.next()

Categories: Traversing > Tree Traversal

.next( [selector ] )Returns: jQuery

Description: Get the immediately following sibling of each element in the set of matched elements. If a selector is provided, it retrieves the next sibling only if it matches that selector.

Given a jQuery object that represents a set of DOM elements, the .next() method allows us to search through the immediately following sibling of these elements in the DOM tree and construct a new jQuery object from the matching elements.

The method optionally accepts a selector expression of the same type that we can pass to the $() function. If the immediately following sibling matches the selector, it remains in the newly constructed jQuery object; otherwise, it is excluded.

Consider a page with a simple list on it:

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<ul>
  <li>list item 1</li>
  <li>list item 2</li>
  <li class="third-item">list item 3</li>
  <li>list item 4</li>
  <li>list item 5</li>
</ul>

If we begin at the third item, we can find the element which comes just after it:

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$( "li.third-item" ).next().css( "background-color", "red" );

The result of this call is a red background behind item 4. Since we do not supply a selector expression, this following element is unequivocally included as part of the object. If we had supplied one, the element would be tested for a match before it was included.

Examples:

Find the very next sibling of each disabled button and change its text "this button is disabled".

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<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <title>next demo</title>
  <style>
  span {
    color: blue;
    font-weight: bold;
  }
  button {
    width: 100px;
  }
  </style>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
 
<div><button disabled="disabled">First</button> - <span></span></div>
<div><button>Second</button> - <span></span></div>
<div><button disabled="disabled">Third</button> - <span></span></div>
 
<script>
$( "button[disabled]" ).next().text( "this button is disabled" );
</script>
 
</body>
</html>

Demo:

Find the very next sibling of each paragraph. Keep only the ones with a class "selected".

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<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <title>next demo</title>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
 
<p>Hello</p>
<p class="selected">Hello Again</p>
<div><span>And Again</span></div>
 
<script>
$( "p" ).next( ".selected" ).css( "background", "yellow" );
</script>
 
</body>
</html>

Demo: