dijit.form.TextBox.get('value') returns (almost) null with IE8

[Alexander Kläser]

We observed a strange behaviour with TextBoxes? in Dojo 1.8.1. With IE8 (Windows XP), an emtpy TextBox? would return null as value. Well, not really null, as (value === "") is true and (value === null) is false, its type is string, however dojo.toJson() would render it as "null".

Example: ​http://jsfiddle.net/rVmbK/8/ -> remove the text in the textbox and press Tab.

As workaround, we use:

if (value === "") {
    value = "";
}

Although this workaround seems to be meaningless, it helps. The same problem would not occur with Dojo 1.6.

[Douglas Hays]

screenshot showing it working

[Douglas Hays]

Using your example on my IE8 install, toJson returns "" and everything looks correct.

[Alexander Kläser]

Screenshot that shows that the bug can be reproduced

[Alexander Kläser]

Thanks for your answer.

That is strange. We were 2 people that could reproduce the bug independently with the jsfiddle sample (see screenshot). I'm using Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 3 here. Do you have any idea from where the difference may come? Both browser seem to be exactly the same version. I tried to change security settings, but that would not change the result. As said, the bug would occur only with Dojo 1.8.

[Alexander Kläser]

We also observed the problem on another system running Windows Vista with IE8. IMHO is WORKSFORME not appropriate.

[bill]

it correctly gives "" for me from the JSFiddle site

[Douglas Hays]

Perhaps some kind of non-standard compatibility mode/document mode/quirks mode via the debugger? Just throwing out ideas.

[Alexander Kläser]

I found the following related posts that could shed some more light on the problem:

• ​http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jscript/archive/2009/06/23/serializing-the-value-of-empty-dom-elements-using-native-json-in-ie8.aspx
• ​http://community.xajaxproject.org/topic/9002/empty-input-fields-in-ie8-send-as-null/
• ​http://code.google.com/p/jquery-json/issues/detail?id=44
• ​http://yuilibrary.com/projects/yui3/ticket/2528369

It seems to be a bug with the native JSON conversion method in IE8.

[bill]

Interesting. So, this works correctly on my IE8:

>> JSON.stringify(document.createElement("input").value)
""""

I guess it returns "null" on yours?

[Alexander Kläser]

Replying to bill:

[...] I guess it returns "null" on yours?

Yes, my IE8 outputs "null" with this piece of code. But this cannot be a Browser issue as our browser versions do match exactly (as far as I could see). Maybe its only a bug with service pack 3? Do you have service pack 3 or 2?

[bill]

Hmm, I'm running service pack 3 too.

[Alexander Kläser]

There seems to be an update that addresses problems in the native JSON implementation: ​http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976662

Looking on my Windows system, I found the following versions of jscript.dll:

• C:\WINDOWS\system32 → version 5.8.6001.18702
• C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles?\i386 → version 5.7.0.16599

Maybe my IE8 is using the older version of the two libs?

[bill]

Hmm, interesting. It sure looks like that update is the difference between our systems.

It seems like IE would be using the jscript.dll in C:\WINDOWS\system32. And my version of C:\WINDOWS\system32\jscript.dll is 5.8.6001.23141... a little bit newer than yours.

[Alexander Kläser]

Ok. Do you want me to add the .dll file to the bug?

[Alexander Kläser]

Looks like you have the following Update installed: ​http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2510531

[bill]

OK. So why did Doug and I get these updates but you didn't?

[Alexander Kläser]

Probably because I'm using a bit older virtual machine image that I have not updated.

[bill]

OK, meaning that Windows Update automatic updates are not turned on? I don't think that's something that we want to support.

[Alexander Kläser]

OK, this seems reasonable then.

[15413]

This blog ​http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jscript/archive/2009/06/23/serializing-the-value-of-empty-dom-elements-using-native-json-in-ie8.aspx details the issue and gives a solution.