Question

115

Cross-browser, javascript getAttribute() method?

rated 0 times [ 118] [ 3] / answers: 1 / hits: 29461 / 14 Years ago, mon, september 20, 2010, 12:00:00

trying to determine a decent, cross browser method for obtaining attributes with javascript? assume javascript library use (jQuery/Mootools/etc.) is not an option.

I've tried the following, but I frequently get attributes is null or not an object error when IE tries to use the else method. Can anyone assist?

<script type=text/javascript>

//...

    getAttr: function(ele, attr) {

      if (typeof ele.attributes[attr] == 'undefined'){

        return ele.getAttribute(attr);

      } else {

        return ele.attributes[attr].nodeValue;

      }

    },

//...

</script>





<div>

 <a href=http://www.yo.com#foo>Link</a>

</div>

using the above html, in each browser, how do I getAttr(ele, 'href')? (assume selecting the ele node isn't an issue)

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aliah

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answered 14 Years ago billt · Accepted Answer

With regard to your question's update, you could try this.

It may be overkill, but if getAttribute() and the dot notation don't return a result, it iterates through the attributes object to try to find a match.

Example: http://jsfiddle.net/4ZwNs/

var funcs = {

    getAttr: function(ele, attr) {

        var result = (ele.getAttribute && ele.getAttribute(attr)) || null;

        if( !result ) {

            var attrs = ele.attributes;

            var length = attrs.length;

            for(var i = 0; i < length; i++)

                if(attrs[i].nodeName === attr)

                    result = attrs[i].nodeValue;

        }

        return result;

    }

};



var result = funcs.getAttr(el, 'hash');

It's up to you to do some cross-browser testing, though. :o)

Using ele.attributes, you need to access them by index, as in:

ele.attributes[0].nodeName;   // id (for example)

ele.attributes[0].nodeValue;  // my_id (for example)

Trying to pass attributes an attribute name appears to return a value whose typeof is object, so your else code is running even though ele.attributes[attr] doesn't give you the value you want.