optionsNN 2   IE 3   DOM n/a

An array of OPTION elements nested within a SELECT object.

 
 
Object Model Reference
NN [window.]document.formName.selectName.options
IE [window.]document.formName.selectName.options
lengthNN 2   IE 3   DOM n/a
 Read-only
 

Returns the number of elements in the collection.

 
Example
var howMany = document.forms[0].mySelect.options.length
 
Value
Integer.
add( )NN n/a   IE 4   DOM n/a

add(element, [index])

Adds an already-created element (from the createElement( ) method) to the current collection. The element must be of the OPTION type. By default the new element is added as the last item of the collection unless you specify an index value as a second parameter. The following example sequence appends a new item to a SELECT object:

var newElem = document.createElement("OPTION")
newElem.text = "Freddy"
newElem.value = "Freddy Mercury"
document.forms[1].rockers.options.add(newElem)

Notice that a generic object is created first. Then its properties are stuffed with values. Then the new element is physically added to the SELECT element.

The process for adding an OPTION element is entirely different in Navigator. To append a new item, assign the results of an Option( ) constructor to the indexed option at the end of the array (corresponding to the integer returned by the length property). Parameters to the constructor function are (in order):

String corresponding to the text property

String corresponding to the value property

Boolean corresponding to the defaultSelected property

Boolean corresponding to the selected property

For example, the Navigator version of the preceding IE example is as follows:

document.forms[1].rockers.options[length] = new Option("Freddy",
 "Freddy Mercury", false, false)

You could insert the new item anywhere you like in the list by specifying the desired index value of the options array.

 
Returned Value
None.
 
Parameters
element A fully formed element object reference, usually generated by the createElement( ) method.
index An optional integer indicating where in the collection the new element should be placed.
item( )NN n/a   IE 4   DOM n/a

item(index[, subindex])

Returns a single object or collection of objects corresponding to the element matching the index value (or, optionally, the index and subindex values).

 
Returned Value
One object or collection (array) of objects. If there are no matches to the parameters, the returned value is null.
 
Parameters
index When the parameter is a zero-based integer, the returned value is a single element corresponding to the said numbered item in source code order (nested within the current element); when the parameter is a string, the returned value is a collection of elements whose id or name properties match that string.
subindex If you specify a string value for the first parameter, you may use the second parameter to specify a zero-based integer to retrieve a specific element from the collection whose id or name properties match the first parameter's string value.
remove( )NN n/a   IE 4   DOM n/a

remove(index)

Deletes an element from the current collection. Simply specify the zero-based index value of the OPTION element you wish to remove from the collection belonging to a SELECT element. The following example deletes the first item from a SELECT object:

document.forms[1].rockers.options.remove(0)

The process for removing an OPTION element is entirely different in Navigator. To delete an item, assign null to the item in the collection. For example, the Navigator version of the preceding IE example is as follows:

document.forms[1].rockers.options[0] = null

Regardless of the browser-specific process of removing an option from the SELECT object, the length of the options array collapses to fill the space.

 
Returned Value
None.
 
Parameters
index A zero-based integer indicating which item in the collection should be deleted.