JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<a id="foo" href="#foo">foo</a>

<div id="result"></div>

JavaScript

var foo = $('#foo'),
    bar = $('<a id="bar" href="#bar">bar</a>'),
    r = $('#result');

r.append('Existing: ' + foo.attr('href') + '<br />Programmatic: ' + bar.attr('href'));
bar.insertAfter('#foo');
r.append('<br />Attached programmatic: ' + bar.attr('href'));
bar.attr('href', '#foo');
r.append('<br />Reset programmatic: ' + bar.attr('href'));