With jQuery, it is easy to add new elements/content.
Add New HTML Content
We will look at four jQuery methods that are used to add new content:
- append() - Inserts content at the end of the selected elements
- prepend() - Inserts content at the beginning of the selected elements
- after() - Inserts content after the selected elements
- before() - Inserts content before the selected elements
jQuery append() Method
The jQuery append() method inserts content AT THE END of the selected HTML elements.
jQuery prepend() Method
The jQuery prepend() method inserts content AT THE BEGINNING of the selected HTML elements.
Add Several New Elements With append() and prepend()
In both examples above, we have only inserted some text/HTML at the beginning/end of the selected HTML elements.
However, both the append() and prepend() methods can take an infinite number of new elements as parameters. The new elements can be generated with text/HTML (like we have done in the examples above), with jQuery, or with JavaScript code and DOM elements.
In the following example, we create several new elements. The elements are created with text/HTML, jQuery, and JavaScript/DOM. Then we append the new elements to the text with the append() method (this would have worked for prepend() too) :
Example
function appendText()
{
var txt1 = "<p>Text.</p>";
// Create element with HTML
var txt2 = $("<p></p>").text("Text."); // Create with jQuery
var txt3 = document.createElement("p"); // Create with DOM
txt3.innerHTML = "Text.";
$("p").append(txt1, txt2, txt3);
// Append the new elements
}
Try it Yourself »
jQuery after() and before() Methods
The jQuery after() method inserts content AFTER the selected HTML elements.
The jQuery before() method inserts content BEFORE the selected HTML elements.
Add Several New Elements With after() and before()
Also, both the after() and before() methods can take an infinite number of new elements as parameters. The new elements can be generated with text/HTML (like we have done in the example above), with jQuery, or with JavaScript code and DOM elements.
In the following example, we create several new elements. The elements are created with text/HTML, jQuery, and JavaScript/DOM. Then we insert the new elements to the text with the after() method (this would have worked for before() too) :
Example
function afterText()
{
var txt1 = "<b>I </b>";
// Create element with HTML
var txt2 = $("<i></i>").text("love "); // Create with jQuery
var txt3 = document.createElement("b"); // Create with DOM
txt3.innerHTML = "jQuery!";
$("img").after(txt1, txt2, txt3);
// Insert new elements after <img>
}
Try it Yourself »
Test Yourself with Exercises!
Exercise 1 » Exercise 2 » Exercise 3 » Exercise 4 »
jQuery HTML Reference
For a complete overview of all jQuery HTML methods, please go to our jQuery HTML/CSS Reference.