jQuery Makes Parsing XML Easy

jQuery Makes Parsing XML Easy

Category: JavaScript & jQuery Tags: jQuery, JavaScript, XML | Written before Dec, 2007

I am building a Google Maps project and jQuery is making my life so much easier when parsing XML.

Regular JavaScript XML Parsing

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JavaScript:

    

     

      

       var
        xmlDoc
        
       =
        request.
       responseXML
       ;
      
     

      

       try
        
       // Build Markers, if available
      
     

      

       {
      
     

      

          
        
       var
        markers
        
       =
        xmlDoc.
       getElementsByTagName
       (
       "marker"
       )
        
       ;
      
     

      

          
        
       for
        
       (
        
       var
        i
        
       =
        
       0
       ;
        i
        
       <
        markers.
       length
        
       ;
        i
       ++
        
       )
      
     

      

          
        
       {
      
     

      

              
        
       var
        point
        
       =
        
       {
      
     

      

                   markers
       [i
       ].
       getAttribute
       (
       "lat"
       )
       )
       ,
      
     

      

                   markers
       [i
       ].
       getAttribute
       (
       "lng"
       )
      
     

      

              
        
       }
       ;
      
     

      

          
        
       }
      
     

      

       }
        
       catch
       (e
       )
        
       {
       }
      
    

jQuery XML Parsing

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JavaScript:

    

     

      

       $
       (request.
       responseXML
       ).
       find
       (
       "marker"
       ).
       each
       (
       function
       (
       )
        
       {
      
     

      

          
        
       var
        marker
        
       =
        $
       (
       this
       )
       ;
      
     

      

          
        
       var
        point
        
       =
        
       {
      
     

      

               marker.
       attr
       (
       "lat"
       )
       ,
      
     

      

               marker.
       attr
       (
       "lng"
       )
      
     

      

          
        
       }
       ;
      
     

      

       }
       )
       ;
      
    

The jQuery code is so much easier to read and understand. This is a basic example, but imagine when things get complex. After writing a few complex statements, you will realize the jQuery code will still be understandable, where as the JavaScript code will become hard to maintain. Thank you jQuery for making my job easier and more fun.