Question

I have this function and the second this needs to refer not to the line before it but to the first line of the function:

$('.externallink').each(function() {
    var $externallink = $(this).html();
    if ($externallink.length > 0) {
        $(this).closest('tr').children('.filter').append('<p> test</p>');
    }
});

So the first (this).html() refers to the ('.externallink').each(function().

The second (this).closest('tr') I want to also refer to the first ('.externallink').each(function(), but I have a feeling it’s referring to the ($externallink.length > 0) that is right above it.

There are multiple rows in this table so I need to make sure that ('.filter') classes that this is being appended to is only the one that’s in the same row as the .externallink in the question.

---

<tr>
   <td style="width: 35%">
      <a class="filter" href="#">March</a>
   </td>
   <td class="year" style="width: 20%">2010</td>
   <td class="externallink" style="display:none">http://www.google.com/</td>
</tr>

Answer 1

this is perfectly fine and referring to .externallink.

I don’t think there is any function called child in jQuery, use children instead

Change your code to:

$('.externallink').each(function() {
    var $externallink = $(this).html();
        if ($externallink.length > 0) {
            //$(this).closest('tr').children('.filter').append('<p> test</p>');
            $(this).closest('tr').find('.filter').append('<p> test</p>');

        }
    });

If you can post HTML the navigation to .filter can be validated as well.