How can I open an accordion with an external link?

by

Summary

The issue at hand is trying to open an accordion with an external link. The user has provided JavaScript, HTML, and CSS code for the accordion and is trying to link to a specific section of the accordion from another page. The user was able to get it working initially but is now experiencing issues after trying to utilize the same script for other anchors.

Root Cause

The root cause of the issue is due to several factors, including:

  • The event listener for the accordion is not being triggered when the page loads with a hash in the URL.
  • The openAccordionByHash function is not being called correctly.
  • The CSS and HTML structure of the accordion may be causing issues with the JavaScript code.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

This issue can occur in real systems due to:

  • Complexity of the codebase, making it difficult to identify the root cause of the issue.
  • Lack of understanding of how JavaScript event listeners and CSS selectors work.
  • Inconsistent use of JavaScript libraries and frameworks.

Real-World Impact

The real-world impact of this issue is:

  • Poor user experience, as the accordion does not open as expected.
  • Increased bounce rate, as users may become frustrated and leave the site.
  • Difficulty in debugging, as the issue may be caused by a combination of factors.

Example or Code

// Get all accordion elements
var acc = document.getElementsByClassName("accordion");

// Add event listener to each accordion element
for (i = 0; i < acc.length; i++) {
  acc[i].addEventListener("click", function() {
    this.classList.toggle("active");
    var panel = this.nextElementSibling;
    if (panel.style.display === "block") {
      panel.style.display = "none";
    } else {
      panel.style.display = "block";
    }
  });
}

// Function to open accordion from link
document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() {
  function openAccordionByHash() {
    var hash = window.location.hash;
    if (hash) {
      var target = document.querySelector(hash);
      if (target && target.classList.contains("panel")) {
        var accordion = target.previousElementSibling;
        accordion.classList.toggle("active");
        target.style.display = "block";
      }
    }
  }
  openAccordionByHash();
});

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers would fix this issue by:

  • Simplifying the codebase and removing any unnecessary complexity.
  • Using JavaScript libraries and frameworks consistently throughout the codebase.
  • Adding error handling and debugging tools to identify the root cause of the issue.
  • Testing the code thoroughly to ensure it works as expected.

Why Juniors Miss It

Juniors may miss this issue due to:

  • Lack of experience with JavaScript event listeners and CSS selectors.
  • Insufficient understanding of how JavaScript libraries and frameworks work.
  • Inadequate testing and debugging of the code.
  • Overlooking the importance of error handling and edge cases.