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From: "Mel Smith" <med_cutout_syntel@aol.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.javascript
Subject: firstChild Problem
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:20:53 -0600
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Hi:

    I'm trying to set a value into a <span> element which on loading is 
empty.

    This causes a FF error.

    If I beging with an non-empty value in the span element, there is no 
problem.

    But if I (in a JS function try to initialize the value in the <span>, FF 
says the firstChile value is null !  (I *know* that it is (or *may*) be 
empty, but wish to init it anyway.

    What stupid thing am I assuming here ??

Thanks !

-- Mel Smith


***************************
myjsfunc() {
..
// I'm trying to initialize a text node with the word 'Searching'
// But when I try to, then,
// the next line results in a FireFox error: 'srchtxt.firstChild' is null

// Here is the line that results in the error:

srchtxt.firstChild.nodeValue = "Searching ...";

// Yet if I intentionally place a 'searching ...' string
// in the <span> on the original page, it works correctly, and if I then
// set the nodeValue later to ""  (i.e., empty string), and re-enter my 
function,
// there is no error ?
}


<body>
<div id="somediv">
<span id="srchtxt"></span>
</div>
</body>

***********************************