As a JavaScript developer, you may often come across situations where you need to insert an element after another element in the DOM. While there are several libraries available that can simplify this task, you might prefer to accomplish it using pure JavaScript to avoid additional dependencies. In this article, we will explore two different solutions to achieve this without relying on any external libraries.

Solution 1: Using the insertAdjacentElement() Method

The insertAdjacentElement() method allows you to insert an element after another element at a specified position in the DOM. Here’s an example code snippet:

const newElement = document.createElement('div');
const referenceElement = document.getElementById('reference-element');

referenceElement.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', newElement);

In the code above, we first create a new element using the createElement() method. Then, we select the reference element using its ID, assuming it exists in the DOM. Finally, we use the insertAdjacentElement() method on the reference element to insert the new element after it.

Solution 2: Using the nextSibling Property

An alternative approach is to use the nextSibling property to insert an element after another element. Here’s an example code snippet:

const newElement = document.createElement('div');
const referenceElement = document.getElementById('reference-element');

referenceElement.parentNode.insertBefore(newElement, referenceElement.nextSibling);

In this code, we again create a new element using the createElement() method and select the reference element using its ID. Then, we access the parent node of the reference element and use the insertBefore() method to insert the new element after the reference element’s nextSibling.

Conclusion

By using either the insertAdjacentElement() method or the nextSibling property, you can easily insert an element after another element in JavaScript without relying on any external libraries. These solutions provide a lightweight and efficient way to manipulate the DOM and enhance the functionality of your JavaScript code.