How To Add Media Query In Jquery

Responsive design is essential for modern web development. One way to create responsive designs is through the use of media queries, which allow developers to apply different styles depending on the screen size or device being used. While media queries are typically used in CSS, you can also use them in your JavaScript code with the help of jQuery. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to add media queries in jQuery for more dynamic and responsive web applications.

Why Use Media Queries in jQuery?

Although media queries are most commonly used within your CSS files to control the layout and design of your website, there may be cases where you need to apply JavaScript functionality based on screen size or device. For example, you might want to enable or disable specific animations, alter the behavior of scroll events, or even adjust the way certain elements are displayed on the page.

How to Add Media Query in jQuery

To add a media query in jQuery, you can make use of the window.matchMedia() JavaScript method. This method returns a MediaQueryList object that you can use to check if the specified media query matches the current state of the document. You can then use jQuery to modify the DOM elements based on the result.

Here’s a basic example of how to use window.matchMedia() with jQuery:

$(document).ready(function() {
    // Define your media query
    const mediaQuery = window.matchMedia('(max-width: 768px)');

    // Check if the media query matches
    if (mediaQuery.matches) {
        // Apply your jQuery code for smaller screens
        $('.element').addClass('mobile');
    } else {
        // Apply your jQuery code for larger screens
        $('.element').removeClass('mobile');
    }
});
    

In this example, we’ve defined a media query for screens with a maximum width of 768 pixels. If the media query matches, we add a “mobile” class to the elements with class “element” using jQuery. Otherwise, we remove the “mobile” class from these elements.

Responding to MediaQueryList Changes

Another useful feature of the MediaQueryList object is the ability to add an event listener that will be triggered whenever the media query’s state changes. This allows you to modify your jQuery code dynamically as the user resizes their browser window or changes their device orientation. To do this, you can use the addEventListener() method on the MediaQueryList object:

$(document).ready(function() {
    // Define your media query
    const mediaQuery = window.matchMedia('(max-width: 768px)');

    // Create a function to handle the media query change
    const handleMediaQueryChange = function(event) {
        if (event.matches) {
            // Apply your jQuery code for smaller screens
            $('.element').addClass('mobile');
        } else {
            // Apply your jQuery code for larger screens
            $('.element').removeClass('mobile');
        }
    };

    // Add the event listener to the MediaQueryList object
    mediaQuery.addEventListener('change', handleMediaQueryChange);

    // Call the function initially to set up the correct classes
    handleMediaQueryChange(mediaQuery);
});
    

With this code, when the media query state changes (e.g., the browser window is resized), the handleMediaQueryChange() function will be called, updating the “mobile” class on the elements with class “element” accordingly. We also call this function initially to set up the correct classes when the page loads.

Conclusion

By using the window.matchMedia() method and jQuery, you can add media queries to your JavaScript code, allowing you to create more dynamic and responsive web applications. This approach helps provide a better user experience on a wide range of devices and screen sizes. Remember to test your code thoroughly and ensure that it functions correctly for all the devices and screen sizes you want to support.