jQuery: generating html

Question

Is there a better way to do the following?

var html;
var i;
for (i=0; i < 4; i++) {
    html += '<div class="row">';
    html += '<span class="label">Dining Style:</span>';
    html += '<span class="control">';

    var j;
    for (j=0; j < 3; j++){
        html += '<div class="attribBox">';
            html += '<ul>';
                html += '<li><input type="checkbox" /> item 1</li>';
            html += '</ul>';
        html += '</div>';
    }
    html += '</span>';
    html += '<div class="clear"></div>';
}

$("#content").html(html);

Answer 1

Look here

http://api.jquery.com/category/plugins/templates/

and an overview

http://www.borismoore.com/2010/10/jquery-templates-is-now-official-jquery.html

Answer 2

Append Child
Create Element
or most simply, innerHTML: http://www.tizag.com/javascriptT/javascript-innerHTML.php

Answer 3

Instead of creating the html, you can use jquery functions, available in 1.4+, to make you code much cleaner. Here is an example:

$("#content").append($("<div/>", {class : 'row'}).append($("<span/>", {class:'label', text : 'Dining Style'})))

The above code will generate:

<div class="row"><span class="label">Dining Style</span></div>

You still have to loop to create the three children but this is much cleaner.