Question

This is some code i made up following a course:

$(document).ready(function(){
    $.ajax({
        type: 'GET',
        dataType: 'XML',
        url: 'user_timeline.xml',
        success: processXML
    });

    function processXML(response){
        var status = $(response).find("status");
        for (var i=0; i < status.length; i++){
            var text = $("text",status[i]).text();
            $('#status').append("<p>" + text + "</p>");
        };
    }
});

It works fine, but can someone explain this:

$("text",status[i])

Does it search/select the status array for the key ‘text’?

I want to know what i’m doing, not just doing it…

Answer 1

That specific line is looking for a text element inside status[i]. See the jQuery docs on this:

http://api.jquery.com/jQuery/

Selector Context

By default, selectors perform their searches within the DOM starting
at the document root. However, an alternate context can be given for
the search by using the optional second parameter to the $() function.
For example, to do a search within an event handler, the search can be
restricted like so:

$(‘div.foo’).click(function() { $(‘span’, this).addClass(‘bar’); });

When the search for the span selector is restricted to the context of
this, only spans within the clicked element will get the additional
class.

Internally, selector context is implemented with the .find() method,
so $(‘span’, this) is equivalent to $(this).find(‘span’).