using single-quotes (reserved). Therefore, it won't matter in my example. However, it is always a good habit to think of line breaks, quotes etc. in strings.

[ЯegDwight]

"JavaScript provides you the functionality of ajax"? AJAX is JavaScript. That's what the J stands for.