preventDefault() on an <a> tag
JavascriptJqueryJavascript Problem Overview
I have some HTML and jQuery that slides a div up and down to show or hide` it when a link is clicked:
<ul class="product-info">
<li>
<a href="#">YOU CLICK THIS TO SHOW/HIDE</a>
<div class="toggle">
<p>CONTENT TO SHOW/HIDE</p>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
$('div.toggle').hide();
$('ul.product-info li a').click(function(event){
$(this).next('div').slideToggle(200);
}
My question is: How do I use preventDefault() to stop the link acting as a link and adding "#" to the end of my URL & jumping to the top of the page?
I can't figure out the right syntax, I just keep getting an error saying >preventDefault() is not a function.
Javascript Solutions
Solution 1 - Javascript
Try something like:
$('div.toggle').hide();
$('ul.product-info li a').click(function(event) {
event.preventDefault();
$(this).next('div').slideToggle(200);
});
Here is the page about that in the jQuery documentation
Solution 2 - Javascript
Set the href attribute as href="javascript:;"
<ul class="product-info">
<li>
<a href="javascript:;">YOU CLICK THIS TO SHOW/HIDE</a>
<div class="toggle">
<p>CONTENT TO SHOW/HIDE</p>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
Solution 3 - Javascript
It's suggested that you do not use return false, as 3 things occur as a result:
- event.preventDefault();
- event.stopPropagation();
- Stops callback execution and returns immediately when called.
So in this type of situation, you should really only use event.preventDefault();
Archive of article - jQuery Events: Stop (Mis)Using Return False
Solution 4 - Javascript
1 - Easy way:
<a href="javascript:;">Click Me</a>
2 - using void(0):
<a href="javascript:void(0);">Click Me</a>
3 - Using preventDefault():
<a href='#' onclick="event.preventDefault()">Click Me</a>
4 - Yet another way of doing this in Javascript using inline onclick, IIFE, event and preventDefault():
<a href='#' onclick="(function(e){e.preventDefault();})(event)">Click Me</a>
Solution 5 - Javascript
Alternatively, you could just return false from the click event:
$('div.toggle').hide();
$('ul.product-info li a').click(function(event){
$(this).next('div').slideToggle(200);
+ return false;
});
Which would stop the A-Href being triggered.
Note however, for usability reasons, in an ideal world that href should still go somewhere, for the people whom want to open link in new tab ;)
Solution 6 - Javascript
This is a non-JQuery solution I just tested and it works.
<html lang="en">
<head>
<script type="text/javascript">
addEventListener("load",function(){
var links= document.getElementsByTagName("a");
for (var i=0;i<links.length;i++){
links[i].addEventListener("click",function(e){
alert("NOPE!, I won't take you there haha");
//prevent event action
e.preventDefault();
})
}
});
</script>
</head>
<body>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com">Google</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com">Facebook</a></li>
<p id="p1">Paragraph</p>
</ul>
</div>
<p>By Jefrey Bulla</p>
</body>
</html>
Solution 7 - Javascript
<ul class="product-info">
<li>
<a href="javascript:void(0);">YOU CLICK THIS TO SHOW/HIDE</a>
<div class="toggle">
<p>CONTENT TO SHOW/HIDE</p>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
Use
> javascript:void(0);
Solution 8 - Javascript
After several operations, when the page should finally go to <a href"..."> link you can do the following:
jQuery("a").click(function(e){
var self = jQuery(this);
var href = self.attr('href');
e.preventDefault();
// needed operations
window.location = href;
});
Solution 9 - Javascript
Why not just do it in css?
Take out the 'href' attribute in your anchor tag
<ul class="product-info">
<li>
<a>YOU CLICK THIS TO SHOW/HIDE</a>
<div class="toggle">
<p>CONTENT TO SHOW/HIDE</p>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
In your css,
a{
cursor: pointer;
}
Solution 10 - Javascript
If stopping the propagation of the event doesn't bother you, just use
return false;
at the end of your handler. In jQuery it prevents the default behaviour and it stop the event bubbling.
Solution 11 - Javascript
You can make use of return false; from the event call to stop the event propagation, it acts like an event.preventDefault(); negating it. Or you can use javascript:void(0) in href attribute to evaluate the given expression and then return undefined to the element.
Returning the event when it's called:
<a href="" onclick="return false;"> ... </a>
Void case:
<a href="javascript:void(0);"> ... </a>
You can see more about in: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40048143/whats-the-effect-of-adding-void0-for-href-and-return-false-on-click-event-l/40048197#40048197
Solution 12 - Javascript
In Javascript you can use it
window.event.preventDefault();
It works in my case. write the above line into your function.