jQuery - setting the selected value of a select control via its text description

Question

jQuery - setting the selected value of a select control via its text description

Question

I have a select control, and in a javascript variable I have a text string.

Using jQuery I want to set the selected element of the select control to be the item with the text description I have (as opposed to the value, which I don't have).

I know setting it by value is pretty trivial. e.g.

$("#my-select").val(myVal);

But I'm a bit stumped on doing it via the text description. I guess there must be a way of getting the value out from the text description, but my brain is too Friday afternoon-ed to be able to work it out.

DanSingerman

2014/01/13

Read less…

I haven't tested this, but this might work for you.

$("select#my-select option")
   .each(function() { this.selected = (this.text == myVal); });

spoulson

2009/01/30

Try this...to select the option with text myText

$("#my-Select option[text=" + myText +"]").prop("selected", true);

Jay Corbett

2020/01/16

I do it on this way (jQuery 1.9.1)

$("#my-select").val("Dutch").change();

Note: don't forget the change(), I had to search to long because of that :)

ErazerBrecht

2016/07/21

$("#myselect option:contains('YourTextHere')").val();

will return the value of the first option containing your text description. Tested this and works.

Russ Cam

2009/01/30

To avoid all jQuery version complications, I honestly recommend using one of these really simple javascript functions...

function setSelectByValue(eID,val)
{ //Loop through sequentially//
  var ele=document.getElementById(eID);
  for(var ii=0; ii<ele.length; ii++)
    if(ele.options[ii].value==val) { //Found!
      ele.options[ii].selected=true;
      return true;
    }
  return false;
}

function setSelectByText(eID,text)
{ //Loop through sequentially//
  var ele=document.getElementById(eID);
  for(var ii=0; ii<ele.length; ii++)
    if(ele.options[ii].text==text) { //Found!
      ele.options[ii].selected=true;
      return true;
    }
  return false;
}

Dave

2013/05/08

Crescent Fresh · Accepted Answer · 3/28/2019 9:33:34 PM

Select by description for jQuery v1.6+

var text1 = 'Two';
$("select option").filter(function() {
  //may want to use $.trim in here
  return $(this).text() == text1;
}).prop('selected', true);

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js"></script>

<select>
  <option value="0">One</option>
  <option value="1">Two</option>
</select>

jQuery versions below 1.6 and greater than or equal to 1.4

var text1 = 'Two';
$("select option").filter(function() {
  //may want to use $.trim in here
  return $(this).text() == text1;
}).attr('selected', true);

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.4.0/jquery.min.js"></script>

<select>
  <option value="0">One</option>
  <option value="1">Two</option>
</select>

Note that while this approach will work in versions that are above 1.6 but less than 1.9, it has been deprecated since 1.6. It will not work in jQuery 1.9+.

Previous versions

val() should handle both cases.

$('select').val('1'); // selects "Two"
$('select').val('Two'); // also selects "Two"

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.2.3/jquery.min.js"></script>

<select>
  <option value="0">One</option>
  <option value="1">Two</option>
</select>