How do you check if a selector matches something in jQuery?
JavascriptJqueryJquery SelectorsJavascript Problem Overview
In Mootools, I'd just run if ($('target')) { ... }. Does if ($('#target')) { ... } in jQuery work the same way?
Javascript Solutions
Solution 1 - Javascript
As the other commenters are suggesting the most efficient way to do it seems to be:
if ($(selector).length ) {
// Do something
}
If you absolutely must have an exists() function - which will be slower- you can do:
jQuery.fn.exists = function(){return this.length>0;}
Then in your code you can use
if ($(selector).exists()) {
// Do something
}
As answered here
Solution 2 - Javascript
no, jquery always returns a jquery object regardless if a selector was matched or not. You need to use .length
if ( $('#someDiv').length ){
}
Solution 3 - Javascript
if you used:
jQuery.fn.exists = function(){return ($(this).length > 0);}
if ($(selector).exists()) { }
you would imply that chaining was possible when it is not.
This would be better
jQuery.exists = function(selector) {return ($(selector).length > 0);}
if ($.exists(selector)) { }
Solution 4 - Javascript
I think most of the people replying here didn't quite understand the question, or else I might be mistaken.
The question is "how to check whether or not a selector exists in jQuery."
Most people have taken this for "how to check whether an element exists in the DOM using jQuery." Hardly interchangeable.
jQuery allows you to create custom selectors, but see here what happens when you try to use on e before initializing it;
$(':YEAH');
"Syntax error, unrecognized expression: YEAH"
After running into this, I realized it was simply a matter of checking
if ($.expr[':']['YEAH']) {
// Query for your :YEAH selector with ease of mind.
}
Cheers.
Solution 5 - Javascript
Yet another way:
$('#elem').each(function(){
// do stuff
});
Solution 6 - Javascript
if ($('#elem')[0]) {
// do stuff
}
Solution 7 - Javascript
Alternatively:
if( jQuery('#elem').get(0) ) {}
Solution 8 - Javascript
I prefer the
if (jQuery("#anyElement").is("*")){...}
Which basically checks if this elements is a kind of "*" (any element). Just a cleaner syntax and the "is" makes more sense inside an "if"
Solution 9 - Javascript
jQuery.fn.exists = function(selector, callback) {
var $this = $(this);
$this.each(function() {
callback.call(this, ($(this).find(selector).length > 0));
});
};
Solution 10 - Javascript
For me .exists doesn't work, so I use the index :
if ($("#elem").index() ! = -1) {}
Solution 11 - Javascript
firstly create a function:
$.fn.is_exists = function(){ return document.getElementById(selector) }
then
if($(selector).is_exists()){ ... }