javascript - failed to use data-name to match array although it should match -

i have

list, data-name attached matches value of list example

<li data-name="hello">hello</li> 

i push several parameters array example var array =[]; array[0] = a:hello b:goodbye c:seeyou

so right want 1) click on li retrieve data-name value "hello" 2) check "hello" against array element "hello" 3) if match, index position , delete index array (as value "hello" in

called out element in array, why want detect exact index in array contain element "hello" when clicked on

, remove when press delete)

this code used match

found = $.inarray($(this).attr("data-name"), array); 

which placed in

            $(".li").click(function(){                 alert("data name " + $(this).attr("data-name"));                 found = $.inarray($(this).attr("data-name"), array);                 alert(found);                 alert("name of element " + array.a);             }); 

as said before, when append

list have make data-name same value in it.

using above code have retrieve matching data-name "hello" , element "hello" found returns me -1 means didn't match. idea why didn't match when both alert turns out matching? thanks

your array variable contains array of objects, can't search "hello" need find object object.a == 'hello'

for can use grep (http://api.jquery.com/jquery.grep/)

$(function() {     var array = [ { a: "hello", b: 'there'} , { a: "world", b: 'hi'} ];     var stuff = 'hello'; // <- can $(this).attr("data-name")     var found = $.grep(array, function(n) { return n.a == stuff; });      // found list of results - want first 1     if (found.length == 1) {         alert('found: ' + found[0].a);     } }); 

fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/yqat2/3/

update: clarification grep takes in array , function, function must perform comparison, happen each element in input array. grep returns items comparison succeeds for. in our case return elements have a attribute == stuff. $(this).attr("data-name") should go in code.

in case assumed each a item unique, check results 1 , if so, display name found first element.