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Expanding Options within HTML's <select> Element Using jQuery
Appending Options to a Select List
Home Web Front-end JS Tutorial How Can jQuery Efficiently Add Options to an HTML `` Element?

How Can jQuery Efficiently Add Options to an HTML `` Element?

Nov 24, 2024 pm 09:13 PM

How Can jQuery Efficiently Add Options to an HTML `` Element?

Expanding Options within HTML's drop-down menu using jQuery has proven particularly useful. This article explores the most effective approach to accomplish this task.

The Straightforward Method

You might initially consider using the following code to append an option:

$("#mySelect").append('<option value=1>My option</option>');
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While this approach may technically work, there's a more efficient syntax that's recommended:

$('#mySelect').append($('<option>', {
  value: 1,
  text: 'My option'
}));
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This technique creates an option element (

Batch Appending of Options

In scenarios where you need to add multiple options from a collection of items, a more efficient approach is available:

$.each(items, function (i, item) {
  $('#mySelect').append($('<option>', { 
    value: item.value,
    text : item.text 
  }));
});
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Here, jQuery's $.each() method iterates through the collection (items), creating and appending option elements for each item. This ensures that all options are added to the