'If'-'else' statement within jQuery function

Question

I have the following code in JavaScript and jQuery:

     $("<li />")

     .html('Some HTML')

I would like to be able to change the content of .html by using an if-else statement. My code should be something like this, however it's not working.

var showinfo = <?php echo '$action'; ?>

$("<li />")

if (showinfo == 'action1'){
    .html('Some HTML')
else {
    .html('Other HTML')
}

How should I change it?

Answer 1

Ternary operator?

$("<li />").html((showinfo == 'action1') ? 'Somehtml' : 'Other html');

The important thing to understand is that your first bit of code is being interpreted as one statement, not two:

 $("<li />")
 .html('Somehtml')

 //Is the same as:
 $("<li />").html('Somehtml');

You're getting mixed up because you're not using semicolons to terminate your statements. JavaScript allows this to support legacy code, but if you're writing code now you really should be using them.