event.result?event.result holds the last non-undefined value returned by a handler that ran earlier during the same event dispatch. Later handlers can read it. Especially useful for custom events. Available since jQuery 1.3.
event.result // last non-undefined handler return (same dispatch)
$("button").on("click", function () {
return "hey"; // stored on event.result
});
$("button").on("click", function (event) {
console.log(event.result); // "hey"
});
// Returning undefined does NOT clear a previous result| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Pass value to next handler | return value → later event.result |
| Bind-time payload | event.data |
| Fire custom event | .trigger("name") |
| Bind handlers | .on("click", fn) |
| Event name | event.type |
event.resultReturn a value from one handler; read event.result in a later handler on the same element.
return a non-undefined value.event.result.undefined returns do not overwrite a previous result..trigger().| Piece | Required? | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple handlers | Yes | Same element + same event type |
return value | Yes (to set) | Non-undefined updates event.result |
event.result | — | Read by later handlers |
| Handler order | Yes | Bind order = run order (unless namespaces / special cases) |
element.on(type, handlerA)
element.on(type, handlerB)
when event fires:
result = undefined
for each handler in bind order:
value = handler(event)
if value is not undefined:
result = value
event.result = result
// handlerB can read event.result set by handlerAKeep these facts handy while chaining handlers.
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Last non-undefined return (any type) |
| Since | jQuery 1.3 |
| Scope | Same element, same dispatch |
| Official demo | First returns "hey"; second shows it |
undefined | Does not overwrite previous result |
vs event.data | Return chain vs bind-time data |
| Custom events | Yes — great for pipelines |
| Mutates? | Updated by jQuery from returns |
Click the button — the first handler returns a string; the second shows event.result, like the official jQuery API demo.
Short, copy-ready snippets. Open DevTools, or use Try It Yourself for a live editor.
First handler returns "hey"; second displays event.result.
$("button").on("click", function () {
return "hey";
});
$("button").on("click", function (event) {
$("#out").text(event.result);
});"hey".event.result to that value.event.result into #out.Return an error string from the first handler; show it in the second.
$("#submit").on("click", function () {
var val = $("#email").val();
if (!val || val.indexOf("@") === -1) {
return "Invalid email address";
}
});
$("#submit").on("click", function (event) {
if (event.result) {
$("#out").text(event.result);
} else {
$("#out").text("Looks good");
}
});undefined) when valid.event.result or a success note.undefined Does Not OverwriteA middle handler with no return leaves the first result intact.
$("button").on("click", function () {
return "first";
});
$("button").on("click", function () {
// returns undefined — does not clear result
});
$("button").on("click", function (event) {
$("#out").text("result: " + event.result);
});"first".undefined — no overwrite."first".undefined returns update event.result.Enrich an object across handlers on a custom beforeSave event.
$("#widget").on("beforeSave", function () {
return { step: 1, msg: "validated" };
});
$("#widget").on("beforeSave", function (event) {
var prev = event.result || {};
return { step: prev.step + 1, msg: prev.msg + ", enriched" };
});
$("#widget").on("beforeSave", function (event) {
$("#out").text(JSON.stringify(event.result));
});
$("#go").on("click", function () {
$("#widget").trigger("beforeSave");
});event.result and returns a new object.event.result.beforeSave with .trigger().event.result vs event.dataBind-time data and handler returns are different channels.
$("#btn").on("click", { source: "bind" }, function () {
return "from-return";
});
$("#btn").on("click", { source: "bind" }, function (event) {
$("#out").text(
"event.data.source: " + event.data.source + "\n" +
"event.result: " + event.result
);
});event.data.return.data; pass between handlers → result.Watch for these when using event.result.
undefined does not clear the resultOnly a non-undefined return updates event.result. Returning nothing leaves the previous value.
Handlers run in bind order. A handler that needs event.result must be bound after the one that returns it.
return false is specialIn jQuery, return false also calls preventDefault() and stopPropagation(). Prefer returning other values for pure data passing.
event.dataevent.data is bind-time; event.result is dispatch-time from prior returns. Do not mix them up.
event.result is a jQuery event-object property (since 1.3). It is provided by jQuery’s event system, not a native DOM property. Works wherever your loaded jQuery version runs.
Supported wherever jQuery 1.3+ is loaded. Prefer jQuery 3.x with .on() / .trigger() for modern handler chains.
Bottom line: Safe for production. Use return + event.result to pass values along a handler chain, especially for custom events.
| Approach | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
return + event.result | Negligible | Short handler chains |
| Many handlers on one event | Linear in count | Keep chains small and clear |
| Large objects as result | Cheap to store | Avoid huge allocations every click |
| Custom event pipelines | Fine | Plugin steps / beforeSave hooks |
Storing event.result is free. Cost is the handlers themselves — keep each step small and intentional.
undefined return from an earlier handler on this dispatch.return value in handler A → read event.result in handler B..trigger().event.data is bind-time; result is dispatch-time.One line: event.result is “what the previous handler returned (if it returned something).”
Read when the browser created the event and measure click deltas.
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