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JavaScript jQuery Basics (2014) Creating a Simple Drawing Application Perform: Part 5

Nikolay Komolov
Nikolay Komolov
23,033 Points
Posted by Nikolay Komolov
Nikolay Komolov
23,033 Points

Uncaught error on moving a mouse: Cannot read property 'offsetX' of undefined

Hello! Could you help to understand, please?

If I comment the 'mouseDown' condition, when I move a mouse on the canvas, the console prints out a bunch of errors: Cannot read property 'offsetX' of undefined (where undefined should be the 'lastEvent' variable on line 59). Here is my workspace:

https://w.trhou.se/v4clzxsvn0

I would like to understand why it happens. Thanks :)

1 Answer

akak
akak
29,446 Points
akak
akak
29,446 Points

That's because lastEvent is undefined. 

var lastEvent;  

console.log(lastEvent); //prints out undefined

when you define variable like that it's value is undefined until you assign something to it. If you comment out mousedown, there is nothing that writes any value to it so it stays undefined. :)