Getting source of iFrame

Question

I have a file x.xhtml and another file main.html, in which I am using <iframe src=x.xhtml id=childframe>. Now what I want to do is, after the file is loaded, I want to get the source of the child frame, i.e x.xhtml, using JavaScript.

I tried the following code

function getChildInput() {
 var iframe = document.getElementById('childFrame').contentWindow; 
 var childText = iframe.document.getElementById('childText'); 
 alert(iframe.document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].innerHTML); 
}

but it didn't work for .xhtml. If I am using .html instead, it works fine.

Is this a problem with XHTML or is there any other way of getting the source from the child frame other than HTML?

• pimvdb: Is the extension the only difference?
• imran: yes! extension is the only difference when i am changing the same file to x.html with works fine
• Felix Kling: Have a look at the console which error message you get.

Answer 1

Try alert(iframe.document.body.innerHTML); or

var doc_iframe = document.getElementsByName("myFrame")[0].contentWindow.document;

HTH

Ivo Stoykov

Answer 2

Try using the documentElement property:

alert(iframe.document.documentElement.innerHTML);

• Frédéric Hamidi: Can you give us the Content-Type header of the server response for the iframe, using a tool such as Fiddler? Assuming your iframe actually contains something, and is served from the same domain as your main page, there might be something wrong there.
• imran: @Frédéric Hamidi i am using firefox , moreover when i try to open the file in internet explorer its pops out download box seems IE dosent handle xml files
• Frédéric Hamidi: @imran, if the web server is under your control, try to serve .xhtml files as text/xml instead. That will solve IE's "download box" problem and might help in Firefox.
• imran: @^^ thanks i got the problem solved var iframe = document.getElementById('childFrame').contentDocument; //var childText = iframe.document.getElementById('childText'); alert(iframe.documentElement.textContent)
• Frédéric Hamidi: @imran, glad to hear that :) Please consider updating your question with your solution, or maybe replying with your own answer, so future readers can easily find it.