--- In one HTML file, I have the following section of Javascript code with a global variable "speclist" that is to be accessed inside a Javascript function. The problem: it seems that the function doesn't see the global variable. Did I overlook something really easy? It would work if the variable is declared locally in the function.

Code listing of what doesn't work:
<script type="text/javascript">
  var speclist=document.svcSearch.specialty // global variable
  function updateSpecialty(selectedProviderIndex) {
        // var speclist=document.svcSearch.specialty -- works if declared locally
      speclist.options.length=0 //clear list
    if (selectedProviderIndex > 0) {
        for (i=0; i < specs[selectedProviderIndex].length; i++) {
            speclist.options[speclist.options.length] = new Option(specs[selectedProviderIndex][i].split("|")[0], specs[selectedProviderIndex][i].split("|")[1])
        }
    }
  }
</script>
--- and later followed by HTML
  <select name="svcProvider" size="6" id="svcProvider" onchange="updateSpecialty(this.selectedIndex)">
      <option >a</option>
      <option >b</option>
    </select>

I would greatly appreciate any feedback.
Thank you.

Is svcSearch your form name, and specialty the name of the dropdown? Just wondering if its a simple error like spelling. Can you post the complete code?

Joe

Yes, the form id is "svcSearch" and the select box to be filled out by Javascript is named "specialty" as shown below.
The problem is that the global var speclist isn't seen by the function updateSpecialty. It works if declared locally, meaning that spelling isn't the problem. Thanks for looking at this with me.


<script type="text/javascript">
  var speclist=document.svcSearch.specialty // global variable
  function updateSpecialty(selectedProviderIndex) {
      // var speclist=document.svcSearch.specialty -- works if declared locally
      var specs=new Array();
      specs[0]=""
      specs[1]=["X1|x1", "Y1|y1"]
      specs[2]=["X2|x2", "Y2|y2"]

      speclist.options.length=0 //clear list
    if (selectedProviderIndex > 0) {
        for (i=0; i < specs[selectedProviderIndex].length; i++) {
            speclist.options[speclist.options.length] = new Option(specs[selectedProviderIndex][i].split("|")[0], specs[selectedProviderIndex][i].split("|")[1])
        }
    }
  }
</script>
--- and later followed by HTML
<form id="svcSearch" name="svcSearch" method="post" action="Results.php">

    <select name="svcProvider" size="6" id="svcProvider" onchange="updateSpecialty(this.selectedIndex)">
      <option>a</option>
      <option>b</option>
    </select>

    <select name="specialty" size="6" multiple="multiple" id="specialty">

    </select>

    <input type="submit" name="Find" value="Find"/>

</form>