# .triggerHandler()

Categories: Events > Event Handler Attachment

## .triggerHandler( eventType, extraParameters ) Returns: Object

Description: Execute all handlers attached to an element for an event.

- #### version added: 1.2.triggerHandler( eventType, extraParameters )

  eventTypeA string containing a JavaScript event type, such as `click` or `submit`.

  extraParametersAn array of additional parameters to pass along to the event handler.

The `.triggerHandler()` method behaves similarly to `.trigger()`, with the following exceptions:

- The `.triggerHandler()` method does not cause the default behavior of an event to occur (such as a form submission).
- While `.trigger()` will operate on all elements matched by the jQuery object, `.triggerHandler()` only affects the first matched element.
- Events created with `.triggerHandler()` do not bubble up the DOM hierarchy; if they are not handled by the target element directly, they do nothing.
- Instead of returning the jQuery object (to allow chaining), `.triggerHandler()` returns whatever value was returned by the last handler it caused to be executed. If no handlers are triggered, it returns `undefined`

For more information on this method, see the discussion for `.trigger()`.

### Example:

#### If you called .triggerHandler() on a focus event - the browser's default focus action would not be triggered, only the event handlers bound to the focus event.

    <!DOCTYPE html>
    <html>
    <head>
      <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.7rc2.js"></script>
    </head>
    <body>
      <button id="old">.trigger("focus")</button>
    <button id="new">.triggerHandler("focus")</button><br/><br/>

    <input type="text" value="To Be Focused"/>
    <script>

    $("#old").click(function(){
    $("input").trigger("focus");
    });
    $("#new").click(function(){
    $("input").triggerHandler("focus");
    });
    $("input").focus(function(){
    $("<span>Focused!</span>").appendTo("body").fadeOut(1000);
    });

    </script>

    </body>
    </html>

#### Demo: