How to access children of parent element in JavaScript

Question

Naturally I tried:

function show() {
   this.parent.childNodes[1].childNodes[1].visibility = 'hidden';
}

But debugger says that parent has no property children. What I'm doing wrong guys? And I can't use jQuery, I'm on hosted webserver.

I don't see "children" anywhere in the code, and you certainly can use jQuery regardless of your hosting. — Pointy
– Pointy, Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 18:02
please, put the piece of html code you are trying to reach the children, to allow us help you. — Rodrigo Gomes
– Rodrigo Gomes, Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 18:03
Please give us some html and any additional javascript you're using. I can't really tell you anything with what you've given us. — Shockwave
– Shockwave, Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 18:04
What is this supposed to be? Generally it's the window, which I really doubt you are meaning to use. — Spencer Wieczorek
– Spencer Wieczorek, Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 18:08

amespower · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-21 18:05:17Z

1

You need to use parentNode for raw javascript, .parent() is jquery. So in your case:

function show() {
   this.parentNode.childNodes[1].childNodes[1].visibility = 'hidden';
}

answered Sep 21, 2015 at 18:05

amespower

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1 Comment

That's right, but that's not the root of my problem. I answered myself (got hasty with that question)

Piotr Kamoda · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-21 18:16:13Z

1

Well, I got hasty with this one. Parent was not node element, so it had no children. And 'this' had no parentNode property. What works is:

function show(node) {
    node.parentNode.childNodes[1].childNodes[1].style.visibility = 'hidden';
}

and

<a class="hider" onclick="show(this)">Test</a>

Naturally to other people indexes in childNodes list are irrelevant. But for me they work, but certainly it is not cleaver on nice solution.

answered Sep 21, 2015 at 18:07

Piotr Kamoda

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adrield · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-21 18:12:03Z

0

Your 'this' seems to be the global scope. So 'this' points to window, which has no parent node.

answered Sep 21, 2015 at 18:12

adrield

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True, I had posted answer to my own question cause I got hasty with asking one.