jQuery DOM Manipulation

jQuery makes it easy to add, remove, and modify elements.

Changing Content

JavaScript
$('#title').text('New text');
$('#title').html('<b>Bold</b>');
$('#title').attr('data-id', '42');
$('#title').val('New value');

Adding Elements

JavaScript
$('ul').append('<li>New item</li>');    // inside, at end
$('ul').prepend('<li>First</li>');      // inside, at start
$('ul').after('<p>Below</p>');          // outside, after
$('ul').before('<p>Above</p>');         // outside, before

Removing Elements

JavaScript
$('#item').remove();      // remove entirely
$('#item').detach();      // remove but keep jQuery data
$('#item').empty();       // remove children (keep the element)

CSS and Classes

JavaScript
$('#box').addClass('highlight');
$('#box').removeClass('highlight');
$('#box').toggleClass('highlight');
$('#box').hasClass('highlight');
$('#box').css('color', 'red');
$('#box').css({ 'font-size': '18px', 'margin': '10px' });

Tips

  • Use .text() for plain text, .html() for HTML content.
  • Use .addClass()/.removeClass() over .css() for styling.
  • Use .data() for storing custom data on elements.

Next: ajax.