Develop Reference

Making processing.js sketch get value from external JS variable

I have a game written in Javascript with the Processing.js library. I want to make highscores for that game, and for that I want the user to be able to type a name in an input tag in the page HTML.
How can I make my Processing.js sketch "see" the variable containing the value of the input field?

You should check out the Processing.js documentation, specifically the JavaScript Quick Start, specifically the Writing Documents that Combine Processing and JavaScript Code section.
There are three main ways to approach this: you can write Processing code that accesses an external JavaScript variable, or you could write JavaScript code that does something like call a setter function in your Processing code, or you could write JavaScript code directly in your Processing code.
Any of those approaches would work fine for what you're trying to do. If you still can't get it working, please post a MCVE of what you tried in a new question, and we'll go from there. Good luck.

How/when/where to include external javascript

I'm looking for some advice on the best way to hold my JavaScript (jQuery) functions.
I am developing in MVC/razor and therefore have a layout page. I include my jQuery library and an external JavaScript file in here so it's available in every single page.
This is working well, but I am now becoming very aware of the fact that I am adding almost 300 lines of JS to EVERY page, where maybe half of that is used in any one of these pages.
One function is not in the external file and instead sits inside the HTML because I need to use variables set in my razor code.
I have a couple of questions around this arrangement:
Is placing JS inside the HTML generally acceptable when variables set using razor are used? There does not appear to be a clean way of passing a variable into an external js file
Should I split my functions down in to individual JS files and just include what is needed for each page in the site?
If I were to split them into multiple files, how would that work with jQuery's (document).ready ? Do I need to use that if all the JavaScript I am including is to be used?
I'm sure this will more a matter of opinion than a black and white answer, but I want to consider all my options before moving on. Even though it works fine as is, I can't help but feel there is a better/cleaner way.

Remember once a user lands on your homepage and loads the javascript file it will be cached in their browser so subsequent pages will not download the Javascript again.
I would definitely keep the js separate, you could have a snippet on each page that initialise the JS that that particurlar view needs. Put something like the below in the views that need to run JS
$(document).ready(function() {
mysite.mypage();
});
Then the function mysite.mypage() can be defined in the external JS file.
300 lines isnt the end of the world, I would say its probably too early to be worryign about optimisation.
You could always look at minifying that JS file to decrease the size. A quick and easy way to do this is here:
http://www.minifyjavascript.com/

Have you ever heard of require.js? http://requirejs.org/ I find it really useful.
It's a module loader so you are able to split all of your JS code into individual files and load only the ones you need on each page.
I don't know about passing a variable to an external JS file, I don't think its possible / the 'right' way.
You can make each external JS file into a function that accepts and returns parameters. Then in the page you need to use it:
- include the file dependancy
- call the function
Thats what I do, seems like your 2nd suggestion.
for the $(document.ready) question its really up to you. You don't have to use it but its useful for some things , check out this overview:
http://docs.jquery.com/Tutorials:Introducing_$(document).ready()

Javascript .js File Guidelines - How do I use a function outside of this file?

So two part question here. Basically, what is the proper practise for javascript function locations? I assumed it would be to have several MyScriptFile.js files, each with a few functions instead of one huge AllMyScripts.js file, as not every page needs every function.
However I'm not sure how to reference another function from outside of this file...
My situation: I'm using an AJAX request in many of my pages. Each request response is different (drawn from different files, etc) and is very hard to make dynamic (one-script-fits-all would be difficult). However, I do have my MakeAJAXRequest() function which creates the request object, which is standard to all DoSomethingWithRequest() functions.
How do I include MakeAJAXRequest() in the other files which contain the DoSomethingWithRequest() functions? It seems as though I should have been able to find this.. but I havn't come across it.
tl;dr I have MakeObject.js and UseObject.js. How does UseObject() reference MakeObject()?
EDIT: Found that if you include MakeObject BEFORE UseObject in your HTML <script> tags, UseObject will be able to reference MakeObject. Seems a little dirty still, as anybody who wants to use the UseObject script will have to be aware of the MakeObject dependency...

If you want to ensure your dependencies are loaded, you could use a function such as this: http://phpjs.org/functions/include:433 There is also include_once(), require(), and require_once()

Generate an HTML table from a Word Document

I'm putting together a simple website for our department. I'd like to include one of the references that we use often on the main page, a word document that contains a priority list for outstanding work. This document is generated by another department and located on a shared drive. The info is not in a table, but uses a fairly consisten format for displaying info.
Ex: (the info is actually formatted like this)
--------------
Item Title
--------------
Tracker#: 12345-0012 Due; 01/01/12
Description...
My ultimate goal is to have a table on the main page that contains the various items in the priority list. I would like a mechanism that automatically checks the word docs about once an hour, parses the document, generates a table from the info in the doc, and updates the main page accordingly.
I've never done anything like this and have no idea where to start or if what I'm asking is even possible. I'm not in IT and do not have the ability to use ASP or PHP at the moment. So I'd like to avoid server-side scripting if possible, but I may be able to work something out if absolutely necessary.
Thanks

I know how to do this in java.. you can use the docx4j library.. Without that it would be difficult. Can't the team that create the doc store the file as a flat file as well maybe?

One possible solution is to save document as html (using automation - create Word.Application object, call Open, SaveAs) and serve it directly or inside frame.

Using scripting.filesystemobject in javascript and checking for locked files

I have some code that reads from an ini file in Javascript, using activex filesystem objects.
This isn't particularly efficient but does the job, reading the whole file into an array, appending any changes and writing back.
The problem i'm having is that another process, a C# XBAP application is reading from this ini file (using getprivateprofilestring) at the same time as I could potentially be trying to write to it in the JS.
The javascript fails as the file is locked, or part of it, and the file ends up getting corrupted or even totally cleared - as I am trying to write back the whole file each time.
Preferably, what I need is a way to determine if a file is locked in javascript, as the writes are not urgent and I want to let any reads finish first.
Just can't seem to find anyway of syncing these two completely seperate ways of accessing the file.

May be you could use try/catch. If you open the file for appending (OpenTextFile([filename],8)) it should raise an exception. Same should be true for writing/saving the file (if the file is locked try raises an exception).