Prototype: .previous as an object? - prototypejs

Question

So, here's the deal, I'm trying to use Element.previous to call an a previous element as an object... but it just gets the text of the element. How can I call on a previous object without knowing what it's id is? Calling on a previous element by class for example?

Answer 1

So, I figured it out partly: $('1').parentNode.previousSibling.firstChild calls the previous object.
Now, I'm having trouble getting it to call the previous object if an object has been deleted between them. Here's the script.
<script src="lib/prototype.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
function printBr(element, index, array) {
document.write("<div class=\"row\">");
document.write("<input type=\"text\" class=\"textfield\" onclick=\"$('a" + index + "').appear(); return false;\" id=\"" + index + "\" name=\"" + index + "\" value=\"" + element + "\"><br/>");
if (index == 0) {}
else {
document.write("<div id=\"a" + index + "\" style=\"display:none;width:150px;height:25px;background-color:blue;\">");
document.write("<a onmousedown=\"$('" + index + "').parentNode.previousSibling.firstChild.writeAttribute('value', $('" + index + "').parentNode.previousSibling.firstChild.value + $('" + index + "').value);$('" + index + "').remove();$('a" + index + "').hide(); return false;\"><< Move</a> | ");
document.write("<a onmousedown=\"$('a" + index + "').hide(); return false;\">X</a></div>");
}
document.write("</div>");
}
['hello, world','123','bye bye birdy'].forEach(printBr);
</script>

Answer 2

Use .previous with the CSS selector as a argument to .previous. Such as .previous('span'). Or this element you are looking for may not be truly the previous element. It may be that you need to go up() first.