unterminated string constant (spanning multiple lines) 2

[random260]

It's been a couple of years, and I'm forgetting something real easy and stupid here... In the code

document.write("Hi, this is to long to fit on one line
so it is on two"

I am getting an unterminated string constant error which I am assuming is coming from that fact that the end " is not on the same line. Please refresh my memory - how the %^&% do you span multiple lines within the quotes?

Thanks in advance

 

[other3]

Try document.write(&quot;Hi...&quot; + &quot;<br>&quot; + &quot;so...&quot;

Everything I know I learned from The Grateful Dead and Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Charlie

 

[clarkin]

I don't think there is a span_line character in javascript. (eg, in VBscript you would use the _ character at the end of the line)

I guess your options are: put it all on one line, or use two document.writes.

document.write("Hi, this is to long to fit on one line ");
document.write("so it is on two");

Posting code? Wrap it with code tags: [ignore]

[/ignore][code]CodeHere

[ignore][/code][/ignore].

 

[dwarfthrower]

Actually the backslash will work for that:

alert('this is a string that spans two lines');

 

[clarkin]

sounds good - where did you find that out?

Can't find it in devguru's generic javascript reference (

http://www.devguru.com/Technologies/ecmascript/quickref/javascript_intro.html)..

Posting code? Wrap it with code tags: [ignore]

[/ignore][code]CodeHere

[ignore][/code][/ignore].

 

[dwarfthrower]

Can't remember where I found it. Never used it in fact. I prefer to break up the string into smaller substrings and join them together with '+'. Using the backslash will include all the space you would put in for readability.

 

[clarkin]

thinking about it.. since the \ is inside the string it must be escaping the next character (in this case it would be a CR). I would guess that the resulting CR is in the string then? Anyone?

The VBscript equivalent is slightly different as its not within the string, eg:

strBlah = "this is VBscript broken"_
 & " across two lines with the _ char"

And I think there is no equivalent in javascript that you can use that way.. (basically for formatting)

Posting code? Wrap it with code tags: [ignore]

[/ignore][code]CodeHere

[ignore][/code][/ignore].

 

[dwarfthrower]

You don't need one. Because Javascript isn't interpreted line-by-line, there's no need to tell the interpreter to treat the next line as part of this one.

var strMsg = &quot;This &quot; +
&quot;String &quot; +
&quot;Gets &quot; +
&quot;Broken &quot; +
&quot;Up &quot; +
&quot;Over &quot; +
&quot;Many &quot; +
&quot;Lines.&quot;;

alert(strMsg);

 

[clarkin]

aha - very good.

So this would work for the original poster perhaps?

alert("First part" +
               " and second part");

Posting code? Wrap it with code tags: [ignore]

[/ignore][code]CodeHere

[ignore][/code][/ignore].

 

[clarkin]

from

http://www.jennifermadden.com/162/examples/jsIntro7.html:

When working with very long strings, tracking bugs such as improper quote nesting or missing escape characters is made easier by breaking the string up into smaller strings. Breaking up a string using the concatenation operator and a carriage return will accomplish the task, but be careful never to use the operator/carriage return pair without closing the string first.


Seems to corroborate our ideas. Still wondering about that \ +CR inside a string though

Posting code? Wrap it with code tags: [ignore]

[/ignore][code]CodeHere

[ignore][/code][/ignore].

 

[random260]

I haven't had a chance to try any of the suggested solutions yet, but I did find in one of my reference books (I got desperate and actually cracked open a manual - sacrilege, I know) a definition of document.write as &quot;A command used to write a single line of text to the document&quot;, so I guess there is no way it is &quot;supposed&quot; to be done.

 

[SashiRaveendran]

build the string up over multiple lines then pass it into document.write once built...

var strMsg = &quot;This &quot; +
&quot;String &quot; +
&quot;Gets &quot; +
&quot;Broken &quot; +
&quot;Up &quot; +
&quot;Over &quot; +
&quot;Many &quot; +
&quot;Lines.&quot;;


document.write(strMsg);

on error goto hell

 

[adam0101]

Well, I'll be! I learned something new today. This works

<script>
alert(&quot;test 1,2,3&quot
</script>

So does this:
<script>
document.write(&quot;Hi, this is to long to fit on one line so it is on two&quot;
</script>

Dwarfthrower gets a star!

Adam

 

[adam0101]

Well it's been a year and this problem has been sitting in the back of my head the whole time. I finally found a way to have a multiple line string without adding extra characters.

<script>
function myLongString(){/*

This is a string that
spans multiple lines 
without using
concatenation or 
backslashes!!

*/}

Function.prototype.getComment=function(){
  return this.toString().substring(this.toString().indexOf("/*")+2,this.toString().indexOf("*/"));
}

alert(myLongString.getComment());

</script>

Adam
while(ignorance){perpetuate(violence,fear,hatred);life=life-1};

 

[dwarfthrower]

Truly a god amongst men. Well Done.

Now for crying out loud, get a hobby or something



_{Never be afraid to share your dreams with the world.
There's nothing the world loves more than the taste of really sweet dreams.}

 

[adam0101]

This IS my hobby!

Adam
while(ignorance){perpetuate(violence,fear,hatred);life=life-1};