Load PHP file with document.createElement() - src

Question

How could I make this work? I want to load a php file like this:
Click button.
Call Javascript function.
In Javascript function create an img with src file.php.
This should force the loading of the php. Here is the code.
<script type="text/javascript">
var d;
function callSave() {
alert ('calling');
if (d) document.body.removeChild(d);
// d = document.createElement("script");
d = document.createElement("img");
d.src = "savepages.php";
//d.type = "text/javascript";
document.body.appendChild(d);
}
</script>
Then in savepages.php I do another alert to verify that the php is called and it isn't. Here is the savepages.php.
<?php
echo "alert('from the php');";
?>
The alert from the php doesn't happen. Is there a different element type that will force loading of the php? I don't have ajax installed, so I need a workaround like this.
Thanks.

Answer 1

You could use an iframe element
<script type="text/javascript">
var d;
function callSave() {
alert ('calling');
if (d) document.body.removeChild(d);
d = document.createElement("iframe");
d.src = "savepages.php";
document.body.appendChild(d);
}
</script>

Answer 2

Found out the better way to handle this. There is this simple code that explains how to call a javascript function from a form event and from that javascript function load a PHP file. The code found at http://daniel.lorch.cc/docs/ajax_simple/ is also given here:
<script type="text/javascript">
var http = false;
if(navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") {
http = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
} else {
http = new XMLHttpRequest();
}
function validate(user) {
http.abort();
http.open("GET", "validate.php?name=" + user, true);
http.onreadystatechange=function() {
if(http.readyState == 4) {
document.getElementById('msg').innerHTML = http.responseText;
}
}
http.send(null);
}
</script>
<h1>Please choose your username:</h1>
<form>
<input type="text" onkeyup="validate(this.value)" />
<div id="msg"></div>
</form>
validate.php
<?php
function validate($name) {
if($name == '') {
return '';
}
if(strlen($name) < 3) {
return "<span id=\"warn\">Username too short</span>\n";
}
switch($name) {
case 'bob':
case 'jim':
case 'joe':
case 'carol':
return "<span id=\"warn\">Username already taken</span>\n";
}
return "<span id=\"notice\">Username ok!</span>\n";
}
echo validate(trim($_REQUEST['name']));
?>