# jQuery.unique()

Categories: Utilities

## jQuery.unique( array ) Returns: Array

Description: Sorts an array of DOM elements, in place, with the duplicates removed. Note that this only works on arrays of DOM elements, not strings or numbers.

- #### version added: 1.1.3jQuery.unique( array )

  arrayThe Array of DOM elements.

The `$.unique()` function searches through an array of objects, sorting the array, and removing any duplicate nodes. This function only works on plain JavaScript arrays of DOM elements, and is chiefly used internally by jQuery.

As of jQuery 1.4 the results will always be returned in document order.

### Example:

#### Removes any duplicate elements from the array of divs.

    <!DOCTYPE html>
    <html>
    <head>
      <style>
      div { color:blue; }
      </style>
      <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.7rc2.js"></script>
    </head>
    <body>
      <div>There are 6 divs in this document.</div>
      <div></div>
      <div class="dup"></div>
      <div class="dup"></div>

      <div class="dup"></div>
      <div></div>
    <script>

        var divs = $("div").get(); // unique() must take a native array

        // add 3 elements of class dup too (they are divs)
        divs = divs.concat($(".dup").get());
        $("div:eq(1)").text("Pre-unique there are " + divs.length + " elements.");

        divs = jQuery.unique(divs);
        $("div:eq(2)").text("Post-unique there are " + divs.length + " elements.")
                      .css("color", "red");

    </script>

    </body>
    </html>

#### Demo: