:Text Selector in jQuery
jQuery’s :text selector is an effective tool for picking out particular items on a page, especially text input elements in forms. It serves as a filter to make the elements that are chosen more limited. To choose input elements of type “text” (i.e., ) from an HTML document, use jQuery’s :text selector, a unique form filter. Without having to create more intricate attribute selections, it enables developers to target text input areas with ease.
Because it enables rapid and effective interaction with user input fields, this selector is especially helpful when working with forms. The value inside the text boxes can be updated or retrieved using the :text selector in conjunction with jQuery functions like val(). It’s crucial to remember that jQuery’s text() method cannot be used to retrieve the value of text inputs; val() must be used instead. All things considered, the :text selector
What is the Selector?
In particular, input items with a text type (i.e., ) are targeted by the :text selection. It enables you to quickly choose these specific form fields from your HTML text. It falls within the form filter category.
Syntax:
When using the :text selection, the basic syntax is:
$(':text')Similar to other jQuery selectors, this syntax is supplied to the $(selector) factory function as a string. The $ symbol specifies or accesses jQuery functionality and is a shorthand way to reference an element of the webpage. It is specified which HTML elements to “query (or find)” via the selection contained in parenthesis.
How it Works
Using $(‘:text’), jQuery returns a group of items containing all elements in the document with type=”text” as a group. After that, you may attach event handlers or change or get their values.
Notably, jQuery’s text() function is used to retrieve or modify the combined text contents of elements while removing any HTML tags. The text() function won’t, however, function for values entered into form components like text boxes. Rather, you need to retrieve or set these values using the val() function. The input value of the first matched element is particularly obtained or set using the val() function.
It’s usual practice to utilise the val() method in conjunction with the :text selector when working with user input fields. As an illustration, you can recognise when a user mouses out of a text field (a mouseout event) and then show the value they typed.
Code Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>jQuery :text Selector </title>
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.6.0.min.js"></script>
<style>
input[type="text"] {
padding: 8px;
font-size: 16px;
}
button {
margin-left: 10px;
padding: 8px 12px;
font-size: 16px;
}
</style>
<script>
$(document).ready(function() {
$('#checkBtn').click(function() {
var inputField = $(':text'); // selects <input type="text">
var value = inputField.val();
if (value.trim() === "") {
inputField.css('background-color', 'red');
$('#message').text("Input is empty!").css('color', 'red');
} else {
inputField.css('background-color', 'lightgreen');
$('#message').text("Input looks good!").css('color', 'orange');
}
});
});
</script>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Check Input Field</h2>
<input type="text" placeholder="Type something here">
<button id="checkBtn">Check Input</button>
<p id="message"></p>
</body>
</html>Output:
Check Input Field
Govindhtech Solutions Check Input
Input looks good!Explanation of the Code Example
- Name the HTML index.html. Save the HTML code above into a file named index.html.
- JQuery is available at jquery.com (jquery-1.4.min.js). Your project folder/js/jquery-1.4.min.js and index.html should contain it. This structure is frequently assumed in the sample code.
- Get index.html open in a browser.
- Move the mouse pointer outside of the input field after entering text into it. The text you entered will be shown in the div that is behind the input field.
This example shows how web pages may be made dynamic and interactive in response to user actions by using the :text selector to effectively identify the relevant input element and the val() method to extract its content.
Conclusion
One useful tool for focussing on components in forms is jQuery’s :text selector. It makes it easier to choose and work with text input fields, allowing developers to utilise the val() function to quickly obtain or set user-entered values. Val() was created especially for form components, in contrast to text(), which is used for standard HTML content. To create dynamic and responsive user interfaces, developers can combine :text with events such as mouseout, blur, or click. Overall, by giving precise control over form input behaviour, the :text selector improves web applications’ interactivity and user experience.