newbie question; check string after a for loop

[give_it_a_lash]

Function findsometing()
(


var myString = 'results' + '<BR>'

for (var initiator, test condition,incrementor.)
{
if (.....)
{
myString ='some quote';
}
else if (.....)
{
myString += something + '<br>'
}
else if (....... )
{
myString += something + '<br>'
}
else
{
myString += '';
}
}

displayMessage(myString)
)


I am a complete newbie to javascript and programming, so excuse any faux pas, but I want to check the myString variable after all the loops in the for loop statement have been completed. For example if nothing was added to the var myString after the completeion of the for loop, i want to display a message that no results found. i tried various attempts of an if statement along lines of

}
}

if (myString = 'results') ....i also tried if myString= ('results' + '<BR>')
{
displayMessage('no results found')
}
else
{
displayMessage(myString)
}
)

Any pointers as to where i am going wrong?

[john_collins]

Use == instead of = when using if statement:

if (myString == 'results')

instead of:

if (myString = 'results')

[Old Pedant]

Also, because you initialized the string to

var myString = 'results' + '<BR>'

that's what you need to check for:

if ( myString == ( 'results' + '<BR>' );

A simpler way, in general, would be to do this:

var myString = 'results' + '<BR>'
var original = myString; 
... lots of possible changes ...
if ( myString == original ) 
{
   ... 
}

[give_it_a_lash]

cheers to both of you, its really annoys me when i miss small syntax things like that