# .removeData()

Categories: Data | Miscellaneous > Data Storage

## .removeData( [name] ) Returns: jQuery

Description: Remove a previously-stored piece of data.

- #### version added: 1.2.3.removeData( [name] )

  nameA string naming the piece of data to delete.

- #### version added: 1.7.removeData( [list] )

  listAn array or space-separated string naming the pieces of data to delete.

The `.removeData()` method allows us to remove values that were previously set using `.data()`. When called with the name of a key, `.removeData()` deletes that particular value; when called with no arguments, all values are removed. Removing data from jQuery's internal `.data()` cache does not effect any HTML5 `data-` attributes in a document; use `.removeAttr()` to remove those.

As of jQuery 1.7, when called with an array of keys or a string of space-separated keys, `.removeData()` deletes the value of each key in that array or string.

As of jQuery 1.4.3, calling `.removeData()` will cause the value of the property being removed to revert to the value of the data attribute of the same name in the DOM, rather than being set to `undefined`.

### Example:

#### Set a data store for 2 names then remove one of them.

    <!DOCTYPE html>
    <html>
    <head>
      <style>
      div { margin:2px; color:blue; }
      span { color:red; }
      </style>
      <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.7rc2.js"></script>
    </head>
    <body>
      <div>value1 before creation: <span></span></div>
      <div>value1 after creation: <span></span></div>
      <div>value1 after removal: <span></span></div>

      <div>value2 after removal: <span></span></div>
    <script>

        $("span:eq(0)").text("" + $("div").data("test1"));
        $("div").data("test1", "VALUE-1");
        $("div").data("test2", "VALUE-2");
        $("span:eq(1)").text("" + $("div").data("test1"));
        $("div").removeData("test1");
        $("span:eq(2)").text("" + $("div").data("test1"));
        $("span:eq(3)").text("" + $("div").data("test2"));

    </script>

    </body>
    </html>

#### Demo: