getElementsByName method
[This documentation is preliminary and is subject to change.]
Gets a collection of objects based on the value of the NAME or ID attribute.
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Syntax
var retval = document.getElementsByName(v);Standards information
Parameters
Return value
Type: ObjectReturns a collection of objects with the same NAME attribute value.Remarks
When you use the getElementsByName method, all elements in the document that have the specified NAME attribute or ID attribute value are returned.
Elements that support both the NAME attribute and the ID attribute are included in the collection returned by the getElementsByName method, but elements with a NAME expando are not included in the collection; therefore, this method cannot be used to retrieve custom tags by name.
Examples
This example uses the getElementsByName method to return a collection of input type=text elements with the specified NAME attribute value, firstName.
<SCRIPT>
function fnGetNames(){
// Returns a collection with 2 INPUT type=text elements.
var aInput=document.getElementsByName("firstName");
}
</SCRIPT>
<INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="firstName">
<INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="firstName">
<INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Get Names" onclick="fnGetNames()">
See also
Build date: 2/14/2012
Community Content
Tom Winter - MediQuant
What's a "Collection"
What is the so called "Collection" returned by this method? In IE9 it's a DispHTMLElementCollection. Here's the only docs I could find on this. It's for the HTMLCollection prototype.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd347073%28VS.85%29.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd347073%28VS.85%29.aspx
LuGerald
Without words
getElementsByName
name value is given by elementName. -
elementNameof typeDOMString - The
nameattribute value for an element. $0$0
NodeList The matching elements.
Italo Rodrigues
returns matching ids!!!!
Why does this method return elements with matching Ids?
Because it is a collection to index, subindex, and pick, each of its items. Ray.
Because it is a collection to index, subindex, and pick, each of its items. Ray.
Corrado75
Doesn't return LABELs
I tried in IE7 on WinXP and it doesn't work for the LABEL elements.
I decided to use getElementsByTagName, which works, and to check the name for each result.
I decided to use getElementsByTagName, which works, and to check the name for each result.
Retropier
Doesn't return SPANs and DIVs
This function does not return elements of type DIV and SPAN with that name, for some reason (unlike in Firefox). So use IDs instead (if you can...)