Jquery .length keeps returning 0

Question

I'm trying to count the section tags on a page but whenever this script runs it returns a 0. Any ideas?

    var sectionCount = $( "section").length;
    console.log(sectionCount);

The HTML I'm counting from is as follows:

    <body>
        <div class="container">
            <section class="slide">1</section>
            <section class="slide">2</section>
            <section class="slide">3</section>
        </div>
    </body>

when (or where) do you run js script? the `section` elements may not exist if you run the script in the `` when the DOM is not loaded. — Cheery, Nov 19 '14 at 00:13
I have the script linked from my document head and its running in its own seperate file. Jsfiddle here: http://jsfiddle.net/58yuowje/ — Jackanapes, Nov 19 '14 at 00:15
If the script is in the head and the `section` elements are in the body, then they don't exist when the script runs. — six fingered man, Nov 19 '14 at 00:16
It runs BEFORE the rest of the page is loaded. Place the script at the end of the page or run it inside of, for example, `$(document).ready(function() { /* here */; });` — Cheery, Nov 19 '14 at 00:16
@Anubhav, fiddle is running the script on page load change the setting to run in the head of the document. — robbmj, Nov 19 '14 at 00:19

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 19 '14 at 00:27

Just add a $(document).ready() clause so that it runs after the html DOM has been loaded.

$( document ).ready(function() {
  var sectionCount = $( "section").length;
  console.log(sectionCount);
 });

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<body>
        <div class="container">
            <section class="slide">1</section>
            <section class="slide">2</section>
            <section class="slide">3</section>
        </div>
    </body>

Jquery .length keeps returning 0

1 Answers1