Get Javascript Method

Michael Zippo 04.11.2021

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Using HTTP requests is one of the cornerstones of building a web application. HTTP requests allow you to capture data from user input and send it through the backend to a server. Then a response is returned.

Sometimes these requests send data which is saved in the database, like in a POST request. Other common requests get a response and show it to the user. This is called a GET request. jQuery has a get () method which simplifies sending a request.

What is jQuery get () ?

jQuery get () is a method that sends a GET request to a URL endpoint and receives a response. The response is the data returned by the server. Unlike a POST request, a GET request only receives preexisting data from the server. It does not save anything to the database.

A GET request is useful for requesting a specific subset of data and doing something with it. For example, if we create an eCommerce app, we will send a GET request to a URL endpoint to access the products. We can take the data received in a response and format it to create a tabbed presentation of all the products available for purchase.

jQuery get () is responsible for sending a request to a URL and receiving the data in response. The developer now has access to the data on the server and can choose to show it to the user as they wish.

Now that we know what a GET request is, take a look at the syntax of the get () method.

get () jQuery Syntax

jQuery makes it easy to send a GET request. get () receives the URL as a string and a callback function to receive the data. Basically, a callback function is a function passed to a method to be executed later.

For a more detailed explanation of callbacks, see this help .

There are a few optional arguments that get () accepts, but the most commonly used are the URL and the callback function.

Following our example of e-commerce, let’s see what a basic GET request would look like using get ():

We call get () and we pass it the URL as a string. The request is sent to the product index page and the server returns the data. The callback function accepts some arguments, but the data and status will be sufficient for our purposes.

The data represents the data received by the request. In our example, we just display what is returned to the console. jQuery was created to recognize certain types of data, but most likely we’ll get a JSON object.

Additional code will be needed to extract the desired information from our JSON object. Let’s see how to do it.

jQuery get () example

For our example, let’s use a fun API. This site tells us how many astronauts there are in space right now! It also gives us names and spaceships. Let’s start by passing the URL to get ():

When we send the request , we get this response recorded in our console:

From the URL, we already know that we will get a JSON object returned by the server. In the console, we see the "message", "number" and "people" keys. The value of the success message helps with error handling.

The numeric key refers to the number of people in space. " People " points to a value containing an array of objects. From there, we could iterate through the " people ‚" tables and display that information to the user as a list. Retrieving data in this way leaves the developer free to choose how to display the data returned by the server.

Conclusion

We looked at what a GET request is and how jQuery makes it fast and easy. After familiarizing ourselves with common syntax practices, we saw get () in action. It is important to note that the data can be iterated and rendered from the body of the callback function.

From there, a fun project might be to research some simple APIs and create small projects to practice making GET requests and visualizing that data. Receiving and viewing data in a pleasant way is the start of becoming an expert developer.

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We hope this article has helped you to resolve the problem. Apart from Get Javascript Method, check other array Python module-related topics.

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Marie Krasiko

Boston | 2023-02-03

Simply put and clear. Thank you for sharing. Get Javascript Method and other issues with PS PHP module was always my weak point 😁. I just hope that will not emerge anymore

Frank Chamberlet

Munchen | 2023-02-03

PS PHP module is always a bit confusing 😭 Get Javascript Method is not the only problem I encountered. I just hope that will not emerge anymore

Boris Richtgofen

Texas | 2023-02-03

Thanks for explaining! I was stuck with Get Javascript Method for some hours, finally got it done 🤗. I am just not quite sure it is the best method