set HTML Attribute using JavaScript

Question

I have a navigation bar below

<div id="cmenu" class="cmenu r">

<div id="help"><a onClick="topMenu('help','current')" href="javascript:void(0)"><span>Help</span></a></div>
<div id="refer"><a onClick="topMenu('refer','current')" href="javascript:void(0)"><span>Refer Friends</span></a></div>
<div id="home"><a onClick="topMenu('home','current')" href="javascript:void(0)"><span>Home</span></a></div>

</div>

I'd like to set "class" attribute to "current" in div element when the link is clicked. so, I can specify a new style on the div/link.here is my function:

function topMenu(id,prNode){
var topMenu=document.getElementById("cmenu").getElementsByTagName("div");
for (var a in topMenu){topMenu[a].removeAttribute("class");} //remove all "current" class (third line)
document.getElementById(id).setAttribute("class",prNode);} //set the new div class as "current" (last line)

but, unfortunately. the last line of my function doesn't work... then I try to change the last line to

alert("alert message");

it also doesn't work... but, when I commented the third line of my function, the last line is working.... is there any error syntax on the 3rd line?...

Answer 1

walk the nodeList like an array(not like an object)

for (var a=0;a<topmenu.length;++a){topMenu[a].removeAttribute("class");}

If you walk it like an object, you'll also get the property "length" of the nodeList, what results in an error.

Answer 2

setAttribute is horribly broken in older versions of Internet Explorer, don't use it. Assign values to (and read from instead of using getAttribute ) the DOM properties that map to attributes instead.

In this case, className :

function topMenu(id,prNode){
    var topMenu = document.getElementById("cmenu").getElementsByTagName("div");
    for (var i = 0; i < topMenu.length; i++) {
        topMenu[i].className = '';
    }
    document.getElementById(id).className = prNode;
}

Also, don't use for in to walk arrays and array-like objects. for in walks all the properties of an object, not just numbered ones.