Getting selected index from drop down list in javascript

Question

Everything I've read online says this is the method and syntax I need to use to get the selected index from a drop down list.

var temp;
temp = document.getElementById("AdvOrBasicSearch_advSearch_ddlState").value;
var sState = temp.options[temp.selectedIndex].text;

However, I get the following error on the last line:

"Microsoft JScript runtime error: 'options' is null or not an object"

Below is a sampling of the drop down list (no need to post all 50 states)

<td><asp:dropdownlist id="ddlState" tabIndex="8" runat="server" EnableViewState="False" Width="150px"
    CssClass="clsTextInput">
    <asp:ListItem Value=""></asp:ListItem>
    <asp:ListItem Value="AL">Alabama</asp:ListItem>
    <asp:ListItem Value="AK">Alaska</asp:ListItem>
</asp:dropdownlist></td>

What does the actual rendered HTML look like? That would be much more useful seeing the script will also interact with that. It would show the actual rendered properties and so on. — Nope
– Nope, Commented Sep 12, 2012 at 21:59
I'm hoping "everything you've read online" didn't include the .value after the getElementById() call... :) — Heretic Monkey
– Heretic Monkey, Commented Sep 12, 2012 at 22:00
Where did you get the id AdvOrBasicSearch_advSearch_ddlState from? — Hamish
– Hamish, Commented Sep 12, 2012 at 22:02
I can barely read asp but this doesn't seem right: temp = document.getElementById("AdvOrBasicSearch_advSearch_ddlState").value. If I had to take an educated guess, I'd drop the .value — Jeremy J Starcher
– Jeremy J Starcher, Commented Sep 12, 2012 at 22:02

NealR · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-12 22:04:21Z

5

Thanks to the comments I dropped the .value and everything works fine. Thx guys!

var temp;
temp = document.getElementById("AdvOrBasicSearch_advSearch_ddlState");
sState = temp.options[temp.selectedIndex].text;

answered Sep 12, 2012 at 22:04

NealR

10.7k61 gold badges169 silver badges307 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

Nope Over a year ago

I just came to the same in this fiddle: fiddle.jshell.net/RrNyV As a general side-note: If you have issues like that you can use console.log(temp) for example after populating the variable and check the console outputs in the browser debugging tools. Can save you a lot of headaches.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Getting selected index from drop down list in javascript

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related