What is the difference between jQuery: text() and html() ?

288
votes

What the difference between text() and html() functions in jQuery ?

$("#div").html('<a href="example.html">Link</a><b>hello</b>');

vs

$("#div").text('<a href="example.html">Link</a><b>hello</b>');
17
jquerydom
A question that is not self-explanatory: when we need only text (no html tags), the text() method is faster?? How much? – Peter Krauss

17 Answers

353
votes

I think the difference is nearly self-explanatory. And it's super trivial to test.

jQuery.html() treats the string as HTML, jQuery.text() treats the content as text

<html>
<head>
  <title>Test Page</title>
  <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
  <script type="text/javascript">
    $(function(){
      $("#div1").html('<a href="example.html">Link</a><b>hello</b>');
      $("#div2").text('<a href="example.html">Link</a><b>hello</b>');
    });
  </script>
</head>

<body>

<div id="div1"></div>
<div id="div2"></div>

</body>
</html>

A difference that may not be so obvious is described in the jQuery API documentation

In the documentation for .html():

The .html() method is not available in XML documents.

And in the documentation for .text():

Unlike the .html() method, .text() can be used in both XML and HTML documents.

$(function() {
  $("#div1").html('<a href="example.html">Link</a><b>hello</b>');
  $("#div2").text('<a href="example.html">Link</a><b>hello</b>');
});
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<div id="div1"></div>
<div id="div2"></div>
http://jsfiddle.net/hossain/sUTVg/
106
votes

((please update if necessary, this answer is a Wiki))

Sub-question: when only text, what is faster, .text() or .html()?

Answer: .html() is faster! See here a "behaviour test-kit" for all the question.

So, in conclusion, if you have "only a text", use html() method.

Note: Doesn't make sense? Remember that the .html() function is only a wrapper to .innerHTML, but in the .text() function jQuery adds an "entity filter", and this filter naturally consumes time.

Ok, if you really want performance... Use pure Javascript to access direct text-replace by the nodeValue property. Benchmark conclusions:

  • jQuery's .html() is ~2x faster than .text().
  • pure JS' .innerHTML is ~3x faster than .html().
  • pure JS' .nodeValue is ~50x faster than .html(), ~100x than .text(), and ~20x than .innerHTML.

PS: .textContent property was introduced with DOM-Level-3, .nodeValue is DOM-Level-2 and is faster (!).

See this complete benchmark:

// Using jQuery:
simplecron.restart(); for (var i=1; i<3000; i++) 
    $("#work").html('BENCHMARK WORK');
var ht = simplecron.duration();
simplecron.restart(); for (var i=1; i<3000; i++) 
    $("#work").text('BENCHMARK WORK');
alert("JQuery (3000x): \nhtml="+ht+"\ntext="+simplecron.duration());

// Using pure JavaScript only:
simplecron.restart(); for (var i=1; i<3000; i++)
    document.getElementById('work').innerHTML = 'BENCHMARK WORK';
ht = simplecron.duration();
simplecron.restart(); for (var i=1; i<3000; i++) 
    document.getElementById('work').nodeValue = 'BENCHMARK WORK';
alert("Pure JS (3000x):\ninnerHTML="+ht+"\nnodeValue="+simplecron.duration());
68
votes

The first example will actually embed HTML within the div whereas the second example will escape the text by means of replacing element-related characters with their corresponding character entities so that it displays literally (i.e. the HTML will be displayed not rendered).

63
votes

The text() method entity-escapes any HTML that is passed into it. Use text() when you want to insert HTML code that will be visible to people who view the page.

Technically, your second example produces:

&lt;a href="example.html"&gt;Link&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;hello&lt;/b&gt;

which would be rendered in the browser as:

<a href="example.html">Link</a><b>hello</b>

Your first example will be rendered as an actual link and some bold text.

28
votes

Actually both do look somewhat similar but are quite different it depends on your usage or intention what you want to achieve ,

Where to use:

  • use .html() to operate on containers having html elements.
  • use .text() to modify text of elements usually having separate open and closing tags

Where not to use:

  • .text() method cannot be used on form inputs or scripts.

    • .val() for input or textarea elements.
    • .html() for value of a script element.

  • Picking up html content from .text() will convert the html tags into html entities.

Difference:

  • .text() can be used in both XML and HTML documents.
  • .html() is only for html documents.

Check this example on jsfiddle to see the differences in action

Example

12
votes

Strange that no-one mentioned the Cross Site scripting prevention benefit of .text() over .html() (Although others have just mentioned that .text() escapes the data).

It's always recommended to use .text() when you want to update data in DOM which is just data / text for the user to see.

.html() should be mostly used to get the HTML content within a div.

5
votes

Use .text(…) when you intend to display the value as a simple text.

Use .html(…) when you intend to display the value as a html formatted text (or HTML content).

You should definitely use .text(...) when you’re not sure that your text (e.g. coming from an input control) do not contain characters/tags that has special meaning in HTML. This is really important because this could result in the text will not display properly but it could also cause that an unwanted JS script snippet (e.g. coming from another user input) to be activated.

4
votes

.text() will give you the actual text in between HTML tags. For example, the paragraph text in between p tags. What is interesting to note is that it will give you all the text in the element you are targeting with with your $ selector plus all the text in the children elements of that selected element. So If you have multiple p tags with text inside the body element and you do a $(body).text(), you will get all the text from all the paragraphs. (Text only, not the p tags themselves.)

.html() will give you the text and the tags. So $(body).html() will basically give you your entire page HTML page

.val() works for elements that have a value attribute, such as input. An input does not have contained text or HTML and thus .text() and .html() will both be null for input elements.

3
votes

Basically, $("#div").html uses element.innerHTML to set contents, and $("#div").text (probably) uses element.textContent.

http://docs.jquery.com/Attributes/html: 

Set the html contents of every matched element

http://docs.jquery.com/Attributes/text: 

Similar to html(), but escapes HTML (replace "<" and ">" with their HTML 
entities).
2
votes

$('.div').html(val) will set the HTML values of all selected elements, $('.div').text(val) will set the text values of all selected elements.

API docs for jQuery.text()

API docs for jQuery.html()

I would guess that they correspond to Node#textContent and Element#innerHTML, respectively. (Gecko DOM references).

1
votes

Well in simple term.

html()-- to get inner html(html tags and text).

text()-- to get only text if present inside(only text)

1
votes

The different is .html() evaluate as a html, .text() avaluate as a text.
Consider a block of html
HTML

<div id="mydiv">
<div class="mydiv">
    This is a div container
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#">Link 1</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Link 2</a></li>
    </ul>
    a text after ul
</div>
</div>

JS

var out1 = $('#mydiv').html();
var out2 = $('#mydiv').text();
console.log(out1) // This output all the html tag
console.log(out2) // This is output just the text 'This is a div container Link 1 Link 2 a text after ul'

The illustration is from this link http://api.jquery.com/text/

0
votes

I think that the difference is to insert html tag in text() you html tag do not functions 

$('#output').html('You are registered'+'<br>'  +'  '
                     + 'Mister'+'  ' + name+'   ' + sourname ); }

output : 

You are registered <br> Mister name sourname

replacing text() with html()

output 

You are registered
Mister name sourname

then the tag <br> works in html()

0
votes

text function set or retrieve the value as plain text, otherwise, HTML function set or retrieve the value as HTML tags to change or modify that. If you want to just change the content then use text(). But if you need to change the markup then you have to use hmtl().

It's a dummy answer for me after six years, Don't mind.

0
votes
**difference between text()&& html() && val()...?
#Html code..
<select id="d">
<option>Hello</option>
<option>Welcome</option>
</select>
# jquery code..
$(document).ready(function(){
   $("#d").html();
   $("#d").text();
   $("#d").val();

});
0
votes

Whenever possible use .text() as it escapes the HTML, especially if you are adding any untrusted data such as from user input. .html() has some xss vulnerabilities

-2
votes
var v = "&#x5168;&#x540D;";
$("#div").html(v); //display as "全名"
$("#div").text(v); //display as "&#x5168;&#x540D;"

text() – This method sets or returns the text content of elements selected. html() – This method sets or returns the content of elements selected. Refer example here : https://www.tutorialspoint.com/online_jquery_editor.php