$

[google]

what dose a $ do in javascript, i have been given a bit of code and
there are $'s all over the place, can someone explain their uses

[Randy Webb]

Jim Land said the following on 2/17/2007 12:28 PM:

<snip>

2. Regular Expression
In a regular expression, $ means "end of the line" or, with the /m
modifier, "over several lines, to the end of the string".
/abc$/ matches "abc" at the end of a line
/abc$/m matches "abc" at the end of a string

Is that unique to JS Regular Expressions or is it true in any language?
If it is true in any language, then it doesn't "mean" anything in JS
itself, does it?

3. Function
Some libraries define $ as a function that is short for getElementById or
other similar 'selection' mechanisms. These libraries include Prototype,
jQuery, MooTools, etc.
$(firstdiv) might mean document.getEle mentById(firstd iv)

"might mean"? That is *very* ambiguous. Heck, it "might mean"
eval(firstdiv). Very very ambiguous.

--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javas cript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[Richard Cornford]

Jim Land wrote:

Randy Webb wrote in

>Matt Kruse said the following on 2/16/2007 8:48 AM:

<snip>

>><FA****RY>Thi s really does deserve to be in there, IMO.

The $ function from libraries or the idea of using
functions as shortcut wrappers?

The $ itself. I second the nomination and submit this
first draft for FAQ entry:

I don't think this qualifies as a frequently asked question. O wouldn't
be too surprised if it became a frequently asked question because some if
the inappropriate uses the dollar symbol have been put to are inherently
obscure.

Incidentally, it was not a good idea to make that addition to the subject
line of the thread.

-----------------

What does $ mean in JS?

1. Identifier (Name of Variable)
The dollar symbol in javascript is one of the characters that
are allowed in an Identifier, (and allowed at the beginning
of an Identifier, and so may be used as an entire Identifier).

The specification for javascript (ECMA 262) proposes that the
only reason that the dollar symbol was included in the set of
characters allowed in Identifiers is so that it could be used
to signify machine generated code (a notion apparently borrowed
from Java). Regardless of this the dollar symbol is often used
in Identifiers where its uses is unrelated to machine generated
code.

There is something familiar about that.

<snip>

3. Function
Some libraries define $ as ...

<snip>

Over the years we have seen people justifying their 'appropriate' use of
the dollar symbol as a marker of Identifiers that contain string values,
for Identifiers that hold property names, for Property names that are
intended to be 'private' or 'internal' and as a means of signifying
functions that are intended for DOM interactions (to distinguish them
from pure JS functions). And there almost certainly have been other uses
proposed that have not stayed in my memory.

If any one abuse of dollar symbol is to be mentioned then all the others
should also (which is going to make any entry on the subject too bulky),
else any one mentioned may give the impression of that abuse being
endorsed.

Richard.

[Richard Cornford]

Randy Webb wrote:

Jim Land said the following on 2/17/2007 12:28 PM:

<snip>

>3. Function
Some libraries define $ as a function that is short for
getElementBy Id or other similar 'selection' mechanisms.
These libraries include Prototype, jQuery, MooTools, etc. $(firstdiv)
might mean document.getEle mentById(firstd iv)

"might mean"? That is *very* ambiguous. Heck, it "might mean"
eval(firstdiv). Very very ambiguous.

Yes, the situation is that the dollar symbol should mean machine
generated code, but, if abused, might mean anything at all.

Richard.

[Jim Land]

Jim Land <RrrrFfffTttt(N O)@(SPAM)hotmai l.comwrote in
news:Xn******** *************** ***********@216 .168.3.44:

The $ itself. I second the nomination and submit this first draft for
FAQ entry:

-----------------

What does $ mean in JS?

1. Identifier (Name of Variable)
The dollar symbol in javascript is one of the characters that are
allowed in an Identifier, (and allowed at the beginning of an
Identifier, and so may be used as an entire Identifier).

The specification for javascript (ECMA 262) proposes that the only
reason that the dollar symbol was included in the set of characters
allowed in Identifiers is so that it could be used to signify machine
generated code (a notion apparently borrowed from Java). Regardless of
this the dollar symbol is often used in Identifiers where its uses is
unrelated to machine generated code.

2. Regular Expression
In a regular expression, $ means "end of the line" or, with the /m
modifier, "over several lines, to the end of the string".
/abc$/ matches "abc" at the end of a line
/abc$/m matches "abc" at the end of a string

3. Function
Some libraries define $ as a function that is short for getElementById
or other similar 'selection' mechanisms. These libraries include
Prototype, jQuery, MooTools, etc.
$(firstdiv) might mean document.getEle mentById(firstd iv)

Thanks for the comments.

<FA****RY>

Second draft for poposed FAQ entry:

-----------------

What does $(x) mean in JS?

Javascript has no built-in function named $. However, some libraries
define $ as a function that is short for getElementById or
other similar 'selection' mechanisms. These libraries include Prototype,
jQuery, MooTools. To learn what the function does, it is necessary to
find the function's definition in the library.

[Randy Webb]

Jim Land said the following on 2/17/2007 10:14 PM:

<snip>

Thanks for the comments.

<FA****RY>

Second draft for poposed FAQ entry:

-----------------

What does $(x) mean in JS?

It means call a function named $ with x as the parameter to the
function. Nothing more, nothing less.

Javascript has no built-in function named $. However, some libraries
define $ as a function that is short for getElementById or
other similar 'selection' mechanisms.

Since you list gEBI, do you list any/all other incarnations of a
function named $ ?

These libraries include Prototype, jQuery, MooTools.

But are not limited to.

To learn what the function does, it is necessary to
find the function's definition in the library.

That is true with any user defined function. What makes $() so special
to get its own entry in the FAQ? Especially since it doesn't get asked
very often. Does the list then get expanded to include any function
names that appear in 3 or 4 different places?

This is precisely why I asked whether it was with regards to $() as a
function (as in Prototype, jQuery, etc) or if it was with regards to
using shortcut function wrappers.

--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javas cript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[Good Man]

go****@walkerwe bworks.co.uk wrote in news:1171629858 .224721.141050
@s48g2000cws.go oglegroups.com:

what dose a $ do in javascript, i have been given a bit of code and
there are $'s all over the place, can someone explain their uses

No one has posted this yet... it could be a prototype.js function. So it
would return details of the id. If you had a form field somewhere in your
valid document called 'myName', you could call

var hisName = $('myName').val ue;

or disable the field by

$theField = $('myName');
$theField.disab led = true;
etc.... http://www.prototypejs.org/

[RobG]

On Feb 18, 5:58 pm, Good Man <[e-mail] mwrote:

goo...@walkerwe bworks.co.uk wrote in news:1171629858 .224721.141050
@s48g2000cws.go oglegroups.com:

what dose a $ do in javascript, i have been given a bit of code and
there are $'s all over the place, can someone explain their uses

No one has posted this yet... it could be a prototype.js function.

The second response, posted by Matt Kruse nearly two days ago,
mentions it.

--
Rob

[-Lost]

"RobG" <rg***@iinet.ne t.auwrote in message
news:11******** **************@ s48g2000cws.goo glegroups.com.. .

On Feb 18, 5:58 pm, Good Man <[e-mail] mwrote:

>goo...@walkerw ebworks.co.uk wrote in news:1171629858 .224721.141050
@s48g2000cws.g ooglegroups.com :

what dose a $ do in javascript, i have been given a bit of code and
there are $'s all over the place, can someone explain their uses

No one has posted this yet... it could be a prototype.js function.

The second response, posted by Matt Kruse nearly two days ago,
mentions it.

I had to laugh. The 3 responses above yours had me staring.

-Lost

[VK]

On Feb 18, 4:41 am, "Richard Cornford" <Rich...@litote s.demon.co.uk>

Yes, the situation is that the dollar symbol should mean machine
generated code, but, if abused, might mean anything at all.

Oh, con'on! Don't start this stuff again. One of major problems with
the FAQ before was exactly that it refused to answer to "unproper"
questions. So like "doesn't matter if the question is asked or not, it
simply shouldn't be asked - so cannot be proper answer for unproper
questions". Something like that... Moreover you did not plan to polish
to the endless perfection the same 3-10 years old set of questions, do
you?

Prototype.js was the first popular after-war library and it set a few
coding standards for all libraries to come, moreover it set some
standards for future DOM specs.

A sample of the first is $ identifier used as document.getDoc umentById
shortcut or extension of this method.

A sample of the second is getElementsByCl assName - an oftenly needed
method simply overlooked by W3C in DOM 1 and now coming in DOM 3.

So start making a virgin of yourself and answer in FAQ what asked.
:-)
:-|

[VK]

On Feb 18, 3:14 pm, "VK" <schools_r...@y ahoo.comwrote:

So start making

So _stop_ making