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Meredith Klein
10,870 PointsWhy do we always use the $(document).ready function in the <head> instead of putting the whole script before </body>?
Is there a specific reason or is it a matter of preference?
3 Answers
Francois Martel
24,694 PointsAs I understand it they are both similar and are a matter of preference. Since the html document loads top down, like most other software languages, it will load the JavaScript files as soon as it encounters them, unless they are wrapped in the "$(document).ready" function, in which case it will wait until the rest of the page loads. However, if you put your script tags at the bottom of the body right before the closing body tag, the JavaScript file(s) will also load last. Personally, I find this to be more elegant as it reflects normal code organization instead of having some random code that conditionally waits to load and acts as an exception to the standard top-down code flow.
ducarmont
30,575 PointsFrom what I've seen, it can be done, and work, either way. However, it is more correct to put your script or a link to your script before the closing body tag. That lets the document load before loading the script, essentially doing the same thing as using $(document).ready.
Meredith Klein
10,870 Pointsthank you both for answering!