What"s the difference between "$(this)" and "this"?

Understanding the Difference Between $(this) and this

🤔 Have you ever wondered what the difference is between $(this) and this in jQuery? 🤔

We often see these two syntaxes used in different situations, but it's not always clear when to use which. In this blog post, we'll demystify this common confusion and provide easy solutions to avoid common pitfalls.

The Context

Let's start with the context. You came across this question while working through the tutorial, "Getting Started with jQuery". The author used both $(this) and this in different examples, leaving you wondering about the distinction between them.

Here's an example from the tutorial to illustrate the usage:

$("#orderedlist").find("li").each(function (i) {
    $(this).append(" BAM! " + i);
});

$("#reset").click(function () {
    $("form").each(function () {
        this.reset();
    });
});

In the first example, $(this) is used within the .each() function to append some text inside each li element. On the other hand, in the second example, this is used directly when resetting the form.

Understanding $(this)

You're right in thinking that $(this) is often used more frequently than this. 🙌

In the first example with $(this), we iterate through each li element using the .each() method. Within this iteration, $(this) creates a jQuery object representing the current li element. This jQuery object allows us to access and manipulate the element using jQuery-specific functions like .append().

By using $(this).append(), we can add the desired text inside each li element with ease. 😎

Unveiling this

But what about the second example with this? Why don't we wrap it with $() as well? 🤔

The use of this directly in the second example is not an error or oversight. In this case, this refers to the DOM element itself, rather than a jQuery object.

By using this.reset(), we can directly call the native JavaScript method reset() on the form element. There's no need to wrap it with jQuery since we're not relying on any jQuery-specific functionality.

In summary, we don't always need $(this) when working with DOM elements. Sometimes, plain this is sufficient for accessing native JavaScript methods or properties.

Wrap-up 🎉

To recap, $(this) is used when we need to work with a specific element using jQuery functions. It creates a jQuery object representing that element, allowing us to leverage jQuery's power.

On the other hand, this (without $()) refers directly to the DOM element itself. It's used when we want to access native JavaScript methods or properties without relying on jQuery-specific functionality.

Understanding the difference between $(this) and this ensures we use the correct syntax and optimize our code. 🚀

Now that you've grasped the difference, go ahead and experiment with both syntaxes! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or examples to share. Let's continue learning together! 💡💪

🔗 Continue learning with our jQuery tutorial 🔗