How do I get my application.js (jQuery) file to execute a script from somewhere else in my Rails app?

Question

I'm starting to feel crazy because what I want to do is so simple: write a line of javascript in my Rails application.js file that will cause a script somewhere else in the app to execute. I've tried it with jQuery.get() and jQuery.getScript() but nothing seems to work.

Here's some sample code from my application.js file:

#application.js
$(document).ready(function() {
  $(".button").click.function(){
    $.get($(this).attr("href"), null, null, "script");
  });
});

or

#application.js, excerpt
  $.getScript("index.js.erb", function(){
    alert('script has run');
  });

among other variations. I've tried putting the index.js.erb file in the same views folder as my current page, or in the javascripts folder, and even tried making it a pure .js file. The script itself can't be the problem, I'm trying it with lines as simple as:

#app/views/index.js.erb)
$('.header').text('new text')

Nothing's working for me, please help!

Answer 1

Here's what I would check to get started:

• Any errors in firebug?
• Check the source of your page, does it include jQuery?
• What if you just write an alert in application.js, does that work?
• Are you sure you have the code you posted within a $(document).ready(...) callback?

Answer 2

Needs to be put in a:

$(function(){
 // your code goes here
});

block

Answer 3

Your web server will serve any *.js files located in the public/ directory. It will not serve any static files that are not in public/ and it will not serve any *.erb files even if they are in public/. Moreover, public/ directory is for static files only, and the web server won't run any *.js located within public/ through Erubis.

Instead, you want a separate route controller/action and route for your special ERB JavaScript file, and the ERB JavaScript file should be in the app/views/.

Answer 4

Looks like you have an extra quote before "href".

Also, you might try adding the .js extension after href: ...attr("href") + '.js', ...