How to avoid .prev().prev().prev() OR how to look up an item with a class before the current one

Question

I looked up the whole jQuery Docs, but i doesn't found anything: Is it possible to search an element before the current one with a specific class? I thought this will work, but it doesn't:

$(this).prev('.bar');

http://jsfiddle.net/Ejh5G/

Answer 1

Try:

 $('.d').prevAll('.a').css('color','red');

Fiddle

To address Jan's point, you can do this:

$('.d').prevAll('.a').first().css('color','red');

Answer 2

Use .prevAll() :

$(this).prevAll('.bar');// all elements    
$(this).prevAll('.bar').eq(0); //first element
$(this).prevAll('.bar:last'); //last element