# RadDrawer Object

This article lists the client-side API of **RadDrawer** and how to use it.

To use the API, you must first [get a reference to the control's client-side object](https://www.telerik.com/products/aspnet-ajax/documentation/getting-started/work-with-controls/get-client-side-reference). For example:

```JavaScript
var drawerObject = $find("<%=RadDrawer1.ClientID %>");
```

RadDrawer is a server-side wrapper over the Kendo UI Drawer Widget. Thus, it exposes [the API of the underlying Kendo widget](https://docs.telerik.com/kendo-ui/api/javascript/ui/drawer). To get a reference to the Kendo widget instance, you can do either of the following:

* Use the `get_kendoWidget()` method of the MS AJAX wrapper:

```JavaScript
var drawerObject  = $find("<%=RadDrawer1.ClientID %>"); // The standard script control object
var kendoDrawer = drawerObject.get_kendoWidget(); // The Kendo widget
```

* Get the Kendo Widget in its usual way. Make sure to use the `$telerik._kendo.jQuery` reference that has the Kendo widget data:

```JavaScript
var kendoDrawer = $telerik._kendo.jQuery("#<%=RadDrawer1.ClientID %>").data("kendoDrawer"); 
```

> important As of the 2026 Q1 release, Kendo jQuery widget plugins and data are registered on `$telerik._kendo.jQuery` — a different jQuery instance from `$telerik.$`. If you use `$telerik.$` with `.data("kendoXxx")`, it will return `undefined`. Always use `$telerik._kendo.jQuery` when accessing the underlying Kendo widget via the `.data()` method. The recommended approach, however, is to use the `get_kendoWidget()` method shown above.

In addition to using the Kendo method directly, you can also use their wrappers that follow the MS AJAX convention through the RadDrawer client object.

> caption Table1: Client-side methods exposed by the MS AJAX RadDrawer object

| Name                       | Parameters | Return Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| -------------------------- | ---------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **show**                   | none       | none           | Shows the drawer.                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| **hide**                   | none       | none           | Hides the drawer.                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| **destroy**                | none       | none           | Destroys the underlying Kendo widget (calls its [destroy](https://docs.telerik.com/kendo-ui/api/javascript/ui/drawer/methods/destroy) method). Once you call it, you will not be able to use the widget or control. |
| **get_visible**            | none       | Boolean        | Returns true if the drawer is opened.                                                                                                                                                                               |
| **get_position**           | none       | String         | Returns the position of the Drawer. The possible values are `left` and `right`.                                                                                                                                     |
| **get_swipeToOpen**        | none       | Boolean        | Returns whether the Drawer can be toggled with gestures.                                                                                                                                                            |
| **repaint**                | Boolean    | none           | Repaints the control. The "force" argument determines whether the resizing routine should be executed even if the respective widget's outer dimensions have not changed.                                            |
| **get_element**            | none       | HTML element   | Returns the drawer's element, containing the id and the client-side object of the Drawer. It has the RadDrawer class.                                                                                               |
| **get_outerWrapper**       | none       | jQuery element | Returns an element that contains the items and the content element wrappers. It can contain classes that indicate the drawer's mode and position.                                                                   |
| **get_contentElement**     | none       | jQuery element | Returns the content element from the ContentTemplate. It has the .k-drawer-content CSS class.                                                                                                                       |
| **get_drawerContainer**    | none       | Boolean        | Return drawer's container element. It contains the items wrapper element                                                                                                                                            |
| **get_drawerItemsWrapper** | none       | Boolean        | Returns the items wrapper element declared in the Items template and has the .k-drawer-items CSS class.                                                                                                             |
| **get_drawerElement**      | none       | Boolean        | Returns the root element declared in the ItemsTemplate.                                                                                                                                                             |

## See Also

* [Live Demo - RadDrawer Client-side API](https://demos.telerik.com/aspnet-ajax/drawer/clientsideapi/defaultcs.aspx)

* [RadDrawer Client-side Events](https://www.telerik.com/products/aspnet-ajax/documentation/controls/drawer/client-side-programming/events)