Accept text string instead of element in jQuery plugin

Question

When making a jQuery plugin, is it possible to accept a text string instead of an element?

For example, instead of $("#someelement").myPlugin();: $('Some text string').myPlugin();

Also, is it possible to allow multiple parameters?

For example, $('Text here', 'Another text').myPlugin();

I have been researching, and $() seems to be used only for selecting DOM elements. However, it's not possible to not use it. When I tried my test function using just $.myPlugin(); it didn't work.

Therefore, for this kind of thing should I just use a function? Are jQuery plugins only used when targeting a DOM element (ie. the $("p").greenify(); example). Or is it acceptable to use them like a regular function with params?

Why would you want to wrap a 'text string' inside a jquery object? Don't use a plugin, use a function instead, see David's answer — A. Wolff
– A. Wolff, Commented Dec 19, 2013 at 10:53

David Hellsing · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-19 11:00:28Z

3

jQuery "plugins" are just prototypes on the jQuery object. So when calling the constructor like $('text') it actually "does" something with the argument text (jQuery will treat this as a selector).

If you just want to create a "plugin" for manipulating text, here a simple one for you:

myPlugin('Text here', 'Another text');

Or you can extend the String prototype if you fancy:

String.prototype.myPlugin = function(suffix) {
    return this+suffix
};

'mytext'.myPlugin('.com') // -> mytext.com

edited Dec 19, 2013 at 11:00

answered Dec 19, 2013 at 10:52

David Hellsing

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1 Comment

william44isme Over a year ago

Thanks for this info, I decided to just use a regular function.

PA. · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-19 10:53:47Z

1

you can design your plugin to accept a string as parameter...

and then use it on a jquery selection

$('#myid').myPlugin('some text');

or even just as a regular function

myPlugin('some text');

answered Dec 19, 2013 at 10:53

PA.

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Comments

user2390733 · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-19 10:59:28Z

0

I don't understand your question - what do you want to do exactly?

If you want to call just the plugin without selecting a DOM node, most jquery extensions register themselves to $.fn: $.fn.my_pluginname

some possibilities to call it on an element:

$('#my-css-id').myPlugin(); 
$('<div class="justCreatedNow">content</div>').appendTo('body').myPlugin();

answered Dec 19, 2013 at 10:59

user2390733

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