Question

Is the following possible to do?

$("#textarea1").val = function() {
    $.each(data, function(i, j) {
        if ($.trim($("#text2").val()) == j.l) {
            return j.v;
        } else {}
    });
};

Can we conditionally set the value of some input type or div?

Answer 1

I assume you have some valid desgin-pattern reason for not simply calling $("#textarea1").val(j.v) inside your each function, instead of setting it externally to the function as you do now. (Perhaps you have many function objects whose logic you wish to use conditionally to set a large collection of inputs?)

That said, your code just needs a few changes:

1. Use the val function correctly (it’s a setter, not a settable property).
2. Right now, the return statement is terminating the function passed to each, not the outer function. You should have the each function set a variable and then break by returning false.

It should look something like:

$("#textarea1").val(function() {
    var result;
    $.each(data, function(i, j) {
        ...
        result = j.v;
        return false;
    });
    return result;
});

val will automatically execute the function and use the return value.