How to Use document.getElementsByClassName with event.target in JavaScript

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Understanding the Problem

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Why It Doesn't Work

Ineffective Comparison: The direct comparison you see with == doesn’t work because it checks for reference equality — that is, it checks whether both sides refer to the exact same object.

The Correct Approach

To correctly check if the event target has a specific class, you have two primary options:

The classList property on an HTMLElement allows you to easily check if an element has a certain class. Here’s how to do it:

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2. Using closest()

If you're dealing with elements that might be nested inside other elements with the same class, you can use the closest() method. This method checks the target element and traverses up the DOM tree for a matching selector:

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Key Benefits

Simplicity: Both of these methods allow for a straightforward way to determine if an event target or its ancestor matches a certain class.

Flexibility: Using closest() allows your check to work smoothly even if your event target is a child of the element you are interested in.

Conclusion

The next time you find yourself needing to check if an event target belongs to a certain class in JavaScript, remember that you should not compare an HTML collection directly. Instead, utilize the built-in classList or closest() methods to achieve your desired outcome efficiently. This not only makes your code cleaner but also ensures that it functions as expected.

By following these guidelines, you’re well on your way to mastering event handling in JavaScript. Happy coding!