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JavaScript jQuery Basics (2014) Creating a Mobile Drop Down Menu Using parent(), hasClass() and prop()

why do we need to make 'selected' as true?

why do we need to make 'selected' as true?

$option.prop('selected', true);

js/app.js
//Problem: It look gross in smaller browser widths and small devices
//Solution: To hide the text links and swap them out with a more appropriate navigation

//Create a select and append to #menu
var $select = $("<select></select>");
$("#menu").append($select);

//Cycle over menu links
$("#menu a").each(function(){
  var $anchor = $(this);
  //Create an option
  var $option = $("<option></option>");

  //Deal with selected options depending on current page
  if($anchor.parent().hasClass("selected")) {
    $option.prop('selected', true);
  }
  //option's value is the href
  $option.val($anchor.attr("href"));
  //option's text is the text of link
  $option.text($anchor.text());
  //append option to select
  $select.append($option);
});
//Create button 
var $button = $("<button>Go</button>");
$("#menu").append($button);
//Bind click to button
$button.click(function(){
  //Go to select's location
  window.location = $select.val();
});
index.html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="css/style.css" type="text/css" media="screen" title="no title" charset="utf-8">
</head>
<body>
    <div id="menu">
        <ul>
            <li class="selected"><a href="index.html">Home</a></li>
            <li><a href="about.html">About</a></li>
            <li><a href="contact.html">Contact</a></li>
            <li><a href="support.html">Support</a></li>
            <li><a href="faqs.html">FAQs</a></li>
            <li><a href="events.html">Events</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>
    <h1>Home</h1>
    <p>This is the home page.</p>
    <script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-1.11.0.min.js" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
    <script src="js/app.js" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
</body>
</html>

3 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,688 Points

:point_right: You set the "selected" property here to complete the challenge.

But the practical reason for doing so is that the option with the "selected" property is the one that will be initially displayed in the select box. This causes the select box to show the same choice as the currently active tab.

You can see it work if you select the "preview" button in the challenge and then reduce your window size so that the select box becomes visible.

Thank you for your reply Steve. There are two parts i have to confirm with you.

When a value is assigned to var $option = $("<option></option>"); "selected" as a property is assigned to option at the same time as below?

<select> <option selected> </option> </select>

I did not get the part when you say "reduce your window size so that the select box becomes visible. "

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,688 Points

If you examine the code created using the browser developer tools, then yes, you will see the "selected" attribute attached to the option. But I was just talking about seeing the results by looking at the title that appears in the select box window on the page.

And the reason I said you might need to reduce the window size is because the select box is only shown on very narrow screens. Otherwise, it is hidden by the media queries and the tabs are displayed instead.

Got it. Thank you Steve!