Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'style' of null in this code

Question

I don't know why the script doesn't recognize the body.

My HTML with the script:

<html>
    <head>
        <script>
            document.body.style.overflow="hidden";
        </script>
    <body>
    <table width="2000px" height="1000px">
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
    </table>
</body>

The error:

Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'style' of null

Please also see: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/14028959/why-does-jquery-or-a-dom-method-such-as-getelementbyid-not-find-the-element?rq=1 — Nick Parsons, Sep 26 '19 at 11:43

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 26 '19 at 11:32

2

document.body is null because your code runs as soon as the script tag is encountered, and body hasn't been created yet.

Move your script to the end of the document, just prior to the closing </body> tag.

That said, there's no need for JavaScript here. You can simply add a CSS style:

body {
    overflow: hidden;
}

...or an inline style attribute on the opening body tag:

<body style="overflow: hidden">

answered Sep 26 '19 at 11:32

T.J. Crowder

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Yes thanks, i know that but i need to do in js, i fix this as you say it or with 'window.onload' – Al BM Sep 27 '19 at 08:40

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 26 '19 at 11:37

<html>
    <head>
    <body>
    <table width="2000px" height="1000px">
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
        <tr><td></td></tr>
    </table>
    <script>
        document.body.style.overflow="hidden";
    </script>
</body>

You just have to put your script tag before body ends. right now your script tag gets executed before body tag loads.

Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'style' of null in this code

2 Answers2