checking if value in dropdown list

Question

I have the list:

<td id="filter_analyst">
<select>
    <option>mike1</option>
    <option>mike2</option>
    <option>mike3</option>
</select>

and i'm trying to check if some value exist:

var name = 'mike1';
alert(name);
var t = ($("#filter_analyst").find("[value='"+name+"']").length) > 1;
alert(t);

But getting false...

Am I doing something wrong? http://jsfiddle.net/BFMD4/32/

Thanks in advance!

Solution 1

The value is not the label of the option but the HTML tag within the <option>.

See this working example: http://jsfiddle.net/ZZaSW/

[EDIT] Another example more like your HTML (but a <td> without a table doesn't work so I've put a <div> for the example).

Here is the HTML:

<div id="filter_analyst">
    <select>
        <option value="mike1">mike1</option>
        <option>mike2</option>
        <option>mike3</option>
    </select>
</div>

And the js:

var t = $('#filter_analyst').find('option[value=mike1]').length > 0;

Solution 2

http://jsfiddle.net/BFMD4/37/

<table>
    <tr>
        <td id="filter_analyst">
            <select id="dropdown1">
                <option value='mike1'>mike1</option>
                <option>mike2</option>
                <option>mike3</option>
            </select>
        </td>
    </tr>

//Find by value
alert($("#dropdown1 option[value='mike1']").length);
//Find by text
alert($("#dropdown1 option:contains('mike1')").length);

In your original example, the td selector was not working because it was missing the wrapping table and tr tags.

Comments

[Royi Namir]

he wants by name not by value !

[Admin]

it's correct html syntax, so he should change his html according to proper standart

[Royi Namir]

@Reigel , option:contains its fine ( ive added option prefix)

[JMax]

That's a better shot. Here is the working jsfiddle btw: jsfiddle.net/xX3nw

[Reigel Gallarde]

no! it's not... ;) :contains() will also return true for I am mike1... not good... isn't it?

[JMax]

@RoyiNamir: That's why I posted it as a comment of your answer but you could have posted it by yourself. This is a better way to show that it works (or not).

[JMax]

@Reigel: thanks for the explanation of why :contains() is a bad choice

[Royi Namir]

@Mike , Ive edited and tested. this is the working final solution

[Kristoffer Lundberg]

You're right! With single words this work, but with a sentence you have to have ''. Try this jsfiddle.net/BFMD4/44

[Viku]

@Jmax If value will be coming as dynamic as an function argument then how can i make the above solution work ? The following does not work E.g :: function (strVal){var t = $('#filter_analyst').find('option[value=strVal]').length > 0; }