Load PHP file with document.createElement()

Question

How could I make this work? I want to load a php file like this:

• Click button.
• Call Javascript function.
• In Javascript function create an img with src file.php.

This should force the loading of the php. Here is the code.

<script type="text/javascript">
var d;

function callSave() {
 alert ('calling');
 if (d) document.body.removeChild(d);
 // d = document.createElement("script");
 d = document.createElement("img");
 d.src = "savepages.php";
 //d.type = "text/javascript";
 document.body.appendChild(d);
}

</script>

Then in savepages.php I do another alert to verify that the php is called and it isn't. Here is the savepages.php.

<?php
echo "alert('from the php');"; 
?>

The alert from the php doesn't happen. Is there a different element type that will force loading of the php? I don't have ajax installed, so I need a workaround like this.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Found out the better way to handle this. There is this simple code that explains how to call a javascript function from a form event and from that javascript function load a PHP file. The code found at http://daniel.lorch.cc/docs/ajax_simple/ is also given here:

<script type="text/javascript">
var http = false;

if(navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") {
  http = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
} else {
  http = new XMLHttpRequest();
}

function validate(user) {
  http.abort();
  http.open("GET", "validate.php?name=" + user, true);
  http.onreadystatechange=function() {
    if(http.readyState == 4) {
      document.getElementById('msg').innerHTML = http.responseText;
    }
  }
  http.send(null);
}
</script>

<h1>Please choose your username:</h1>

<form>
  <input type="text" onkeyup="validate(this.value)" />
  <div id="msg"></div>
</form>

validate.php

<?php
function validate($name) {
  if($name == '') {
    return '';
  }

  if(strlen($name) < 3) {
    return "<span id=\"warn\">Username too short</span>\n";
  }

  switch($name) {
    case 'bob':
    case 'jim':
    case 'joe':
    case 'carol':
      return "<span id=\"warn\">Username already taken</span>\n";
  }

  return "<span id=\"notice\">Username ok!</span>\n";
}

echo validate(trim($_REQUEST['name']));
?>