$find() returns null for DatePicker

[David]

I am trying to access a RadDatePicker control from javascript on page load using the code below

Sys.Application.add_load(LoadPageData);

function LoadPageData {
  ...
  var picker = $find('<%= _effectiveDate.ClientID %>');
  picker.set_selectedDate(somedate);
  ...
}

The var picker always comes back null so set_selectedDate() does not work.  Strange thing is that above this line of code I am getting a reference to a RadComboBox and it works just fine. The combo and the datepicker are pretty much next to one another on the page - same parent containers and all.   Here is where I declare the datepicker in HTML.

<telerik:RadDatePicker ID="_effectiveDate" runat="server" Width="250px" >
                    </telerik:RadDatePicker>

So far as I can tell I am using the latest version of the controls.  What am I missing?

Thanks,
David Martin


[EDIT]  My goof.  I didn't copy/paste the code above.  The code works.  My actual code I was using $find as though it were jQuery $() and put a # in front of the ID.  Sorry, but sometimes it takes asking the question to wake up the hampster on the wheel.

[Legalia]

Hi...
i think you are getting null because the client side code is called before the datepicker is loaded.
pls try this :

	<telerik:RadDatePicker ID="_effectiveDate" runat="server" Width="250px" >
	<Calendar>
	<ClientEvents OnLoad="Calendar_OnLoad" />
	</Calendar>
	</telerik:RadDatePicker>

	function LoadPageData ()
	{
	...
	var picker = $find('<%= _effectiveDate.ClientID %>');
	picker.set_selectedDate(somedate);
	...
	}
	function Calendar_OnLoad()
	{
	LoadPageData();
	}

remove Sys.Application.add_load(LoadPageData);