SELECT Element | select Object

Denotes a list box or drop-down list.

Members Table

The following table lists the members exposed by the select object. Click a tab on the left to choose the type of member you want to view.
Attributes/Properties
Attribute Property Description
ACCESSKEY accessKey Sets or retrieves the accelerator key for the object.
ALIGN align Sets or retrieves how the object is aligned with adjacent text.
ATOMICSELECTION Specifies whether the element and its contents must be selected as a whole, indivisible unit.
canHaveChildren Retrieves a value indicating whether the object can contain children.
canHaveHTML Sets or retrieves the value indicating whether the object can contain rich HTML markup.
CLASS className Sets or retrieves the class of the object.
clientHeight Retrieves the height of the object including padding, but not including margin, border, or scroll bar.
clientLeft Retrieves the distance between the offsetLeft property and the true left side of the client area.
clientTop Retrieves the distance between the offsetTop property and the true top of the client area.
clientWidth Retrieves the width of the object including padding, but not including margin, border, or scroll bar.
DATAFLD dataFld Sets or retrieves which field of a given data source, as specified by the dataSrc property, to bind to the specified object.
DATASRC dataSrc Sets or retrieves the source of the data for data binding.
DIR dir Sets or retrieves the reading order of the object.
disabled Sets or retrieves the value that indicates whether the user can interact with the object.
DISABLED disabled Sets or retrieves the status of the object.
firstChild Retrieves a reference to the first child in the childNodes collection of the object.
form Retrieves a reference to the form that the object is embedded in.
HIDEFOCUS hideFocus Sets or retrieves the value indicating whether the object visibly indicates that it has focus.
ID id Retrieves the string identifying the object.
innerHTML Sets or retrieves the HTML between the start and end tags of the object.
innerText Sets or retrieves the text between the start and end tags of the object.
isContentEditable Retrieves the value indicating whether the user can edit the contents of the object.
isDisabled Retrieves the value indicating whether the user can interact with the object.
isMultiLine Retrieves the value indicating whether the content of the object contains one or more lines.
isTextEdit Retrieves whether a TextRange object can be created using the object.
LANG lang Sets or retrieves the language to use.
LANGUAGE language Sets or retrieves the language in which the current script is written.
lastChild Retrieves a reference to the last child in the childNodes collection of an object.
length Sets or retrieves the number of objects in a collection.
MULTIPLE multiple Sets or retrieves the Boolean value indicating whether multiple items can be selected from a list.
NAME name Sets or retrieves the name of the object.
nextSibling Retrieves a reference to the next child of the parent for the object.
nodeName Retrieves the name of a particular type of node.
nodeType Retrieves the type of the requested node.
nodeValue Sets or retrieves the value of a node.
offsetHeight Retrieves the height of the object relative to the layout or coordinate parent, as specified by the offsetParent property.
offsetLeft Retrieves the calculated left position of the object relative to the layout or coordinate parent, as specified by the offsetParent property.
offsetParent Retrieves a reference to the container object that defines the offsetTop and offsetLeft properties of the object.
offsetTop Retrieves the calculated top position of the object relative to the layout or coordinate parent, as specified by the offsetParent property.
offsetWidth Retrieves the width of the object relative to the layout or coordinate parent, as specified by the offsetParent property.
onOffBehavior Retrieves an object indicating whether the specified Microsoft DirectAnimation behavior is running.
outerHTML Sets or retrieves the object and its content in HTML.
outerText Sets or retrieves the text of the object.
ownerDocument   Sets or retrieves the document object associated with the node.
parentElement Retrieves the parent object in the object hierarchy.
parentNode Retrieves the parent object in the document hierarchy.
parentTextEdit Retrieves the container object in the document hierarchy that can be used to create a TextRange containing the original object.
previousSibling Retrieves a reference to the previous child of the parent for the object.
readyState Retrieves the current state of the object.
recordNumber Retrieves the ordinal record from the data set that generated the object.
scopeName Retrieves the namespace defined for the element.
scrollHeight Retrieves the scrolling height of the object.
scrollLeft Sets or retrieves the distance between the left edge of the object and the leftmost portion of the content currently visible in the window.
scrollTop Sets or retrieves the distance between the top of the object and the topmost portion of the content currently visible in the window.
scrollWidth Retrieves the scrolling width of the object.
selectedIndex Sets or retrieves the index of the selected option in a select object.
SIZE size Sets or retrieves the number of rows in the list box.
sourceIndex Retrieves the ordinal position of the object, in source order, as the object appears in the document's all collection.
STYLE Sets an inline style for the element.
TABINDEX tabIndex Sets or retrieves the index that defines the tab order for the object.
tagName Retrieves the tag name of the object.
tagUrn Sets or retrieves the Uniform Resource Name (URN) specified in the namespace declaration.
type Retrieves the type of select control based on the value of the MULTIPLE attribute.
uniqueID Retrieves an autogenerated, unique identifier for the object.
UNSELECTABLE Specifies that an element cannot be selected.
VALUE value Sets or retrieves the value which is returned to the server when the form control is submitted.
Behaviors
Behavior Description
clientCaps Provides information about features supported by Internet Explorer, as well as a way for installing browser components on demand.
dataselect Adds databinding capabilities to the select element.
download Downloads a file and notifies a specified callback function when the download is complete.
homePage Contains information about a user's homepage.
httpFolder Contains scripting features that enable browser navigation to a folder view.
saveFavorite Enables the object to persist data in a favorite Web site.
saveHistory Enables the object to persist data in the browser history.
saveSnapshot Enables the object to persist data when a Web page is saved.
time Provides an active timeline for an HTML element.
userData Enables the object to persist data in user data.
Collections
Collection Description
all Returns a reference to the collection of elements contained by the object.
attributes Retrieves a collection of attributes of the object.
behaviorUrns Returns a collection of Uniform Resource Name (URN) strings identifying the behaviors attached to the element.
childNodes Retrieves a collection of HTML Elements and TextNode objects that are direct descendants of the specified object.
children Retrieves a collection of DHTML Objects that are direct descendants of the object.
options Retrieves a collection of the option objects in a select object.
Events
Event Description
onactivate Fires when the object is set as the active element.
onafterupdate Fires on a databound object after successfully updating the associated data in the data source object.
onbeforeactivate   Fires immediately before the object is set as the active element.
onbeforecut Fires on the source object before the selection is deleted from the document.
onbeforedeactivate Fires immediately before the activeElement is changed from the current object to another object in the parent document.
onbeforeeditfocus Fires before an object contained in an editable element enters a UI-activated state or when an editable container object is control selected.
onbeforepaste Fires on the target object before the selection is pasted from the system clipboard to the document.
onbeforeupdate Fires on a databound object before updating the associated data in the data source object.
onblur Fires when the object loses the input focus.
onchange Fires when the contents of the object or selection have changed.
onclick Fires when the user clicks the left mouse button on the object.
oncontextmenu Fires when the user clicks the right mouse button in the client area, opening the context menu.
oncontrolselect Fires when the user is about to make a control selection of the object.
oncut Fires on the source element when the object or selection is removed from the document and added to the system clipboard.
ondblclick Fires when the user double-clicks the object.
ondeactivate Fires when the activeElement is changed from the current object to another object in the parent document.
ondragenter Fires on the target element when the user drags the object to a valid drop target.
ondragleave Fires on the target object when the user moves the mouse out of a valid drop target during a drag operation.
ondragover Fires on the target element continuously while the user drags the object over a valid drop target.
ondrop Fires on the target object when the mouse button is released during a drag-and-drop operation.
onerrorupdate Fires on a databound object when an error occurs while updating the associated data in the data source object.
onfocus Fires when the object receives focus.
onfocusin   Fires for an element just prior to setting focus on that element.
onfocusout   Fires for the current element with focus immediately after moving focus to another element.
onhelp Fires when the user presses the F1 key while the browser is the active window.
onkeydown Fires when the user presses a key.
onkeypress Fires when the user presses an alphanumeric key.
onkeyup Fires when the user releases a key.
onlosecapture Fires when the object loses the mouse capture.
onmousedown Fires when the user clicks the object with either mouse button.
onmouseenter Fires when the user moves the mouse pointer into the object.
onmouseleave Fires when the user moves the mouse pointer outside the boundaries of the object.
onmousemove Fires when the user moves the mouse over the object.
onmouseout Fires when the user moves the mouse pointer outside the boundaries of the object.
onmouseover Fires when the user moves the mouse pointer into the object.
onmouseup Fires when the user releases a mouse button while the mouse is over the object.
onmousewheel   Fires when the wheel button is rotated.
onmove Fires when the object moves.
onmoveend Fires when the object stops moving.
onmovestart Fires when the object starts to move.
onpaste Fires on the target object when the user pastes data, transferring the data from the system clipboard to the document.
onpropertychange Fires when a property changes on the object.
onreadystatechange Fires when the state of the object has changed.
onresize Fires when the size of the object is about to change.
onresizeend Fires when the user finishes changing the dimensions of the object in a control selection.
onresizestart Fires when the user begins to change the dimensions of the object in a control selection.
onselectstart Fires when the object is being selected.
Methods
Method Description
add Adds an element to the areas, controlRange, or options collection.
addBehavior Attaches a behavior to the element.
applyElement Makes the element either a child or parent of another element.
attachEvent Binds the specified function to an event, so that the function gets called whenever the event fires on the object.
blur Causes the element to lose focus and fires the onblur event.
clearAttributes Removes all attributes and values from the object.
click Simulates a click by causing the onclick event to fire.
cloneNode Copies a reference to the object from the document hierarchy.
componentFromPoint Returns the component located at the specified coordinates via certain events.
contains Checks whether the given element is contained within the object.
detachEvent Unbinds the specified function from the event, so that the function stops receiving notifications when the event fires.
dragDrop Initiates a drag event.
fireEvent Fires a specified event on the object.
focus Causes the element to receive the focus and executes the code specified by the onfocus event.
getAdjacentText Returns the adjacent text string.
getAttribute Retrieves the value of the specified attribute.
getAttributeNode   Retrieves an attribute object referenced by the attribute.name property.
getBoundingClientRect Retrieves an object that specifies the bounds of a collection of TextRectangle objects.
getClientRects Retrieves a collection of rectangles that describes the layout of the contents of an object or range within the client. Each rectangle describes a single line.
getElementsByTagName Retrieves a collection of objects based on the specified element name.
getExpression Retrieves the expression for the given property.
hasChildNodes Returns a value that indicates whether the object has children.
insertAdjacentElement Inserts an element at the specified location.
insertAdjacentHTML Inserts the given HTML text into the element at the location.
insertAdjacentText Inserts the given text into the element at the specified location.
insertBefore Inserts an element into the document hierarchy as a child node of a parent object.
mergeAttributes Copies all read/write attributes to the specified element.
normalize   Merges adjacent TextNode objects to produce a normalized document object model.
releaseCapture Removes mouse capture from the object in the current document.
remove Removes an element from the collection.
removeAttribute Removes the given attribute from the object.
removeAttributeNode   Removes an attribute object from the object.
removeBehavior Detaches a behavior from the element.
removeChild Removes a child node from the object.
removeExpression Removes the expression from the specified property.
removeNode Removes the object from the document hierarchy.
replaceAdjacentText Replaces the text adjacent to the element.
replaceChild Replaces an existing child element with a new child element.
replaceNode Replaces the object with another element.
scrollIntoView Causes the object to scroll into view, aligning it either at the top or bottom of the window.
setActive Sets the object as active without setting focus to the object.
setAttribute Sets the value of the specified attribute.
setAttributeNode   Sets an attribute object node as part of the object.
setCapture Sets the mouse capture to the object belonging to the current document.
setExpression Sets an expression for the specified object.
swapNode Exchanges the location of two objects in the document hierarchy.
urns Retrieves a collection of all objects to which a specified behavior is attached.
Objects
Object Description
currentStyle Represents the cascaded format and style of the object as specified by global style sheets, inline styles, and HTML attributes.
runtimeStyle Represents the cascaded format and style of the object that overrides the format and style specified in global style sheets, inline styles, and HTML attributes.
style Represents the current settings of all possible inline styles for a given element.
Styles
Style attribute Style property Description
ACCELERATOR accelerator Sets or retrieves a string that indicates whether the object contains an accelerator key.
background-color backgroundColor Sets or retrieves the color behind the content of the object.
behavior behavior Sets or retrieves the location of the Introduction to DHTML Behaviors.
bottom bottom Sets or retrieves the bottom position of the object in relation to the bottom of the next positioned object in the document hierarchy.
clear clear Sets or retrieves whether the object allows floating objects on its left side, right side, or both, so that the next text displays past the floating objects.
clip clip Sets or retrieves which part of a positioned object is visible.
color color Sets or retrieves the color of the text of the object.
direction direction Sets or retrieves the reading order of the object.
display display Sets or retrieves whether the object is rendered.
font font Sets or retrieves a combination of separate font properties of the object. Alternatively, sets or retrieves one or more of six user-preference fonts.
font-family fontFamily Sets or retrieves the name of the font used for text in the object.
font-size fontSize Sets or retrieves a value that indicates the font size used for text in the object.
font-style fontStyle Sets or retrieves the font style of the object as italic, normal, or oblique.
font-weight fontWeight Sets or retrieves the weight of the font of the object.
hasLayout Retrieves a value that indicates whether the object has layout.
height height Sets or retrieves the height of the object.
layout-flow layoutFlow Sets or retrieves the direction and flow of the content in the object.
layout-grid layoutGrid Sets or retrieves the composite document grid properties that specify the layout of text characters.
layout-grid-mode layoutGridMode Sets or retrieves whether the text layout grid uses two dimensions.
left left Sets or retrieves the position of the object relative to the left edge of the next positioned object in the document hierarchy.
letter-spacing letterSpacing Sets or retrieves the amount of additional space between letters in the object.
line-height lineHeight Sets or retrieves the distance between lines in the object.
padding padding Sets or retrieves the amount of space to insert between the object and its margin or, if there is a border, between the object and its border.
padding-bottom paddingBottom Sets or retrieves the amount of space to insert between the bottom border of the object and the content.
padding-left paddingLeft Sets or retrieves the amount of space to insert between the left border of the object and the content.
padding-right paddingRight Sets or retrieves the amount of space to insert between the right border of the object and the content.
padding-top paddingTop Sets or retrieves the amount of space to insert between the top border of the object and the content.
pixelBottom Sets or retrieves the bottom position of the object.
pixelHeight Sets or retrieves the height of the object.
pixelLeft Sets or retrieves the left position of the object.
pixelRight Sets or retrieves the right position of the object.
pixelTop Sets or retrieves the top position of the object.
pixelWidth Sets or retrieves the width of the object.
posBottom Sets or retrieves the bottom position of the object in the units specified by the bottom attribute.
posHeight Sets or retrieves the height of the object in the units specified by the height attribute.
position position Sets or retrieves the type of positioning used for the object.
posLeft Sets or retrieves the left position of the object in the units specified by the left attribute.
posRight Sets or retrieves the right position of the object in the units specified by the right attribute.
posTop Sets or retrieves the top position of the object in the units specified by the top attribute.
posWidth Sets or retrieves the width of the object in the units specified by the width attribute.
right right Sets or retrieves the position of the object relative to the right edge of the next positioned object in the document hierarchy.
float styleFloat Sets or retrieves on which side of the object the text will flow.
text-autospace textAutospace Sets or retrieves the autospacing and narrow space width adjustment of text.
text-decoration textDecoration Sets or retrieves a value that indicates whether the text in the object has blink, line-through, overline, or underline decorations.
textDecorationBlink Sets or retrieves a Boolean value that indicates whether the object's textDecoration property has a value of "blink."
textDecorationLineThrough Sets or retrieves a Boolean value indicating whether the text in the object has a line drawn through it.
textDecorationNone Sets or retrieves the Boolean value indicating whether the textDecoration property for the object has been set to none.
textDecorationOverline Sets or retrieves a Boolean value indicating whether the text in the object has a line drawn over it.
textDecorationUnderline Sets or retrieves whether the text in the object is underlined.
text-transform textTransform Sets or retrieves the rendering of the text in the object.
text-underline-position textUnderlinePosition Sets or retrieves the position of the underline decoration that is set through the textDecoration property of the object.
top top Sets or retrieves the position of the object relative to the top of the next positioned object in the document hierarchy.
unicode-bidi unicodeBidi Sets or retrieves the level of embedding with respect to the bidirectional algorithm.
visibility visibility Sets or retrieves whether the content of the object is displayed.
width width Sets or retrieves the width of the object.
word-spacing wordSpacing Sets or retrieves the amount of additional space between words in the object.
word-wrap wordWrap Sets or retrieves whether to break words when the content exceeds the boundaries of its container.
zoom zoom Sets or retrieves the magnification scale of the object.

Remarks

The SELECT element is available in HTML and script, as of Internet Explorer 3.0.
This element is a windowed control and does not support the z-index attribute or zIndex property.
This element is an inline element.
This element requires a closing tag.

Examples

This example uses the SELECT element to create a drop-down list box.
<SELECT NAME="Cats" SIZE="1">
<OPTION VALUE="1">Calico
<OPTION VALUE="2">Tortie
<OPTION VALUE="3" SELECTED>Siamese
</SELECT>
This example uses the select element to create a multi-select list box by setting the SIZE and MULTIPLE attributes. To retrieve the selected options for a multi-select list box, iterate through the options collection and check to see where SELECTED is set to true.
<SELECT ID="oSelect" NAME="Cars" SIZE="3" MULTIPLE>
<OPTION VALUE="1" SELECTED>BMW
<OPTION VALUE="2">Porsche
<OPTION VALUE="3" SELECTED>Mercedes
</SELECT>
This example adds a new option to the end of the SELECT list created above. The new Option constructor can also be used in Microsoft JScript.
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JScript">
var oOption = document.createElement("OPTION");
oOption.text="Ferrari";
oOption.value="4";
oSelect.add(oOption);
</SCRIPT>

Standards Information

This object is defined in HTML 3.2 and is defined in World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 .