Loop through UL LI to get <a> text values

Question

How to loop loop through a UL LI list to get my <a> text values?

Here's what I have tried:

<ul class="tabs">
    <li><a href='#tab1'>tabOne</a></li>
    <li><a href='#tab2'>tabTwo</a></li>
    <li><a href='#tab3'>tabThree</a></li>
    <li><a href='#tab4'>tabFour</a></li>
</ul>

function test() {
    var x = $("ul.tabs li").length
    alert(x)
    for (i = 0; i < x i++) { 

    }
}

Answer 1

You can use .each() for this task:

 //for each "ul.tabs a" elements $("ul.tabs a").each(function() { // $(this) represents to current iterated DOM element // $(this) is "a" element selector // If we were using a for(var i = 0;. . .) loop for arrayName[], $(this) would be arrayName[i] console.log($(this).text()); }); 

 <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <ul class="tabs"> <li><a href='#tab1'>tabOne</a></li> <li><a href='#tab2'>tabTwo</a></li> <li><a href='#tab3'>tabThree</a></li> <li><a href='#tab4'>tabFour</a></li> </ul> 

Answer 2

for loops are a good go to method, but be careful mixing jQuery methods and properties with plain JavaScript methods and properties. They do not recognize the other's objects.

Details commented in demo

Demo

 // This jQuery Object is like an array-like object var lnx = $('.tabs a'); /* The .length property applies to any jQuery Object || Using let to define the increment variable is safe */ for (let i = 0; i < lnx.length; i++) { /* Since lnx is array-like, we can use bracket || notation to keep track of its current index || on each iteration. || The plain JavaScript property .textContent || works on lnx because the brackets and || index number dereferrences the jQuery Object || into a plain JavaScript Object */ var txt = lnx[i].textContent; // Log results on each iteration console.log(txt + '\\n'); } 

 <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <ul class="tabs"> <li><a href='#tab1'>tabOne</a></li> <li><a href='#tab2'>tabTwo</a></li> <li><a href='#tab3'>tabThree</a></li> <li><a href='#tab4'>tabFour</a></li> </ul>