CODEWITHSUNDEEP
jqueryperformancethis
Scribblemacher
Scribblemacher

Reputation: 1638

Does $(this) affect performance like $([selector])?

When using jQuery, I know that you should store an object rather than repeatedly transversing the DOM:

// This is good
var something = $(".some-class")

My question is does the jQuery $(this) have a similar performance issue? Should I be doing this:

// should I do this?
var current_object = $(this)

with $(this)?

(This is my obligatory this is confusing joke)

Upvotes: 0

Views: 48

Answers (1)

Jonathan Hall
Jonathan Hall

Reputation: 79566

$(this) isn't free. It instantiates a new jQuery object. But compared to traversing the DOM, it's very nearly free.

This level of optimization is usually unnecessary. Write code that's readable, and optimize this sort of thing only when you experience performance bottlenecks.

My rule, for something like var foo = $(this) is: Use whatever's easier to read in the situation.

$(this) has a pretty clear meaning, so use it when it makes sense. But if you're doing something where it makes sense to call $(this) by another name, do that.

Optimize for you and your fellow coder's time. It's the most valuable resource in the equation.

Upvotes: 1

Related Questions