CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptjquery
Control Freak
Control Freak

Reputation: 13233

How to return data from function that uses $.each()

When I try to return a value from a function that uses $.each() I get undefined instead of the value. But when I return it directly from the function, it finds the value. Strange behaviour that I'm not familiar with how to resolve.

I made a fiddle here which is an example of this issue: JS Fiddle

    function returneach() {
        $("b").each(function(i,v){
            if(i==3) { alert('should be: ' + i); return i; }
        });    
    }
    alert('but returns: ' + returneach()); // <- undefined

How do I get this working like it should?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 72

Answers (5)

nullability
nullability

Reputation: 10677

You have two nested functions here.

Your return inside the inner function will not cause the outer function to return.

Use a variable and return that variable:

function returneach() {
    var r;
    $("b").each(function(i,v){
        if(i==3) r = i;
    });
    return r; // This will either return 3 or undefined
}

Upvotes: 2

rwisch45
rwisch45

Reputation: 3702

A lot of times, iterating over a collection involves returning another collection or array. Here's an updated fiddle showing that

function returneach() {
    var arr = [];
    $("b").each(function(i,v){
        if(i==3 || i == 2) { console.log('should be: ' + i); arr.push(i); }
    }); 

    return arr;
}
console.log('but returns: ' + returneach());

Edit

Added function using $.map() as per advice from comments.

function returneachWithMap(){
    return $.map($('b'), function(i,v){
        if(v==3 || v == 2) { console.log('should be: ' + v); return v; };
    });    
}
console.log('but returns: ' + returneachWithMap());

Also, the title of the post doesn't reflect the code you are using. $.each() is not the same thing as $(selector).each(). From the jQuery docs:

The $.each() function is not the same as $(selector).each(), which is used to iterate, exclusively, over a jQuery object. The $.each() function can be used to iterate over any collection, whether it is an object or an array

Upvotes: 0

Suman Bogati
Suman Bogati

Reputation: 6349

Or you can do something like this

function returneach() {
    var allTags$ = $("b");


    for(var i=0; i<allTags$.length; i++ ){
            if(i==3) { 
               return i;
            }
        }
}  
alert('but returns: ' + returneach());

Upvotes: 1

bits
bits

Reputation: 8340

You have to return a value from returneach()

function returneach() {
    var retVal;
    $("b").each(function (i, v) {
        if (i == 3) {
            alert('should be: ' + i);
            retVal = i;
        }
    });
    return retVal;
}
alert('but returns: ' + returneach()); // <- undefined

Upvotes: 0

dcodesmith
dcodesmith

Reputation: 9614

Assign the index to a variable and then return it

function returneach() {
    var ret;
    $("b").each(function(i,v){
        if(i==3) { 
           ret = i;
        }
    });
    return ret;
}
alert('but returns: ' + returneach());

Upvotes: 0

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