When/why to prefix variables with "$" when using jQuery? [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Why would a javascript variable start with a dollar sign?

I see people using the dollar sign in front of variables when using jQuery. Is there any reason behind this? I'm I missing something basic or is it just a common practice?

Answer 1

It's a common reference to a jQuery wrapped object. It makes reading the code easier to know which variables are jQuery wrapped.

//Item has been "cached" for later use in the script as a jQuery object. var $item = $(this); 

Answer 2

For me a common practice is this:

If a variable is private I use an underscore like this:

(function(){      var _foo = "bar"; })()

If it's public I'll use no underscore:

var foo = "bar"

And if it's a jQuery selector I'll use the $:

var $foo = $('bar'); //then you can access it like this $foo.attr('id')

It's just coding convention and it allows you to quickly reference what type the variable is later in the code.