How to select ID that starts with certain character using jQuery ?


jQuery is a popular JavaScript library that simplifies the process of traversing and manipulating HTML documents. In web development, one common requirement is to select elements with specific attributes or properties. In this article, we will explore how to select HTML elements whose IDs start with a certain character using jQuery.

Use of Selecting ID that starts with certain character

  • Targeting Specific Groups of Elements: When working with a large number of elements, it may be necessary to group them based on a common identifier. By selecting IDs that start with a specific character, you can easily target and manipulate elements that belong to a particular group. This simplifies the process of applying changes or performing actions on a specific set of elements without affecting others.

  • Form Validation and Enhancement: In web forms, you can use this feature to target and validate input fields that have specific requirements. For example, if you have multiple fields that need to start with a particular prefix (e.g., "user_"), you can easily select and validate them using the ID selector. This simplifies the process of form validation and enhances the user experience by providing real-time feedback or applying custom styles to the relevant fields.

  • Event Handling and Interaction: You can easily attach event listeners to a group of elements with similar IDs and perform specific actions when those elements are interacted with. This simplifies the process of event delegation and reduces the amount of repetitive code.

Method 1;Attribute Starts With Selector

This method is using the attribute that starts with a selector in jQuery. It allows us to select elements that have attributes starting with a specified value. In this case, we'll be targeting the "id" attribute.

Example

In the below example, the attribute starts with selector "[id^='a']" tells jQuery to select all elements with an "id" attribute that begins with the letter 'a'. The letter 'a' is enclosed in single quotes within the square brackets. The resulting collection can then be used for further manipulation or access.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Selecting IDs that Start with a Certain Character</title>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.6.0.min.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
  <div id="apple">Apple</div>
  <div id="banana">Banana</div>
  <div id="orange">Orange</div>
  <div id="mango">Mango</div>

  <script>
    $(document).ready(function() {
      var elements = $("[id^='a']");
      console.log(elements);
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Output

Apple
Banana
Orange
Mango

Method 2:Using filter method

Another method to select IDs starting with a certain character is by using the filter function provided by jQuery. The filter function allows us to iterate over a collection of elements and filter out those that meet specific criteria.

Example

In the below example, the filter function iterates over the selected elements and returns only those for which the provided callback function returns true. In this case, the callback function checks if the ID of each element starts with the letter 'b' using the startsWith() method. If true, the element is included in the resulting collection.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Selecting IDs that Start with a Certain Character</title>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.6.0.min.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
  <div id="alpha">Alpha</div>
  <div id="beta">Beta</div>
  <div id="gamma">Gamma</div>
  <div id="delta">Delta</div>

  <script>
    $(document).ready(function() {
      var elements = $("[id]").filter(function() {
        return this.id.startsWith("b");
      });
      console.log(elements);
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Output

Alpha
Beta
Gamma
Delta

Method 3:Using Regular Expression

Using a regular expression is another approach to select IDs that start with a specific character. jQuery's filter function can be combined with a regular expression pattern to achieve this.

Example

In the below example, we use the regular expression pattern /^e/, where "^" indicates the start of the string, and "e" represents the character we want the ID to start with. The test() method checks if the pattern matches the ID of each element. If it does, the element is included in the resulting collection.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Selecting IDs that Start with a Certain Character</title>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.6.0.min.js">></script>
</head>
<body>
  <div id="cat">Cat</div>
  <div id="dog">Dog</div>
  <div id="elephant">Elephant</div>
  <div id="lion">Lion</div>

  <script>
    $(document).ready(function() {
      var elements = $("[id]").filter(function() {
        return /^e/.test(this.id);
      });
      console.log(elements);
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Output

Cat
Dog
Elephant
Lion

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed how we can select ID that starts with certain character using jQuers. we focused on selecting HTML elements whose IDs start with a certain character using the "attribute starts with" selector. By following the step−by−step guide and understanding the provided code examples and explanations, you should now have a clear understanding of how to achieve this using jQuery.

Updated on: 17-Jul-2023

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