Why are some Javascript functions put inside $()?

Question

I've noticed some functions in Javascript are contained within $(). For example:

$(function() {
     //do something here
});

As opposed to simply:

function() {
     //do something here
};

I know this notation isn't needed for a Javascript function to work, so what does the $() actually do?

This is [jQuery](https://jquery.com/) lingo. – f_puras Jun 17 '16 at 09:03 — f_puras, Jun 17 '16 at 09:03

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 17 '16 at 09:03

It's Jquery's short hand for $(document).ready(function(){});

By the way, your second function will never be executed. You need to add () if you want it to be executed.

function() {
     //do something here
}();

1 Answers1