I have the following html/javascript:

<div id="clickMe" style="width:200px;height:100px;background-color:red;">
click me
</div>

<script>
function bar(){
    alert("foo");
}

document.getElementById("clickMe").onclick = bar();
</script>

When I load this page, the function triggers and the alert pops up, and then it doesn't trigger when I click clickMe. I tried switching the div out for a button and that worked fine (didn't trigger on page load, did trigger on click). When I ment out document.getElementById("clickMe").onclick = bar();, the function doesn't trigger at all. I also tried adding onload functions surrounding the whole thing, and just the function, and just the trigger, to no great effect.

How do I trigger a javascript function by clicking on a div, and why is this not working?

Thank you.

I have the following html/javascript:

<div id="clickMe" style="width:200px;height:100px;background-color:red;">
click me
</div>

<script>
function bar(){
    alert("foo");
}

document.getElementById("clickMe").onclick = bar();
</script>

When I load this page, the function triggers and the alert pops up, and then it doesn't trigger when I click clickMe. I tried switching the div out for a button and that worked fine (didn't trigger on page load, did trigger on click). When I ment out document.getElementById("clickMe").onclick = bar();, the function doesn't trigger at all. I also tried adding onload functions surrounding the whole thing, and just the function, and just the trigger, to no great effect.

How do I trigger a javascript function by clicking on a div, and why is this not working?

Thank you.

• javascript

Share Improve this question Follow asked Dec 2, 2013 at 3:26 James G.James G. 2,90444 gold badges2929 silver badges5555 bronze badges

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1 Answer 1

Sorted by: Reset to default 6

Remove the parenthesis from the function name (doing so invokes it):

document.getElementById("clickMe").onclick = bar;

jsFiddle example