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JavaScript AJAX Basics (retiring) AJAX and APIs Adding jQuery

Posted by Kangin Choi
Kangin Choi
4,174 Points

$(document).ready() vs. $document.ready()

What is the difference between $(document).ready() vs. $document.ready()? How come $document.ready() throws an error this time?

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points

You probably have not defined $document.

When you use "$(document).ready()", you convert the document element into a jQuery object and then call the ready method on it. That's a typical use case. In fact, it's so common that they have made it so "$(document.ready(your_handler)" can be abbreviated to just "$(your_handler)".

But if you use "$document.ready()", you are calling the ready method on a variable named $document which will not exist unless you have created it previously.