Question

I have a page where the input type always varies, and I need to get the values depending on the input type. So if the type is a radio, I need to get which is checked, and if it is a checkbox I need to now which are checked, and if it is a drop down I need to know which is selected, and I if it is a text/textarea I need to know the values.

Any idea on how to do that?

Answer 1

EDIT Feb 1, 2013. Due to the popularity of this answer and the changes to jQuery in version 1.9 (and 2.0) regarding properties and attributes, I added some notes and a fiddle to see how it works when accessing properties/attributes on input, buttons and some selects. The fiddle here: http://jsfiddle.net/pVBU8/1/

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get all the inputs:

var allInputs = $(":input");

get all the inputs type:

allInputs.attr('type');

get the values:

allInputs.val();

NOTE: .val() is NOT the same as :checked for those types where that is relevent.
use:

.attr("checked");

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EDIT Feb 1, 2013 – re: jQuery 1.9 use prop() not attr() as attr will not return proper values for properties that have changed.

.prop('checked');

or simply

$(this).checked;

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to get the value of the check – whatever it is currently. or simply use the ‘:checked’ if you want only those that ARE checked.

EDIT: Here is another way to get type:

var allCheckboxes=$('[type=checkbox]');

EDIT2:
Note that the form of:

$('input:radio');

is perferred over

$(':radio');

which both equate to:

$('input[type=radio]');

but the “input” is desired so it only gets the inputs and does not use the universal ‘*” when the form of $(':radio') is used which equates to $('*:radio');

EDIT Aug 19, 2015: preference for the $('input[type=radio]'); should be used as that then allows modern browsers to optimize the search for a radio input.

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EDIT Feb 1, 2013 per comment re: select elements
@dariomac

$('select').prop("type");

will return either “select-one” or “select-multiple” depending upon the “multiple” attribute and

$('select')[0].type 

returns the same for the first select if it exists. and

($('select')[0]?$('select')[0].type:"howdy") 

will return the type if it exists or “howdy” if it does not.

 $('select').prop('type');

returns the property of the first one in the DOM if it exists or “undefined” if none exist.

$('select').type

returns the type of the first one if it exists or an error if none exist.