$('div'); returns an empty array

Question

I'm trying to get all the div classes in a page using jQuery $('div');, it's on a page that doesn't support jquery but I load it using the links below until I get $ === jQuery is true.

Even here on SO which has jQuery, when I do var x = $('post-text'); x is empty. What might be the reason for this not working?

I do this in Chrome's console.

How to run jQuery directly on any page in the browser?

testing jQuery statements in Chrome JavaScript console

`post-text` is not a tag name. Is the DOM loaded before you execute `$('div');`? — Sebastian Simon, Sep 24 '16 at 09:08
@Xufox Well the page did load completely, so I assume the DOM did too. How do you check if it was loaded? — shinzou, Sep 24 '16 at 09:17

sheetal · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-24T09:16:36.943

2

You must use '.' before the class name and '#' before the id name of element as $('.classname') for accessing any html element

You can add jquery by adding it's online link in your head tag and with without adding jquery in your page you can't use it's features

edited Sep 24 '16 at 09:16

answered Sep 24 '16 at 09:10

sheetal

565
6
13

What about the div selector? Why that is empty? – Jai Sep 24 '16 at 09:36
because you need to add jquery in your page to get the element using $('element') – sheetal Sep 26 '16 at 09:27

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 24 '16 at 09:09

1

var x = $('post-text'); seems wrong

append a . or # for class or ID

var x = $('.post-text'); OR var x = $('#post-text');

answered Sep 24 '16 at 09:09

Rahil Lakhani

412
4
7

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 24 '16 at 09:22

0

Sounds like jQuery might not be included on the page. I have fallen victim to this before - Chrome console has a built-in selector engine also defined as $, meaning that when jQuery is not loaded on a page, $(...) can be used to do a DOM lookup.

Use $.fn.jquery in order to find out the version of jQuery loaded. It should return something like "1.7.1" but the version you have. If it isn't defined, jQuery isn't loaded.

answered Sep 24 '16 at 09:22

Dean James

2,491
4
21
29

I get 1.11.1 on that page from `$.fn.jquery` – shinzou Sep 24 '16 at 09:23
Are you using the jQuery on ready function to make sure you're executing after jQuery is loaded? Also, when I do `$('div')` on SO I get results. – Dean James Sep 24 '16 at 09:31
It's not on SO, I just tested it here. I load jquery using the links in my question and run the commands in chrome console. – shinzou Sep 24 '16 at 09:39
Anyway looks like jquery does work there, I wasn't using the dot selector. – shinzou Sep 24 '16 at 09:42
Sounds like @sheetal has the correct answer. Feel free to make it as the accepted answer :) – Dean James Sep 24 '16 at 09:47

score -2 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 24 '16 at 09:09

first you add jquery file in page like this

var jquery = document.createElement('script'); 
jquery.src = "https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.4/jquery.min.js";
document.head.appendChild(jquery);

now you can use all jquery functions

alert($('div').length);

$('div'); returns an empty array

4 Answers4