Jquery selector looping vs using function each

Question

• Do these two code snippets have the same thing? If so, when should you use each other? (also, when you need to do something involving i or value )

   $("foo").each(function(i,value) { $(this).empty(); }); 

  against.

   $("foo").empty(); 

• In the general case, we can assume that $("foo").someMethod() means "execute somemethod() for each element that corresponds to the selector, except that the method name is each ? (I.e., each is a special case)

Answer 1

Assuming you mean jQuery functions for stocks, yes, the two pieces of code are identical.

You should use the each() function either when working with the index, or to prevent a long chain of functions.

Your understanding of $('foo').someMethod() is true for jQuery methods. But be careful, some plugins may handle the selector differently or affect only the first matched element.

Answer 2

Yes, most jQuery functions are created like this.

Take a look at the sample code:

 $.fn.someMethod = function() { return this.each(function() { do_something(this); }); }; 

So even you can use .each again, you should just use:

$(selector).someMethod();

not

 $(selector).each(function() { $(this).someMethod(); });