jQuery Callbacks Methods

Beginner

7 min read

Updated: Nov 2026

12 method guides

Method index

Index

About This Index

This page is the jQuery Callbacks index for the tutorial track. Each row links to a full guide with syntax, examples, and FAQs.

Learn the jQuery overview on /jquery. Use this page when you need a Callbacks API such as $.Callbacks(), callbacks.add(), or callbacks.fire().

Beginner path.

Start with $.Callbacks(), then add() and fire()—learn fireWith(), lock(), and disable() when you need context or lifecycle control.

Syntax

How to Call a Callbacks Method

Create a list, register handlers, then fire them—optionally with flags like once and memory:

jQuery

var list = $.Callbacks("unique");

function greet(name) {
  console.log("Hello, " + name);
}

list.add(greet);
list.fire("Ada");           // Hello, Ada
list.has(greet);            // true
list.remove(greet);
list.empty();

var once = $.Callbacks("once memory");
once.add(function (msg) { console.log(msg); });
once.fire("ready");
once.add(function (msg) { console.log("late:", msg); }); // replays "ready"

Browse

jQuery Callbacks Methods Table

All Callbacks method guides in this jQuery tutorial series (12 tutorials).

Getting Started

3 methods

Create a Callbacks list, register handlers, and fire them.

Method	Description	Tutorial
`$.Callbacks()`	Create a managed callback list — optional once, memory, unique, and stopOnFalse flags.	Try it
`callbacks.add()`	Register one or more handler functions on the list.	Try it
`callbacks.fire()`	Invoke all handlers with optional arguments.	Try it

List Management

3 methods

Unregister handlers, clear the list, and check membership.

Method	Description	Tutorial
`callbacks.remove()`	Unregister specific handler references from the list.	Try it
`callbacks.empty()`	Remove every handler from the list in one call.	Try it
`callbacks.has()`	Check whether a function is registered, or whether the list has any handlers.	Try it

Invoke & Status

2 methods

Fire with a custom this context and check whether the list has fired.

Method	Description	Tutorial
`callbacks.fireWith()`	Invoke handlers with a custom this context and an arguments array.	Try it
`callbacks.fired()`	Return true if the list has been fired at least once.	Try it

Control

4 methods

Lock the handler set, disable firing, and read status flags.

Method	Description	Tutorial
`callbacks.disable()`	Permanently shut down the list — fire() becomes a no-op.	Try it
`callbacks.disabled()`	Return true if disable() was called on the list.	Try it
`callbacks.lock()`	Freeze the list — add(), remove(), and empty() stop working.	Try it
`callbacks.locked()`	Return true if lock() was called on the list.	Try it

Frequently Asked Questions

What is jQuery Callbacks?

$.Callbacks() creates a managed list of functions. You add handlers with add(), invoke them with fire() or fireWith(), and control the list with lock(), disable(), and status checks like fired().

How is Callbacks different from Deferred?

Callbacks is a lower-level list manager—you control add, fire, and flags directly. Deferred builds on Callbacks for async outcomes (resolve, reject, done, fail). Use Callbacks for pub/sub; use Deferred for promise-style flows.

What do once and memory mean?

once lets fire() run handlers only the first time. memory stores the last fire arguments and replays them to handlers added later. Combine as $.Callbacks('once memory') for init-style hooks.

When should I use lock() vs disable()?

lock() freezes the handler set—no more add/remove, but fire() still works. disable() permanently stops firing. Lock to protect subscribers; disable to tear the list down.

Where should I start?

Start with $.Callbacks(), then add() and fire(). Learn fireWith(), lock(), and disable() when you need context control or lifecycle rules.

Start with $.Callbacks()

Open the factory guide—syntax, flags, examples, and FAQs.

$.Callbacks() tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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