Problem with variable names

shenku · #1 (**permalink**) May 6th, 2005, 05:07 AM

Hi All

I've never run into something like this before hope someone out there can help.

Heres the problem:

When I declare....

Code:

var 847ba3ec_369e_4a57_8475_83faffd1187e = 'as';

It throws a big fat javascript error...

But this line doesn't...

Code:

var bcfaeec0_3c34_4076_8abb_41d9b960c117 = 'as';

So why do some GUIDs work as var names but some dont? Is there some kind of variable naming thing I should know about?

Heres why Im doing it: (if you care ;P)
I am creating a menu tree from sections/categories but because sections might have the same name, they need to use a unique name for the variable. I have GUIDs as the ID in the tables and so was using that as the javascript variable name...

Thanks for any help!!

:D

shenku · #2 (**permalink**) May 6th, 2005, 05:11 AM

*vomit*

You cant start a javascript variable with a numeric.

SUCH an idiot!

nzakas · #3 (**permalink**) May 6th, 2005, 04:46 PM

Though colorfully-worded, shenku is correct. Variable names can only begin with a letter, and underscore, or a dollar sign ($). To save yourself the trouble, you may just want to always prepend "GUID_" to the front of your variables, such as:

Code:

var GUID_bcfaeec0_3c34_4076_8abb_41d9b960c117 = 'as';

Nicholas C. Zakas
Author, Professional JavaScript for Web Developers (ISBN 0764579088)
http://www.nczonline.net/

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