How to get JQuery.trigger('click'); to initiate a mouse click

Breaking down .click() and .trigger()

While using jQuery's .click() or .trigger('click'), a bound event is set to action. Point to note here is that .click() is just a shortcut for dressed up .trigger('click'):

$('#button').click();
// This is going full James Bond:
$('#button').trigger('click');


But remember, neither .click() nor .click().trigger() will check a box, post a form or focus an input field unless you've explicitly told them to do so in the bound handlers.

Direct interaction with the DOM

However, there may be scenarios where simulating a native click on the element itself forms the crux of your mission, rather than just triggering an event handler. This is where you go straight to the horse's mouth with $("#elementID")[0].click();, leveraging native DOM functions for a real click event:

$('#button')[0].click(); // Consider it an authentic CIA operation


Heads-up though, this might sometimes throw you a curveball on some browsers like Safari as they need a custom workaround.

Browser eccentricities and tackling them

Handling browser hiccups requires you to be a web surgeon with a steady hand. Notorious for its unique quirks, Safari may not be as cooperatively responsive to HTMLElement.click(). This could necessitate additional strategic maneuvers.

Efficient event handling with event delegation

If your application has an army of click events, Event Delegation could be your performance savior. This technique hinges on events bubbling up to a central ancestor rather than reaching out to each element individually:

$('#masterElement').on('click', '.childSelector', function() {
  // Event handler here
});


Leveraging delegation can curb the number of event handlers, hiking up performance and simplifying tasks associated with dynamic elements.

Setting the stage: Timing and readiness

Ensuring that your DOM has arrived at the party completely before dealing out event bindings is a crucial consideration:

$(document).ready(function() {
  // Here be event handlers
});


Besides, your execution timing can often win the game: Set up the event handlers before using .trigger(). Some common timing mishaps could occur if .trigger() is used prematurely.

Working around limitations

While .click() and .trigger() are ace detectives, they might not always crack the case. An alternate path is dispatching a MouseEvent as demonstrated. Additionally, using setTimeout could be an effective trick when you need to pause before triggering events or to navigate complex UI manoeuvers:

setTimeout(function(){ $('#bar').click()}, 100);


Also, consider using .on('click', function() {...}) to deal with dynamic content.