jquery get a data-tag and do something with it

Question

i have this structure:

<ul> <li data-tag="one" class="hovering">something</li> <li data-tag="two">something else</li> <li data-tag="two">something else</li> </ul>

what i need is storing in a variable the data-tag value of the <li> that hasClass("hovering") - i want the alert to print "one".

I've been trying all types of different stuff that revolves more or less around this:

var theActiveData = function() { $('ul li.hovering').attr("data-tag"); } alert(theActiveData);

but i just can't get this to work

what exactly do you want from it? Your question is not clear — Rajaprabhu Aravindasamy
– Rajaprabhu Aravindasamy, Commented May 3, 2016 at 15:17
var theActiveData = $('ul li.hovering').data('tag'); is what you're looking for, I believe. — neilsimp1
– neilsimp1, Commented May 3, 2016 at 15:18
var theActiveData = function() { return $('ul li.hovering').attr("data-tag"); } alert(theActiveData()); — Rajaprabhu Aravindasamy
– Rajaprabhu Aravindasamy, Commented May 3, 2016 at 15:20
Why are you wrapping the variable assignment in an anonymous function call? var theActiveData = $('ul li.hovering').data('tag'); — Tommy
– Tommy, Commented May 3, 2016 at 15:20

Shiran Dror · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-03 15:21:16Z

2

you forgot return

var theActiveData = function() { return $('ul li.hovering').attr("data-tag"); } alert(theActiveData);

answered May 3, 2016 at 15:21

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1 Comment

Also the () to execute the function inside alert

spaceman · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-03 15:22:17Z

You need to call the function in the alert and set the function to actually return the value.

var theActiveData = function() { return $('ul li.hovering').attr("data-tag"); } alert(theActiveData());

ingemi · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-03 15:26:07Z

0

You must use jquery data() function like this:

var theActiveData = function() { return($('ul li.hovering').data("tag")) } alert(theActiveData());

answered May 3, 2016 at 15:19

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i want the alert to print "one", but not to set the value. thanks anyway :)

ok I misunderstood your question, I edited my answer for what you need, you was having some wrong sentences in your code, check mine