How to add Span before my <a tag only for main menu 1st level items

Question

I need to add a span tag before mt

if i add like

function mytheme_link($variables) {
  return '<span><a href="' . check_plain(url($variables['path'], $variables['options'])) . '"' . drupal_attributes($variables['options']['attributes']) . '>' . ($variables['options']['html'] ? $variables['text'] : check_plain($variables['text'])) . '</a></span>';
}

it will add for all the menus

and if i use

function mytheme_menu_link($link) {
  if (empty($link['localized_options'])) {
    $link['localized_options'] = array();
  }

  $link['localized_options']['html'] = TRUE; //let l function know that our link title includes html
  return '<span>'.l($link['title'], $link['href'], $link['localized_options']).'</span>';
}

it does not add at all.

Answer 1

you have forgotten the '#' before localized_options, title & href.

function mytheme_menu_link($link) {
  if (empty($link['#localized_options'])) {
    $link['#localized_options'] = array();
  }

  $link['#localized_options']['html'] = TRUE; //let l function know that our link title includes html
  return '<span>'.l($link['#title'], $link['#href'], $link['#localized_options']).'</span>';
}

for main menue only use theme_menu_link__main_menu($var)