Re: [development] using jquery to access a form element

23 Jun 2010

      You can give your element a name you know won't be used by anything 
else, then access it like this:

module:
$form['mywierdelementname']=array(....);

JS:
$("input[name=myweirdelementname]")

If you want the form id that element is in, then:

$("input[name=myweirdelementname]").parent("form").attr("id")

But the best (and more or less Drupal) way is to assign a class to that 
form element and attach any behaviors through the Drupal JS api:

MODULE:
$form['myelement']=array('#attributes'=>array('class'=>'myclassname'), ...);

JS;

Drupal.behaviors.mybehaviourname = function(context) {
   $('.myclassname:not(.myclassname-processed)', context).each(function() {
         $(this).addClass('myclassname-processed');
        // Attach whatever you want to your input element now using $(this)
   });
};

Put that in a JS file and load it on your page with drupal_add_js and it 
will automatically fire when Drupal does all the other Javascript 
bindings. Also, if you ever change things down the road (say add AJAX) 
and that element gets reloaded, it will automatically reattach the 
behaviors to it.

Jamie Holly
http://www.intoxination.net
http://www.hollyit.net

On 6/23/2010 8:45 AM, Lluís Forns wrote:
...
I was hoping to find a way to tell my js code which id would have the
form element.
I inserted my js code inside the form()
2010/6/23 nan wich<nan_wich@bellsouth.net>:
...
Actually, if the same form is used more than once on a page, you can almost
 guarantee that it will *not* have the same name. Take a look at the comments
 in "form_clean_id()" concerning its effects on jQuery. I think adding a
 class might make this more difficult, unless that code is fully aware of
 multiple instances of a form on a page.
Nancy E. Wichmann, PMP
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. -- Dr. Martin L. King,
 Jr.
________________________________
 From: Steven Jones
However, you cannot therefore guarantee that the form element will
 always have the same ID.
Usually I'd add a class to the item I want to add the behaviour to (in
 form alter or theme function), and then attach the javascript using
 the Drupal.behaviors technique.
Regards
 Steven Jones