HTMLSelectElement: namedItem() method

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since July 2015.

The HTMLSelectElement.namedItem() method returns the HTMLOptionElement corresponding to the HTMLOptionElement whose name or id match the specified name, or null if no option matches.

In JavaScript, using selectElt.namedItem('value') is equivalent to selectElt.options.namedItem('value').

Syntax

js
namedItem(str)

Parameters

str

A string representing the name or id of the option.

Return value

An HTMLOptionElement or null.

Examples

HTML

html
<form>
  <select id="myFormControl">
    <option id="o1">Opt 1</option>
    <option id="o2">Opt 2</option>
  </select>
</form>

JavaScript

js
let selectElt = document.getElementById("myFormControl");
elem1 = selectElt.namedItem("o1"); // Returns the HTMLOptionElement representing #o1

But, you cannot write:

js
let selectElt = document.getElementById("myFormControl");
elem1 = selectElt.o1; // Returns undefined
elem1 = selectElt["o1"]; // Returns undefined

Specifications

Specification
HTML
# dom-select-nameditem-dev

Browser compatibility

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
namedItem
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 1 (Release date: 2008-12-11)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote
footnote namedItem does not appear to take the name attribute into account (only the id attribute) on Internet Explorer and Edge. There is a bug report to Microsoft about this.
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 1 (Release date: 2004-11-09)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 12.1 (Release date: 2012-11-20)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 3 (Release date: 2007-10-26)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 18 (Release date: 2012-06-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 4 (Release date: 2011-03-29)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 12.1 (Release date: 2012-10-09)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 1 (Release date: 2007-06-29)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1 (Release date: 2013-04-27)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 1 (Release date: 2007-06-29)
footnote Full support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support
Full support
See implementation notes.

See also