3️⃣ 🧱 jQuery DOM & HTML Manipulation – Modify Web Content Dynamically
jQuery makes it incredibly easy to manipulate HTML and DOM elements without writing verbose JavaScript. From updating content and attributes to adding/removing elements and styles, jQuery streamlines every task involved in modifying your webpage on the fly.
🧲 Introduction – Why Learn jQuery DOM Manipulation?
Manipulating the Document Object Model (DOM) is essential in interactive websites. jQuery provides powerful methods that simplify accessing, modifying, and styling HTML content and structure—allowing developers to build responsive, dynamic UIs with ease.
🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How to read and change HTML content
- Add, remove, or replace elements dynamically
- Apply and modify CSS styles using jQuery
- Control dimensions and class properties efficiently
📘 Topics Covered
| 🧱 Topic | 📄 Description |
|---|---|
| 🧾 jQuery HTML Content Overview | Basics of DOM and content manipulation using jQuery |
| 📥 jQuery Get Content | Retrieve HTML, text, and form values from elements |
| 📝 jQuery Set Content | Update content inside elements |
| ➕ jQuery Add Elements | Add new HTML elements before, after, or inside others |
| ❌ jQuery Remove Elements | Remove or empty DOM elements |
| ✂️ jQuery Clone Elements | Clone DOM elements with or without children |
| 🧩 jQuery Replace Elements | Replace one HTML element with another |
| 🎨 jQuery CSS Class Methods | Add, remove, or toggle CSS classes |
| 🎨 jQuery css() Method | Read or modify inline styles |
| 📐 jQuery Dimension Methods | Access or set height, width, and outer dimensions |
🧾 jQuery HTML Content Overview
jQuery gives developers methods to both retrieve and update DOM content:
$("#element").html(); // Get HTML content
$("#element").html("<b>New content</b>"); // Set HTML content
🧠 Explanation:.html(), .text(), and .val() are core methods for working with content, each suited to different use cases.
📥 jQuery Get Content
Use these methods to read data:
$("#para").text(); // Returns text content
$("#input").val(); // Gets form input value
$("#div").html(); // Gets inner HTML
📝 jQuery Set Content
Use the same methods with an argument to set new content:
$("#para").text("Updated text");
$("#input").val("New value");
$("#div").html("<strong>Bold text</strong>");
➕ jQuery Add Elements
Add HTML dynamically using:
$("#list").append("<li>New item</li>"); // Inside at end
$("#list").prepend("<li>First item</li>"); // Inside at start
$("#div").before("<hr>"); // Outside before
$("#div").after("<hr>"); // Outside after
🧠 Use Case: Append rows, alerts, or messages dynamically based on actions.
❌ jQuery Remove Elements
$("#menu").remove(); // Removes the entire element
$("#menu").empty(); // Clears only the inner content
✂️ jQuery Clone Elements
let copy = $("#box").clone();
$("#newContainer").append(copy);
🧠 Explanation:
Cloning is useful when duplicating UI components like modals or widgets.
🧩 jQuery Replace Elements
$("#old").replaceWith("<div id='new'>New content</div>");
🧠 Explanation:
Use to fully swap elements—like when updating UI components or form sections.
🎨 jQuery CSS Class Methods
$("#box").addClass("highlight");
$("#box").removeClass("highlight");
$("#box").toggleClass("hidden");
🧠 Explanation:
Class manipulation is key to triggering different states (visible, active, error, etc.)
🎨 jQuery css() Method
$("#box").css("background-color", "lightblue");
let bg = $("#box").css("background-color");
🧠 Explanation:
Can get or set multiple CSS styles inline.
📐 jQuery Dimension Methods
$("#box").width(); // Gets width
$("#box").height(); // Gets height
$("#box").outerWidth(); // Includes padding & border
$("#box").innerHeight(); // Includes padding
🧠 Explanation:
Useful for building responsive layouts, adjusting modal sizes, or detecting space.
📅 Summary – Recap & Next Steps
jQuery offers an intuitive set of tools to manipulate HTML structure, content, and styles. Whether you’re building interactive forms or updating dynamic dashboards, mastering these methods will help you build fast, responsive interfaces.
🔍 Key Takeaways
- Use
.html(),.text(),.val()to read/write content - Dynamically modify DOM using
.append(),.remove(),.replaceWith() - Style elements with
.css()and class methods - Measure UI components using dimension methods
⚙️ Real-World Relevance
DOM manipulation is central to frontend interactivity in CMS, admin panels, and user-driven websites—especially where jQuery is still widely in use.
❓ FAQ – jQuery DOM & HTML Manipulation
❓ How do I change the content of an element with jQuery?
✅ Use .html() for HTML content, .text() for plain text, and .val() for input values.
❓ What’s the difference between .empty() and .remove()?
✅ .empty() clears content but keeps the element; .remove() deletes the entire element from DOM.
❓ Can I insert new elements before or after existing ones?
✅ Yes, use .before() or .after() for adding HTML outside an element.
❓ How do I read and write inline styles?
✅ Use .css("property") to get or set inline styles.
❓ Can I measure the dimensions of elements?
✅ Yes, use .width(), .height(), .innerWidth(), or .outerHeight().
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