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JavaScript

samiff
samiff
31,206 Points
Posted by samiff
samiff
31,206 Points

jQuery Multiple Selectors

I'm working with some jQuery code examples, and I'm having a hard time understanding why 

$(var1).add(var2).css("border", "thick solid red");

works for this page, but the following doesn't

$('var1, var2').css("border", "thick solid red");

Edit: I understand that in this example the newly created elements aren't part of the actual document until appended, but I guess I'm asking if the syntax exists to do it the way I was trying, or if you have to use add(), or just use two separate statements.

4 Answers

Andrew Whitfield
Andrew Whitfield
5,239 Points
Andrew Whitfield
Andrew Whitfield
5,239 Points

$('var1, var2'); will match elements with tagnames of 'var1' and 'var2', respectively.

However, $(var1, var2) may be what you're looking for, perhaps?

Without the quotes, it will interpret the selector contents as variables, not text to be interpreted.

samiff
samiff
31,206 Points
samiff
samiff
31,206 Points

I tried using

$(orchidElems, lilyElems).css("border", "thick solid red");

in the example I posted, but that only matches the first of those variables, and not the second.

Andrew Whitfield
Andrew Whitfield
5,239 Points
Andrew Whitfield
Andrew Whitfield
5,239 Points

My Mistake :) I didn't check your example fully:

$.merge(orchidElems, lilyElems).css({border:"thick solid red"});

Should do it.

samiff
samiff
31,206 Points
samiff
samiff
31,206 Points

Thanks Andrew. That technique does work. The syntax is still a bit weird to me though because you can select multiple page elements like $("div, .myClass"), but it doesn't work in this example for new variables (even without the quotes).

I ended up finding a a good Stack Overflow thread. Also for anyone who comes across this, the jQuery.merge() API (merge will alter your first array parameter!)