Check If Element Exists in Jquery

Check if element exists in jQuery

When working with JavaScript and jQuery, it is often necessary to check if a specific element exists on a webpage. This can be useful when you want to perform certain actions or apply specific styles only if the element is present.

In this article, we will explore different methods to check if an element exists in jQuery.

Method 1: Using the length property

One of the simplest ways to check if an element exists is by using the length property of the jQuery object. The length property returns the number of elements in the jQuery object. If the length is greater than zero, it means that the element exists.

if ($('element-selector').length) {
    // Element exists
    // Perform actions or apply styles here
} else {
    // Element does not exist
}

In the above code snippet, replace 'element-selector' with the appropriate selector for the element you want to check. If the length is greater than zero, the code inside the if block will be executed. Otherwise, the code inside the else block will be executed.

Method 2: Using the `is()` method

The is() method in jQuery allows you to check if an element matches a specific selector. By using this method, you can directly check if an element exists without using the length property.

if ($('element-selector').is('*')) {
    // Element exists
    // Perform actions or apply styles here
} else {
    // Element does not exist
}

In the above code snippet, replace 'element-selector' with the appropriate selector for the element you want to check. If the element matches any selector, the code inside the if block will be executed. Otherwise, the code inside the else block will be executed.

Method 3: Using the `length` property and `not()` method

If you want to check if an element does not exist, you can combine the length property with the not() method. The not() method allows you to exclude elements that match a specific selector.

if ($('element-selector').not('*').length) {
    // Element does not exist
} else {
    // Element exists
    // Perform actions or apply styles here
}

In the above code snippet, replace 'element-selector' with the appropriate selector for the element you want to check. If the length is greater than zero, it means that the element does not exist, and the code inside the if block will be executed. Otherwise, the code inside the else block will be executed.

By using these methods, you can easily check if an element exists in jQuery and perform actions accordingly. Remember to replace 'element-selector' with the appropriate selector for your specific use case.

Check If Element Exists in Jquery