Question

We are automating web tests and want to validate what is in the text area.

We want to check what is actually showing from a user perspective. It does not matter if it’s placed there with placeholder or entered by user/testcase. We use the html5 placeholder attribute.

$("textarea").text() does not give me anything if the text has been entered via place holder.

Tried $("textarea").val() but it gives me the same behavior as using .text().

We could write logic like if ( text is empty ) { look at placeholder } but that feels wrong since it would not determine what is actually showing in the text area. I would like to have an alternative to using the logic. Otherwise we assume that the browser uses the same logic that we implement in our test.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

you mean html5 placeholder or placeholder added by js plugin?

if is case 1, i guess this can help:

var text = $("textarea").val() || $("textarea").attr('placeholder')

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/mJkFc/