html - Load xml file using javascript - Stack Overflow|Programmer puzzle solving

Nothing gets printed on the web page when I try to open an HTML file having javascript. The script inside the html code loads the xml file and tries to print some element data. I have pasted the code below. Sadly no data of file gets printed. I have used browsers IE8 and Chrome. Please let me know what is the issue.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <script>
            function loadXMLDoc(dname)
            {
                if (window.XMLHttpRequest)
                {
                    xhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
                }
                else
                {
                    xhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM");
                }

                xhttp.open("GET",dname,false);
                xhttp.send();
                return xhttp.responseXML;
            }
        </script>
    </head>
    <body>
        <script>
            xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("file:///E:/Parser/book.xml");

            document.write(xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("title")[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue + "   <br>");
            document.write(xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("authors")[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue + "<br>");

        </script>
    </body>
</html>

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <script>
            function loadXMLDoc(dname)
            {
                if (window.XMLHttpRequest)
                {
                    xhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
                }
                else
                {
                    xhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM");
                }

                xhttp.open("GET",dname,false);
                xhttp.send();
                return xhttp.responseXML;
            }
        </script>
    </head>
    <body>
        <script>
            xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("file:///E:/Parser/book.xml");

            document.write(xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("title")[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue + "   <br>");
            document.write(xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("authors")[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue + "<br>");

        </script>
    </body>
</html>

Share edited Aug 17, 2013 at 19:33 Jaak Kütt 2,6564 gold badges33 silver badges40 bronze badges asked Aug 17, 2013 at 19:24 user2281107 3192 gold badges5 silver badges14 bronze badges

1 You're definitely not going to get any joy with Chrome since you're using ActiveX. Any chance you can build a web service to surface that XML file? – Mister Epic Commented Aug 17, 2013 at 20:24
any errors in your console? – metadings Commented Aug 17, 2013 at 20:25

Add a ment |

1 Answer 1

Sorted by: Reset to default 4

You can't open a local file using ajax

xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("file:///E:/Parser/book.xml");

this can't be performed because JavaScript running in a web browser does not have access to the local filesystem. That would a huge security risk.

Programmer puzzle solving

html - Load xml file using javascript - Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

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