Uncaught RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded with setTimeout()

Question

I came across this code to highlight in JavaScript. When I desected and ran on my own machine, and not jsFiddle I got the following error.

Uncaught RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded

http://jsfiddle.net/jme11/bZb7V/

To get around this, I looked at the other questions on StackOverflow and added in a setTimeout() function, but I still get the error. How come?

function getSelection() 
{
    var seltxt = '';

     if (window.getSelection) 
     { 
         seltxt = setTimeout(window.getSelection(), 5000); 
     } 
     else if (document.getSelection) 
     { 
         seltxt = setTimeout(document.getSelection(), 5000); 
     } 
     else if (document.selection) 
     { 
         seltxt = setTimeout(document.selection.createRange().text, 5000); 
     }
    else return;

    return seltxt;
}

You have to pass a function to setTimeout, not its result: `setTimeout(function)`, not `setTimeout(function())` — georg, Mar 30 '15 at 18:31
@georg I have tried this, but it still throws the same error — plotplot, Mar 30 '15 at 18:38

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 30 '15 at 18:34

You have to pass a reference to the function to the setTimeout function. You are calling the function directly, should be as follows: function getSelection() { var seltxt = '';

 if (window.getSelection) 
 { 
     seltxt = setTimeout(window.getSelection, 5000); 
 } 
 else if (document.getSelection) 
 { 
     seltxt = setTimeout(document.getSelection, 5000); 
 } 
 else if (document.selection) 
 { 
     seltxt = setTimeout(document.selection.createRange, 5000); 
 }
else return;

return seltxt;
}

Not sure about the last one since you are calling .text after the function call.

i have tried this, it doesn't work unfortunatly and causes the same error — plotplot, Mar 30 '15 at 18:37

Uncaught RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded with setTimeout()

1 Answers1