Can Click() Be Used for Simulated Link Navigation?

Can Click() Be Used to Emulate Link Navigation?

When working with JavaScript timers, many developers utilize jQuery's click() function to emulate link clicking and navigate to another page after a set time interval. While the click() method works as intended, some unexpected behavior has been observed, leading to questions about its functionality.

Browser Behavior

If an event handler hasn't been assigned to an link using bind() or click(), calling click() appears to have no effect. The browser won't follow the link and load the targeted page.

However, if an event handler is first established, click() functions as expected, even if the handler does not contain any code.

$('a').click(function(){return true;}).click();

In this case, the new page will load as if the user had manually clicked the link.

Explanation

Initially, the observed behavior was believed to be related to an issue in the code or setup. However, further testing revealed that this was not the case.

jQuery's click() function serves the purpose of triggering a click event on the targeted element. If no event handler has been defined for the element, click() simply triggers the default browser handler, which initiates link navigation.

Alternative Solutions

If click() behavior is not suitable, there are alternative options available:

• Utilizing jQuery's trigger() method:

  $('a').trigger('click');

• Using vanilla JavaScript:

  document.getElementById("a_link").click()

• Modifying window.location directly:

  window.location = "new_page.html";

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